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https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/dot-stock-image-1000x642-1.png?resize=75,48 75w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/dot-stock-image-1000x642-1.png?resize=160,103 160w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px"> </div> <div class="entry-header__text_image_left_portrait"> <div class="entry-header__heading container"> <a class="magazine-button" href="/magazine/11-01-2025">From the magazine</a> <h3 class="custom-title-link__text">Mind your language</h3> <h1 class="entry-header__title">What’s the point of a minster?</h1> <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/dot-wordsworth/" class="writers-link entry-header__author" aria-label="Read more articles by Dot Wordsworth"> <span class="writers-link__text">Dot Wordsworth</span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="entry-content__wrapper container image_left_portrait"> <figure class="magazine-cover-preview alignright"> <a href="/magazine/11-01-2025"> <img width="368" height="484" 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43w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=548,720 548w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=821,1080 821w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=368,484 368w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=358,471 358w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=188,247 188w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=144,190 144w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=149,196 149w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=49,65 49w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cover-11012025-issue.jpg?resize=82,108 82w" sizes="(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px"> </a> <figcaption> <a 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style="position: relative;"> <div class="entry-content"> <p>The Philip Larkin Society has sponsored a pew in the huge medieval church of Holy Trinity, Hull. Larkin died 40 years ago and in 2017 the church was given the title Hull Minster. Eighteen churches have acquired the honorific minster since 1994. Most are historic civic piles: King’s Lynn and Rotherham, Doncaster and Leeds.</p> <p>The title has no legal force. As far as etymology goes, <em>minster</em> comes from the Latin <em>monasterium</em>, which had already in the 8th century acquired the meaning ‘cathedral church’ in addition to ‘monastery’. Before the Norman Conquest, <em>minster</em> in English had come to mean a large, important church. Before the recent efflorescence, we had a hotchpotch of them: Southwell, a collegiate church and not a cathedral until 1884; Wimborne, an abbey before 1043; lovely Beverley, whose west towers inspired Hawksmoor’s at Westminster.</p> <p>But tares have been sown among the minsters. The diocese of Leicester decided in 2021 to construct a framework of Minster Communities whose ‘collectively discerned strategic priorities are New Communities, Intergenerational Communities, Reconciling Communities [the focus of which includes Identity & Sexuality, Women’s Ministry and a Racial Equity Strategy], Intercultural Communities, Eco-Communities’. ‘No church can be forced to join a Minster Community, but… a refusal to participate will mean a reduced level of resource being available’. You can imagine. No more flower rotas, no more parsons, no more spire restoration fund, no more harvest festival, but a war of everyone against everyone, the victors claiming to be ‘Shaped By God Together’. Control of safeguarding, HR and finance will remain central. About 20 will be formed by the end of next year. By then, in Leicester diocese at least, <em>minster</em> will no longer mean something historic and civic but a Year Zero crucible. </p> </div> <div style="height: 100%; max-height: 250px; position: absolute; width: 100%; bottom: 0; background-image: linear-gradient(0deg, #fff 0%, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) 100%);"></div> </div><style>ul.paywall-value-stack { list-style: none; } .paywall-button { align-items: center; background-color: #84754e; border-radius: 10em; color: #fff; display: flex; font-family: josefin-sans, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; height: 40px; justify-content: center; line-height: 1.2; margin: 20px auto; padding: 9pt 50px 10px 