Mark Glasswell Papers

The collection contains: personal items held by Glasswell; correspondence to Glasswell from his African students, including two letters from Desmond Tutu; articles, sermons and papers collected by Glasswell relating to the church in Africa; and pamphlets and cuttings related to the German Mission to West Africa.

Mark Errol Glasswell, priest and lecturer in Sierra Leone and Nigeria, was born on 16 May 1938. He graduated BA in theology from Durham in 1960 then took his Ph.D. in New Testament studies at Durham in 1965. He also studied at Ridley Hall (1963-64) and Westcott House (1966) Cambridge. He was ordained as a priest in Durham in 1967. In 1965 he had begun working as a lecturer in theology at Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone (later part of the University of Sierra Leone) and he continued there until 1974. Glasswell was also honorary curate at St Patrick's, Kissy between 1966 and 1969, then served at Holy Trinity in Free Town. He spent a year (1974-75) as an assistant priest and part time lecturer in Durham before moving to Nigeria where he worked as senior lecturer in the Department of Religion at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1975-85). In 1985 he returned to England and became a priest then Rector at Sampfords, Chelmsford where he remained until his retirement in 1988. He continued to be active in promoting the study of theology, acting as a course writer and examiner for various institutions in the UK and Africa. He was also in demand as a speaker, was involved in editing several journals, and published numerous articles. Glasswell died in January 1995.

Open to researchers. It is essential to arrange an appointment in advance to view the archive in order that someone can be available to help. Please contact us by email at is-crc@ed.ac.uk . Telephone the Centre on: 0131 650 8900. Postal address: Centre for the Study of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh School of Divinity, New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX.

The collection was presented to the Centre by Father Patrick, The Monastery of Christ the Saviour, Hove, in 1996.

A paper list of items in the collection is available to researchers at the Centre.

Description originally written and researched by Caroline Brown in June 2001. This was added to Archives Hub in August 2012 by Louise Williams.

Reproduction of materials (for example by digital camera) is free for private research and educational use, although we ask researchers to sign an agreement. Please contact us for enquiries on using the material in a commercial setting, for which there will be a fee. Contact us by email at is-crc@ed.ac.uk . Telephone the Centre on: 0131 650 8900. Postal address: Centre for the Study of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh School of Divinity, New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2LX.

No further additions to the collection are expected.