Northern Gospel, Northern Church: Reflections on Identity and Mission

“Enlightening, thought provoking and honest, a bit like the North itself” — Kate Bottley (the “Gogglebox Vicar”)

Foreword by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York

From the monks of Lindisfarne to the Synod of Whitby, the North is historically considered to be a cradle of Christianity in England, but in today’s society is there a “gospel for the North”?

Does it make sense to talk of a gospel for a specific place when there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5)? Can we even consider the North of England as a distinct entity with its own particular identity?

This book brings together prominent practitioners and academics to answer these questions and explore what it means to proclaim the gospel in the North of England from many angles: housing estates to ancient cathedrals, Biblical reflection to street evangelism, history to economics.

Endorsements The Gospel has the ability to address the local and the global. This book is a unique contribution by northern practitioners and thinkers to recognise the needs and opportunities of the North and the relevance of the good news.

— The Revd David Wilkinson
Principal of St John’s College, Durham University
and contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day

Being born and bred in the North I can testify to sometimes feeling culturally and theologically misunderstood by my Southern colleagues. There’s more to the North than mushy peas, gravy and flat caps; the Holy Spirit is alive and well and very much in action beyond Watford Gap. This work helps to address some of the specifics of what a Gospel in the North might look like, addressing key issues of identity without wandering into patronising stereotypes. Enlightening, thought provoking and honest, a bit like the North itself.

— The Revd Kate Bottley (the “Gogglebox Vicar”)

My mother often reminded me of a great truism: “Its not what you say, its what people hear you saying.”

As a southern UK citizen living in London, I only need to travel north of Watford to know that I'm in a different cultural country. How people receive the good news is hugely significant, and this provocative book offers a new way of checking how its heard in the North.

— Joel Edwards, Strategic Adviser, Christian Solidarity Worldwide

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