Christopher Cocksworth
Encyclopedia
Christopher John Cocksworth (born 12 January 1959) is a Church of England
cleric in the open evangelical
tradition. He is the current (9th) Bishop of Coventry
. He is the youngest serving diocesan bishop in the Church of England. He was consecrated as bishop in Southwark Cathedral
, London
on 3 July 2008 and was enthroned on 1 November 2008. Prior to becoming bishop he was the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge
. He is the son-in-law of the Rt Revd David Pytches
, former diocesan Bishop of Chile, Bolivia & Peru.
and attended the University of Manchester
where he earned a first class degree in Theology and later was awarded a PhD under the supervision of Richard Bauckham
. Having trained for the ministry at St John's College, Nottingham
, he began his vocation in the priesthood as a curate at Epsom Common Christ Church in the Diocese of Guildford
in 1988. In 1992, he moved to become Chaplain of Royal Holloway, University of London
until 1997. He then became Director of the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme; a post he relinquished in 2001. He was made an Honorary Canon of Guildford Cathedral in 1999. He was later the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge
. His nomination for the appointment of Bishop of Coventry on the retirement of the Rt Revd Colin Bennetts
was announced on 3 March 2008. He was formally elected by the cathedral chapter in May 2008, following the issue of a Congé d'Elire
by the Queen
on 6 May 2008. He was consecrated as a bishop on 3 July 2008 in Southwark Cathedral, and was enthroned on 1 November 2008. He is the youngest serving diocesan bishop.
He was a member of the Church of England Liturgical Commission from 1999 to 2006, and was involved in revising the ordination services and the Common Worship
Daily Prayer compilation.
He is married to Charlotte, and they have five sons - Tim, Ashley, Sam, Seb and Matt.
On 15 July 2009 The Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Divinity
, Honoris Causa, of the University of London. The award was conferred by Royal Holloway, University of London, at a ceremony held in the College’s chapel. The University of London awards Honorary Degrees to those of conspicuous merit, outstanding in their field, or those who have given exceptional service to the University. Dr Cocksworth was honoured for his services to Education – particularly Higher Education – and to the Church, and also for his service to Royal Holloway.
Renewing Daily Prayer: An Introduction to Celebrating Common Prayer (1992);
Evangelical Eucharistic Thought in the Church of England (1993);
An Anglican Companion, with Alan Wilkinson (1996);
Holy, Holy, Holy, Worshipping the Trinitarian God (1997);
Prayer and the Departed (1997);
Common Worship: An Introduction (2001);
Wisdom: The Spirit's Gift (2003);
Being a Priest Today: Exploring Priestly Identity, with Rosalind Brown (2002, 2nd ed. 2006);
Holding Together: Gospel, Church and Spirit (2008), nominated for the 2011 Michael Ramsey Book Prize.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
cleric in the open evangelical
Open Evangelical
Open Evangelical refers to a particular Christian school of thought or Churchmanship, primarily in the United Kingdom...
tradition. He is the current (9th) Bishop of Coventry
Bishop of Coventry
The Bishop of Coventry is the Ordinary of the England Diocese of Coventry in the Province of Canterbury. In the Middle Ages, the Bishop of Coventry was a title used by the bishops known today as the Bishop of Lichfield....
. He is the youngest serving diocesan bishop in the Church of England. He was consecrated as bishop in Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 3 July 2008 and was enthroned on 1 November 2008. Prior to becoming bishop he was the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall is a theological college located in Sidgwick Avenue in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, which trains intending ministers for the Church of England and other churches. It was founded in 1881 and named in memory of Nicholas Ridley, a leading protestant theologian of the sixteenth century...
. He is the son-in-law of the Rt Revd David Pytches
David Pytches
David Pytches is a bishop of the Anglican Communion and the former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia & Peru. Pytches was also vicar of St Andrew's, in Chorleywood England. He is the author of many books, including Come Holy Spirit and his autobiography, Living at the Edge...
, former diocesan Bishop of Chile, Bolivia & Peru.
