Jeremy Morris

‘A masterly, vivid and original sketch, not just of the history but of the culture (or cultures) of the Church of England across nearly five centuries’ – Rowan Williams, poet and former Archbishop of Canterbury

Historian and Anglican priest Jeremy Morris joins us to discuss the history of the Church of England, an event held in association with Ely Cathedral. A People’s Church is a compelling book, weaving social, political, and religious history together with church music and architecture.

This history is as tumultuous as it is long. The transformative 1534-1660 period shaped not only the Church of England but the country itself, encompassing the Reformation, the return to Catholicism under Mary, and the Civil War. This was closely followed by the Restoration of the monarchy in 1688, the expulsion of the Dissenters, and the 1689 Bill of Rights. By the time of John Henry Newman and the Industrial Revolution, the church was fragile. How, then, has it endured? And what of its future?

Dr Jeremy Morris is an Anglican priest and Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. In 2017, he was awarded The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Since 1992, he has published eight books on different aspects of the Church of England.