Top Christian writer and broadcaster launches The Peckard Lecture series for Peterborough Cathedral

April 7, 2021

The unevenness of the suffering caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will be among the topics explored by the theologian, the Revd Dr Sam Wells, as part of an online lecture on Thursday 6 May 2021.

In an examination of the Church and Civil Society, Sam Wells will also focus on the climate change emergency and the Black Lives Matter movement during his talk, which will begin at 7.30pm via Zoom.

The Peckard Lecture is a new annual series set up to examine the Church’s response contemporary social issues, inspired by the way in which Peter Peckard, the eighteenth-century Dean of Peterborough who is buried in the Cathedral, challenged and changed attitudes to slavery in his own day.

The Very Reverend Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough, said: “Opening the Cathedral as a space for good conversation about issues relevant to contemporary society, and exploring the part Christians can and need to play in building a fairer world is the intention of the Peckard Lecture.

“We are delighted that Sam Wells will be with us online to give the first talk in the series. His first-hand experience serving as vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, in a part of London where social deprivation is such a challenge, more than qualifies him to speak in depth on this subject.”

Sam Wells said: “Sharing my outlook with others in such an immediate way online is a blessing in itself. I am honoured to open Peterborough Cathedral’s prestigious lecture series and look forward to engaging with those attending.”

The idea for the lecture series sprang from a presentation about Peckard’s work given by former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams at Peterborough Cathedral in 2018. Sam Wells’ talk was originally due to take place in May 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic.

Tickets for the lecture are £7.00 and are available via the Cathedral’s website > https://www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/143/section.aspx/142/peckard21