York Courses produces a number of different products - see details below.
Please click on the Read button for a pdf of our current list of courses.
1. Study Courses
These are our major publications. Each new course is normally advertised from the end of the summer and available for delivery in early Autumn, ready for Lent the following year. We gear ourselves to having material available for Lent, because this is the most popular time of year for study courses, but the courses are not Lent-specific and can be used at any time of the year.
We now have an extensive backlist of courses.
The course material consists of:
The Booklet with background for 5 sessions including:
o an article on the subject in hand,
o a series of questions for group use,
o helpful quotes and references connected with the subject,
o notes on how to get the best out of the material at the group meeting.
The CD or audio-tape with 5 radio-style discussion starters involving the voices of the guest contributors. Each starter is about 14 minutes long. It can be played in full at the beginning of a session or stopped and started as the discussion goes on. CDs are track-marked for easy access to subjects under discussion.
A Transcript of the entire contents of the CD (or audiotape). Transcripts were first produced for people with hearing difficulties, but they have also proved to be of great help to group leaders as they prepare for the course. Some group members like to use the transcript to follow the audio in greater detail - which gives them greater confidence about joining in the discussion. It also enables them to go over the recorded material at leisure. The transcript cross-references with the track numbers on the CD, making it simple to find the start of each new question posed to the participants.
2. CD Conversations & Topic Tapes
Topic Tapes are exactly what they say they are – people talking about things they know about, which is always worth listening to.
They are not courses, though we understand some people have used them as such, which is fine.
They could also provide material for special occasions. They could be useful pastorally for people with particular issues to address. Or they can be simply listened to on your own. We hope they all offer some enlightenment.
3. Archbishop’s School Series
These seven booklets were commissioned by Dr David Hope when he was Archbishop of York. He wanted short, to-the-point, easy-to-understand explanations of subjects of specific interest both to committed Christians and those searching for faith. They were designed to be cheap enough to give away to enquirers but attractive enough not be thrown away. And they were intended to engage the reader and encourage them to explore further.
The subjects covered are Prayer, Bible Reading, Evangelism, The Sacraments, Christianity and Science, Healing and Wholeness, and Life After Death. They have sold consistently and have been used in a variety of ways, including as the basis for discussions in groups and as gifts for those being confirmed. But basically, they are for everyone.
4. Books by John Young
John Young is a Canon Emeritus of York Minster. An author of more than 20 books/booklets, including Teach Yourself Christianity and The Case Against Christ (Hodder paperbacks), his work has been translated into several languages, including Chinese and Russian.