50px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; width: 280px; } .paywall-content { margin-top: 50px; text-align: center; } .paywall-content > h4 { font-weight: 700; margin: auto; max-width: 300px; } .paywall-content > ul > li + li { padding-top: 5px; } .paywall-content > ul > li::before { background-image: url('data:image/svg+xml; background-position:center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-size:contain; base64,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'); background-repeat: no-repeat; content: ""; display: inline-block; height: 18px; position: absolute; transform: translate(-25px,0); width: 18px; } .paywall-content>ul>li { font-family: josefin-sans, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.5; position: relative; } .paywall-magazine { background-color: #f6f2ea; border-radius: 20px; box-shadow: 0 7px 18px 10px rgba(0,0,0,.03); overflow: visible; padding-bottom: 40px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-top: 60px; position: relative; text-align: center; } .paywall-magazine #gif-container { left: 0; margin: auto; max-width: 330px; position: absolute; right: 0; top: -140px; width: 100%; } .paywall-magazine .illustration-image { left: 0; margin: auto; position: absolute; right: 0; top: -130px; width: 100%; } .paywall-value-stack ul { list-style: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-align: left; } .paywall_login { font-family: josefin-sans, sans-serif; font-size: .75rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.5; padding-top: 40px; position: relative; } @media all and (max-width: 1024px) { .paywall-button { max-width: 280px; width: 100%; } .paywall-magazine { padding-top: 80px; } .paywall-magazine #gif-container { top: -150px; } } @media all and (max-width: 980px) { .paywall-magazine .illustration-image { top: -90px; } .paywall-magazine .swiper-container { overflow-x: visible; } } @media all and (max-width: 480px) { .paywall-magazine { padding-top: 20px; } .paywall-magazine #gif-container { max-width: 250px; top: -120px; } }</style> <div class="entry-content__wrapper container paywall-magazine"> <div class="paywall__image"> <div class="ab-test-image illustration-image"> <img src="https://src.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Spectator-Paywall-no-santa.png" alt="Illustration Image"> </div> </div>  <div class="paywall-content paywall-magazine__content"> <h4 class="paywall-heading">Magazine articles are subscriber-only. 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fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" /></svg> From the magazine </div> <div class="related-card__description"> <div class="related-card__description-inner"> I can see one possible benefit of having a full inquiry into the almost exclusively Muslim grooming gangs who raped and assaulted and in some cases murdered young white girls and are perhaps still doing so in a selection of Britain’s ghastliest towns. The number of lawyers it would employ and the enormous salaries they received </div> </div> </div> <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wholl-join-my-war-against-liberalism/" class="related-card__thumbnail-wrapper"> <figure class="related-card__thumbnail"> <img width="378" height="213" src="https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2192656119-1.jpg?w=378px&crop=0,11,378px,213px" class="related-card__thumbnail-image ratio-16/9 wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2192656119-1.jpg?w=1024px&crop=0,11,1024px,576px 1024w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2192656119-1.jpg?w=320px&crop=0,11,320px,180px 320w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2192656119-1.jpg?w=375px&crop=0,11,375px,211px 375w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2192656119-1.jpg?w=500px&crop=0,11,500px,281px 500w, 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class="highlight-tag__highlighted">etymology</span> <span class="highlight-tag__badge"> <svg class="svg-icon" role="presentation" focusable="false" height="12" width="12" viewbox="0 0 40 40"><path d="M23.125 35.833h-6.25a.834.834 0 0 0-.745 1.207l.56 1.118A3.314 3.314 0 0 0 19.667 40h.666a3.317 3.317 0 0 0 2.979-1.833l.56-1.119a.833.833 0 0 0-.747-1.206v-.009zM20 7.5c.92 0 1.667-.747 1.667-1.667V1.667a1.667 1.667 0 0 0-3.334 0v4.166c0 .92.747 1.667 1.667 1.667zm15.32-1.153a1.668 1.668 0 0 0-2.357 0l-2.945 2.946a1.668 1.668 0 0 0-.041 2.357c.64.662 1.695.68 