Invitations to Christian commitment: The distinctive voice of Anglican cathedrals

My argument in this paper is that cathedrals could make a key contribution to the distinctive invitation that the Anglican Church can offer to Christian commitment. This distinctive invitation is especially important in societies in which the Christian narrative is not dominant and in which other clear invitations are being offered from narrow sectarian perspectives rather than from an inclusive church perspective. This argument emerges from my personal experience serving as canon theologian in three cathedrals within three different provinces of the Anglican Church: Bangor in Wales, St Johns in Newfoundland, and most recently Liverpool in England. I am, however, conscious that this personal experience may or may not be relevant to the Church of Ireland. The argument also emerges from 20 years of patient and persistent research tested in the peer-reviewed literature. This paper invites the reader to enter that research world and to critique its potential relevance for a different political, social, and ecclesial context. The argument progresses in four steps. Step one introduces two key concepts: the science of cathedral studies and empirical theology. Step two draws on theology and ecclesiology to frame a vision. Step three draws on sociological theory to frame a perspective. Step four draws on empirical research to test that perspective.