Discover something new this autumn at York Minster. Join us on Tuesday evenings from 15 September –  13 October at 6.30pm for a series of inspiring lectures presented by renowned experts, exploring fascinating topics connected to history, religion, theology, heritage, culture, and more.

These talks take place Tuesday evenings from 6.30pm.

Entry is free and there is no pre-booking required.

If you have accessibility requirements that you would like to discuss prior to attending this event, please contact our team on 01904 557200 or via email at info@yorkminster.org.

Tuesday 15 September: Breaking not Broken: Ableism, the Church and the Risen Body.

Canon Tim Goode.

The Revd Canon Timothy Goode is Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster, where he oversees pastoral care and supports the spiritual formation of the Minster community.

His recent book, Breaking, Not Broken: Ableism and the Church after Constantine, draws on both lived experience and theological reflection to explore how assumptions about bodily perfection have shaped Christian theology, practice and imagination. Challenging these perspectives, the book examines how disabled people have often been marginalised within the life of the Church and considers how a more inclusive theology might emerge.

Tuesday 22 September: Religion in a time of Plague.

Dr Christopher Swift.

The Revd Dr Chris Swift is Director of the Leeds Church Institute.

He has worked in chaplaincy for more than thirty years, including in prison ministry, the education of military chaplains, and the health and social care sector. His PhD, which explored spiritual care in the UK National Health Service, forms the basis of his book Hospital Chaplaincy in the Twenty-First Century. He also holds an honorary research position at the University of Leeds and was formerly Visiting Professor of Religious, Spiritual and Pastoral Care at Staffordshire University.

Tuesday 29 September: Beatrice de Roos, John Thornton and the St William Window.

Professor Sarah Brown.

Professor Sarah Brown is Course Director of the University of York’s MA in Stained Glass Conservation and Heritage Management.

From 2008 to 2025, Sarah served as Director of York Glaziers Trust, the conservation charity responsible for the care of York Minster’s stained glass and for projects across the United Kingdom. In this role she oversaw the conservation of the Minster’s Great East Window and the implementation of a twenty-year strategy for the care and conservation of its world-renowned glass.

Tuesday 6 October: The Life and Miracles of St William in the St William Window.

Professor Christopher Norton.

Professor Christopher Norton is Professor of the History of Art at the University of York.

His research focuses on ecclesiastical art and architecture in England and France from the seventh to the sixteenth centuries. His work on the St William Window at York Minster, one of the largest stained-glass windows in Europe and dating from around 1415, was instrumental in the recent conservation project that restored the arrangement of the panels to their original order.

Tuesday 13 October: To be announced.

John Jenkins.

John Jenkins is Director of the Centre for Pilgrimage Studies at the University of York, which serves as an international hub for research into pilgrimage across periods, places and disciplines.

His own work explores the relationship between cathedrals, saints’ cults and pilgrimage from the medieval period to the present day. Through his research, he examines the continuing significance of pilgrimage and its role in shaping religious communities and sacred places.