2.356.042.014-.014.029-.027.042-.042l2.945-2.947c.65-.65.65-1.706 0-2.356zM38.333 20H35a1.667 1.667 0 0 0 0 3.333h3.333a1.667 1.667 0 0 0 0-3.333zM9.983 9.293 7.037 6.347A1.667 1.667 0 0 0 4.68 8.704l2.947 2.946a1.667 1.667 0 0 0 2.357-2.357zM5 20H1.667a1.667 1.667 0 0 0 0 3.333H5A1.667 1.667 0 0 0 5 20zm15-10c-5.983.008-10.827 4.867-10.817 10.85a10.833 10.833 0 0 0 4.625 8.862.831.831 0 0 1 .359.685v1.27c0 .92.746 1.666 1.666 1.666h8.334c.92 0 1.666-.746 1.666-1.666v-1.272c0-.273.134-.53.359-.685 4.906-3.415 6.116-10.162 2.701-15.068A10.825 10.825 0 0 0 20 10z" fill="currentColor" /></svg> </span> </p> </header> <article id="post-533386" class="related-card__inner"> <div class="related-card__content"> <header class="related-card__header"> <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/writer/dot-wordsworth/" class="related-card__author related-card__author--link"> Dot Wordsworth </a> <h3 class="related-card__title"> <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/from-balfour-to-zola-the-many-faces-of-naturalism/" class="related-card__title-link"> <span class="related-card__title-text">From Balfour to Zola: the many faces of ‘naturalism’</span> </a> </h3> </header> <div class="related-card__sign"> <svg class="related-card__sign-icon" role="presentation" focusable="false" height="12" width="12" viewbox="0 0 24 22"><path d="M11.977 21.749h.007l-.025-.002.058.001.025-.001-.013.001h.005L12 21.75l-.023-.001Zm-.055-.004.037.002h-.007l.025.002h-.015l-.015-.002h-.01l-.015-.002Zm.237-.014-.05.011h-.005l-.009.002-.013.001-.005.001-.021.001-.008.002-.014-.001.016-.001h-.008l.027-.002.046-.006.044-.008Zm-.304.003.035.006.05.006-.035-.002-.004-.001h-.003l-.016-.003-.014-.003h.003l-.016-.003Zm-.01-.002.023.005-.02-.002-.011-.004h-.009l-.009-.004h-.005l-.005-.002-.008-.002-.043-.014-.022-.007-.008-.003-.005-.002-.009-.004.032.012.02.006.006.002.053.015.02.004Zm.326-.003-.014.005-.021.002.035-.007Zm.117-.038-.043.016.029-.008-.01.003-.029.008-.023.01-.013.002-.009.004-.002-.001-.001.002-.016.002.003-.001-.015.003.023-.005.034-.01.072-.025Zm.094-.047.014-.009-.006.004.008-.004-.006.005-.011.004-.017.012-.009.004.021-.013.006-.003Zm-.976-.185.007.007-.017-.02a.753.753 0 0 0 .01.013Zm1.166.027-.007.005-.004.004-.012.014.014-.014a.754.754 0 0 0 .009-.009Zm.043-.056.012-.019a.751.751 0 0 1-.012.02Zm.066-.12-.004.008-.013.03a.747.747 0 0 0 .023-.047l-.006.009ZM1.5 1.504v15.913c3.54.07 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.021.099l-.001-.005.029.081-.018-.046c.009.028.02.055.032.081l.016.028c.002.009.01.023.019.037l-.003-.006.006.011c.011.02.024.038.037.056l.039.046.018.02.011.011.036.035.019.017.028.023-.02-.015-.009-.008-.006-.006-.014-.01-.015-.016-.013-.011-.015-.017-.012-.011-.024-.025a3.436 3.436 0 0 0-.389-.31c-.424-.3-.98-.605-1.685-.894-1.966-.807-4.633-1.314-8.116-1.361A1.264 1.264 0 0 1 0 17.644V1.27A1.27 1.27 0 0 1 1.278 0C4.926.05 7.776.591 9.92 1.473c.927.382 1.61.773 2.08 1.121.47-.348 1.154-.74 2.08-1.12C16.225.59 19.074.048 22.721 0c.342-.005.67.13.907.37.24.239.372.562.372.9v16.369a1.268 1.268 0 0 1-1.24 1.274c-3.471.047-6.139.554-8.105 1.36-.704.29-1.261.596-1.685.896a2.94 2.94 0 0 0-.413.333l-.01.009-.026.029-.01.008.025-.026-.008.007.011-.011.022-.023.004-.004a.68.68 0 0 0 .095-.134l.017-.039.004-.008.005-.01.018-.04a.744.744 0 0 0 .033-.12l.005-.038.007-.062.001-.053a.747.747 0 0 0-.193-.489 3.771 3.771 0 0 0-.556-.49 3.672 3.672 0 0 0-.558.49.747.747 0 0 0-.193.493l.003.048Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" /></svg> From the magazine </div> </div> <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/from-balfour-to-zola-the-many-faces-of-naturalism/" class="related-card__thumbnail-wrapper"> <figure class="related-card__thumbnail"> <img width="200" height="133" src="https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/dot-stock-image-1000x642-1.png?resize=200,133" class="related-card__thumbnail-image ratio-6/4 wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/dot-stock-image-1000x642-1.png?resize=963,642 963w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/dot-stock-image-1000x642-1.png?resize=320,213 320w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/dot-stock-image-1000x642-1.png?resize=375,250 375w, https://www.spectator.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/dot-stock-image-1000x642-1.png?resize=500,333 500w, 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