Career
He was brought up in HorshamHorsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
and attended the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
where he earned a first class degree in Theology and later was awarded a PhD under the supervision of Richard Bauckham
Richard Bauckham
Richard Bauckham is a widely published scholar in theology, historical theology and New Testament. He is currently working on New Testament Christology and the Gospel of John as a Senior Scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge....
. Having trained for the ministry at St John's College, Nottingham
St John's College, Nottingham
St John's College, situated in Bramcote, Nottingham, is a Church of England theological college. The college stands in the open evangelical tradition and states that its “core purpose is to inspire, equip and grow Christians to serve and lead in God’s mission.”St. John’s trains Anglican ordinands,...
, he began his vocation in the priesthood as a curate at Epsom Common Christ Church in the Diocese of Guildford
Diocese of Guildford
The Diocese of Guildford is a Church of England diocese based in Guildford, covering most of Surrey and part of Hampshire. The cathedral is Guildford Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Guildford. It is part of the Province of Canterbury....
in 1988. In 1992, he moved to become Chaplain of Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
until 1997. He then became Director of the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme; a post he relinquished in 2001. He was made an Honorary Canon of Guildford Cathedral in 1999. He was later the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall is a theological college located in Sidgwick Avenue in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, which trains intending ministers for the Church of England and other churches. It was founded in 1881 and named in memory of Nicholas Ridley, a leading protestant theologian of the sixteenth century...
. His nomination for the appointment of Bishop of Coventry on the retirement of the Rt Revd Colin Bennetts
Colin Bennetts
Colin James Bennetts is a British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Coventry.The son of James Thomas Bennetts and Winifred Couldrey, he was educated at Battersea Grammar School, at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in modern and medieval languages and...
was announced on 3 March 2008. He was formally elected by the cathedral chapter in May 2008, following the issue of a Congé d'Elire
Congé d'élire
Congé d'Elire a licence from the Crown in England issued under the great seal to the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of the diocese, authorizing them to elect a bishop or archbishop, as the case may be, upon the vacancy of any episcopal or archi-episcopal see in England.-History and...
by the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on 6 May 2008. He was consecrated as a bishop on 3 July 2008 in Southwark Cathedral, and was enthroned on 1 November 2008. He is the youngest serving diocesan bishop.
He was a member of the Church of England Liturgical Commission from 1999 to 2006, and was involved in revising the ordination services and the Common Worship
Common Worship
Common Worship is the name given to the series of services authorised by the General Synod of the Church of England and launched on the first Sunday of Advent in 2000. It represents the most recent stage of development of the Liturgical Movement within the Church and is the successor to the...
Daily Prayer compilation.
He is married to Charlotte, and they have five sons - Tim, Ashley, Sam, Seb and Matt.
On 15 July 2009 The Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, Honoris Causa, of the University of London. The award was conferred by Royal Holloway, University of London, at a ceremony held in the College’s chapel. The University of London awards Honorary Degrees to those of conspicuous merit, outstanding in their field, or those who have given exceptional service to the University. Dr Cocksworth was honoured for his services to Education – particularly Higher Education – and to the Church, and also for his service to Royal Holloway.
Publications
Cocksworth has written widely on theological matters, with some of his books includingRenewing Daily Prayer: An Introduction to Celebrating Common Prayer (1992);
Evangelical Eucharistic Thought in the Church of England (1993);
An Anglican Companion, with Alan Wilkinson (1996);
Holy, Holy, Holy, Worshipping the Trinitarian God (1997);
Prayer and the Departed (1997);
Common Worship: An Introduction (2001);
Wisdom: The Spirit's Gift (2003);
Being a Priest Today: Exploring Priestly Identity, with Rosalind Brown (2002, 2nd ed. 2006);
Holding Together: Gospel, Church and Spirit (2008), nominated for the 2011 Michael Ramsey Book Prize.
Styles
- Christopher Cocksworth Esq (1959–1988)
- The Revd Christopher Cocksworth (1988–1989)
- The Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth (1989–1999)
- The Revd Canon Dr Christopher Cocksworth (1999–2008)
- The Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth (2008—)