Reframing Healing for our Time: Faith, Health & the Human Condition

The symposium forms part of the celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the canonisation of William of York, whose shrine at York Minster became one of the great medieval centres of pilgrimage and prayer for healing.

The event also follows the publication of Breaking not Broken by Timothy Goode, Canon for Congregational Discipleship and Nurture at York Minster. The book offers a theological reflection on disability, healing, and Christian understandings of the human person, challenging long-held assumptions about wholeness and flourishing in the life of the Church.

Together, these two milestones provide a timely opportunity to reconsider our understanding of healing in the 21st century. While the language of healing has often been associated with miraculous restoration or cure, the symposium will explore a broader theological vision - one that includes reconciliation, belonging, dignity, and the restoration of communities as well as bodies.

The symposium will feature a distinguished group of international speakers including:

Dr Petre Maican, a theologian and disability counsellor whose work sits at the intersection of faith and disability. He offers tailored guidance for churches, dioceses, and seminaries to embed inclusion into their structures and ethos.

Revd Dr Chris Swift, an Anglican priest who worked for over 30 years in health and social care chaplaincy.

Professor Roger Kneebone, Emeritus Professor of Surgical Education and Engagement Science at Imperial College London and co-director of the Royal College of Music – Imperial Centre for Performance Science.

Dr Susan Cross, currently an independent scholar. Her research centres on the Church of England. At present she is working on silence and silencing in liturgy.

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York who will offer reflections on healing within the life and mission of the Church today.

Further information on each speaker can be found in the 'Line-up' section.

Through lectures and conversation across disciplines, the symposium will explore questions such as: How do we understand healing in a world shaped by medical technology, trauma, disability, and social fragmentation? How might Christian theology speak meaningfully about healing without reinforcing harmful assumptions about perfection or normality and what role might churches and sacred spaces play in nurturing healing within contemporary communities?

The collaboration between York Minster and York St John University reflects a shared commitment to public theology - bringing the wisdom of the Christian tradition into dialogue with the complex realities of modern life.

Image credits to York Glaziers Trust and Chapter of York.

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