InterviewBlog | In conversation with Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell
In conversation with Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 13.09.24
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York is the 98th Archbishop of York, and previously served as the Bishop of Chelmsford, Bishop of Reading, Canon Pastor at Peterborough Cathedral and Diocesan Missioner for the Diocese of Wakefield. He is a well-known writer and speaker on evangelism, spirituality and catechesis. Stephen and Charmaine discuss his books, P is for Pilgrim and On Priesthood: Servants, Shepherds, Messengers, Sentinels and Stewards.
Interview by Charmaine Yip
cy P is for Pilgrim has a subtitle of ‘the Christian faith a journey from A-Z’. So it’s a story about our journey with Jesus. What inspired you to write this book?
sc I was in an ordinary bookshop years ago, and I came across this little book which I think was called A is for anarchist or C is for communist. It was in the format of those children’s books about learning the alphabet – A is for apple, B is for boats. I wondered if anyone had done anything like this for the Christian faith, and I couldn’t find any. So I wrote one. The book I’d seen didn’t shy away from big words and big concepts, and if you are a follower of Jesus, you are going to come across some challenging words and ideas, like ‘Trinity’ to describe God or ‘communion’. So I thought, let’s write a book which helps unpack these beautiful big ideas. Certainly, it is a book with Jesus running through it.
cy How much of our ministry to children and young people should be focused on teaching them God’s story?
sc I’m a follower of Jesus not because I know a lot about God, but because I’ve come to know Jesus. So most of all I want people to know Jesus. As you grow in that knowledge, there are things you need to understand, and that’s where these big concepts come in. I’d love to think that people who don’t have any faith at all might pick up the book and f ind Jesus in it. However, I expect the book will be used by people who are already followers of Jesus. If you’ve been going to church for a while, you might find it quite hard to admit you’re not sure what words like ‘Trinity,’ ‘sacrament,’ or ‘reconciliation’ mean. This book is an accessible resource where you can learn about these things. Families going to church might take it with them. It’s also beautifully illustrated and the pictures really help bring it to life.
