Most Etonians will know the name Lyttlelton best as the building that houses Eton’s Divinity department. The man himself, Edward Lyttlelton, however, was quite extraordinary. Educated at Eton he went on to bat in Middlesex’s middle order amassing a total of 779 runs and played in the FA cup final of 1876, all while making a name for himself as a first class educator at a number of England’s finest public schools including Eton before spending a decade as a canon of St. Albans Cathedral before returning once more to Eton as Headmaster in 1905 where his influence can still be felt to this day.
One of these influences are the annual Lyttleton Lectures, which honour the extensive work of Lyttlelton to educate and interpret the Bible whilst effectively and elegantly conveying its message. That task, this year, was taken up by Malcom Guite: a man whose interest and influence does justice even to that of Edward Lyttlelton’s. As a poet, singer-songwriter, Anglican priest and academic he is perfectly placed to tie together the artistic and the liturgical. His powerful command over the English language was shown in full across the two lectures in which he utilised two poems. He used “The Rain Stick” by Seamus Heaney on the Monday and “Prayer” by George Herbert on the Tuesday as well as a generous dose of his own creative and striking use of imagery and personal anecdotes. Exploring how we can live and flourish as contemporary Christians in a thoroughly entertaining and engaging fashion.
Whether you missed the lectures or would like to learn more about his work I would strongly recommend visiting his website (find the link below) where you’ll find details about his books as well as upcoming events and gigs.
Malcom Guite’s website: https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/
Montgomery Jones
