The Edmund Lectures: A Different God? A Different Mountain?
- Next Event
- 9th October 7:30pm
- Event Finishes
- 9th October 9:30pm
About this event
This October and November will feature Big Issues: The Edmund Lectures 2024 – a series of lectures by internationally renowned experts on some of the big issues that challenge our lives as we continue to navigate the 21st Century.
“A Different God? A Different Mountain?” – Dr Ed Kessler MBE
Wednesday 9 October at 7.00pm
(Please note, this date was originally advertised as 2 October and was incorrect)
Dr Edward Kessler MBE is the founder and President of the Woolf Institute and a leading thinker in Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations. He is also Chair of the Commission on the Integration of Refugees and Fellow of St Edmunds College, Cambridge. In this talk, he will address the question: In an increasingly polarised and dangerous world, what’s the point of interfaith dialogue?
Ed will explore the tensions, positive as well as negative, between religion and civil society, both in the UK and around the world. He calls for genuine dialogue at a time of increasing tensions between and within faith communities in the wake of the Israel and Gaza conflict, argues that diplomats and policymakers need to be better trained in religion and belief, and emphasises the need to rediscover common ground in light of growing polarisation and the rise of sectarian voting trends in the UK and elsewhere in Europe after the recent elections.
Free to attend, but please book.
Dr Ed Kessler regularly appears in the media commenting on religion and belief issues of our day. He founded the Woolf Institute in 1998 and was elected Fellow of St Edmund’s College in 2002; in 2007, He was Convenor and Vice-Chair of the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life (2013-15), which published a major policy report entitled, “Living with Difference” and Principal Investigator of the Woolf Institute study of diversity in England and Wales which published a major policy report entitled, “How We Get Along” (2019).
Dr Kessler was described by The Times Higher Education Supplement (London) as ‘probably the most prolific interfaith figure in British academia’ and in 2011 was awarded an MBE for services to interfaith relations. He has written or edited 12 books, including An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations (Cambridge, 2010), Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Encounter (SCM, 2013) and Jesus (The History Press, 2016). His Documentary History of Jewish-Christian Relations is being published by Cambridge in 2024. Also In 2024, he was awarded the Seelisberg Prize for his contribution to fostering better relations between Jews and Christians.
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About the Venue
For over 1,000 years, the site of Suffolk ’s Cathedral has been one of worship and pilgrimage.
The death of Edmund, King of the East Angles, at the hands of the Danes in 869 led to the building of an abbey to house his remains. St James’s Church was built within the precincts of the Abbey, becoming a Cathedral in 1914. The Cathedral building has continued to develop over recent years with the addition of the Millennium Tower, completed in 2005, and its magnificent painted and gilded vault, added in 2010. In 2009 the Cathedral changed its dedication to become the Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund.
Visitors are welcome to look around the Cathedral on their own. Entry is free but donations gratefully received. A free introductory leaflet is available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Polish. Visitors are most welcome to attend any of the daily services.
Guided Tours of the Cathedral run Monday to Saturday at 11am from the font from April to October. Tickets can be purchased at the Cathedral Shop. Occasionally a tour may have to be cancelled if another event is taking place in the Cathedral. If you are travelling some distance, please do ring the Cathedral office to check. These tours last approx 1 hour and cost £6 per person (under 16s free).
St Edmundsbury Cathedral Tower Tours - Experience a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of St Edmundsbury Cathedral's Millennium Tower with fun and knowledgeable guides. Explore heady heights with amazing views from the top of the tower, the highest point in Bury St Edmunds! Don’t forget your camera!
St Edmund Statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink - A trip to Bury St Edmunds would not be complete without a photo of the iconic St Edmund statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink. The statue can be found outside in the Great Churchyard of the Cathedral.
Cathedral Lego Project - St Edmundsbury Cathedral has launched an ambitious project to recreate the Cathedral out of 200,000 LEGO bricks! Visitors can see the Lego Cathedral being built before their eyes and donate a brick to be part of this amazing project. The Lego Cathedral is located in the South West corner of St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Opening times may vary based on volunteer availability.
The Ancient Library - The Ancient Library was founded by Dr Miles Mosse in 1595 as a resource for clergy training. There are over 550 books, mainly printed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The library, in a room over the north-west porch designed by Stephen Dykes Bower in 1960, has bookcases made by Leonard Goff in 2004. If you would like to visit the library, please contact the librarian through the Cathedral Office on visits@stedscathedral.org or 01284 748730.
Pilgrim's Kitchen - after touring the Cathedral why not relax with a cuppa at the Cathedral's cafe?
