Sea of Faith Archive

Gladstone’s Library

The Don Cupitt/Sea of Faith Archive is housed at Gladstone’s Library, Hawarden, North Wales. Originally the personal library of William Ewart Gladstone (1809-98), the Library today is a fully functioning conference centre and study resource with a programme of courses and events specialising in history, politics and theology. Its mission is to maintain Gladstone’s legacy of engagement with social, moral and spiritual questions, helping people reflect more deeply on issues and ideas that concern them. The Library is a completely independent charity.

Gladstone’s Library has significant archive holdings in the areas of Christian theology and ministry, with special emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its holdings include the Sea of Faith archive, consisting of manuscripts, correspondence, research notes and other documents pertaining to Don Cupitt’s research interests, his work with the Sea of Faith network, as well as copies of his many publications and books. There are also small holdings of VCR tapes and photographic images. The archive has been arranged into a loose chronological order; several boxes of oversize material are arranged likewise. The library catalogue also contains a collection of Cupitt’s published works and associated secondary materials.

For further details, and information on how to access the archive, please visit the Gladstone’s Library website.

An Invitation to Contribute to the ‘Sea of Faith Legacy Collection’

Gladstone’s Library is inviting all those influenced by the The Sea of Faith TV series or by Don Cupitt’s writing to contribute to the Sea of Faith Archive. This aims to add to the body of correspondence received in response to the BBC TV series four decades ago and to chart the journeys of those who were influenced by it at the time.

If you contribute a letter, your letter will:

  • Be part of an exhibition at Gladstone’s Library in September 2024
  • Be held in a new companion archive: the ‘Sea of Faith Legacy Collection’

Quotations from submitted letters may also be used as part of presentations during the anniversary conference weekend (20th-21st September), with your permission.

Deadline: Friday 12th July 2024. Please see the attached leaflet for further details, or contact address is library@gladlib.org for further information.