Bishop Susan Bell to Deliver the 2025 Barry Marshall Memorial Lecture

Embracing Progressive Christianity: Bishop Susan Bell to Deliver the 2025 Barry Marshall Memorial Lecture

On 12th August 2025, Trinity College at The University of Melbourne will host the biennial Barry Marshall Memorial Lecture, a prestigious event honoring the legacy of the late Reverend Dr. Barry Marshall. This year, the keynote speaker will be Bishop Susan Bell, the progressive Bishop of Niagara, Canada. Bishop Bell is widely recognized for her courageous advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion and social justice within the church. Her lecture will focus on the 17th-century poet George Herbert, exploring themes of faith, identity, and transformation that resonate deeply with contemporary progressive Christianity.

Born in 1966, Bishop Bell grew up in Hamilton, the see city of the Diocese of Niagara. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from McMaster University before pursuing a Master of Divinity at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. Ordained a deacon in 1997 and a priest in 1999 by the Diocese of Toronto, Bishop Bell has since become a leading voice for inclusion and justice in the Anglican Church of Canada.

Bishop Bell’s leadership exemplifies a faith that embraces diversity, challenges exclusion, and seeks to embody the radical love at the heart of the Christian message. Her presence at this event signals a continuing evolution in Christian thought—one that honors tradition while courageously engaging with the pressing social issues of our time.

Reflecting on Michael Kirby’s 2012 Lecture: Religion and Sexuality: Uncomfortable Bed Fellows

Thirteen years ago, in 2012, the Honorable Michael Kirby AC CMG delivered a landmark Barry Marshall Memorial Lecture titled “Religion and Sexuality: Uncomfortable Bed Fellows.” As a former Justice of the High Court of Australia and a lifelong Anglican, Kirby brought a unique blend of legal insight, theological reflection, and personal courage to this complex and often contentious topic.

Kirby began by honoring Barry Marshall’s memory, describing him as “brilliant,” “influential,” and “complex,” a man who “girded himself about with a kind of spiritual armour” due to personal pain and inner loneliness. Kirby reflected on the challenges faced by those conflicted over their sexuality and religious beliefs, noting the human cost of repression and exclusion. He urged the church to heed the Psalmist’s call: “Harden not your hearts” (Psalm 95:8), emphasizing that Christian faith is meant to heal and comfort, not to wound or divide.

“The task of legal interpretation is thus neither mechanical; nor simply intuitive... Much the same can be said of theological interpretation of Scripture. Bullying tactics designed to frighten or shame those who propound differing interpretations of the Bible can have no place in any sincere search for the meaning of written passages.”

He challenged rigid literalism and exclusionary doctrines, arguing that many biblical passages historically used to condemn homosexuality must be read in their ancient social and cultural contexts. Kirby pointed out:

“The danger of slipping a modern word such as ‘homosexuals’ into contemporary Biblical lists of wrongdoers is particularly obvious. That word was not coined until the late 19th Century in Germany... To introduce it into a Biblical text, 2000 years old or thereabouts, is simply an historical error.”

Kirby emphasized that the core message of Christianity is love and acceptance, not judgment or exclusion:

“Above all, read [scripture] with the kindly light of Christian love that sits so uncomfortably (in its Gospel sense at least) with classification of stereotypes rather than searching for the soul of each precious individual.”

He also critiqued the obsession within some religious circles with “the sleeping arrangements” — an over-focus on sexual acts rather than the deeper moral and social issues facing humanity:

“They should lift their thoughts from the human genitals to real problems, on which their views may actually be helpful: such as animal welfare; refugees; modern social relationships; the protection of children; the state of the biosphere, global poverty as a kind of modern slavery; climate change; gender equality and over population.”

Kirby’s lecture remains a powerful and relevant voice in the ongoing conversation about faith, sexuality, and inclusion. He called for the church to move beyond fear and exclusion toward a more compassionate and scientifically informed understanding of human sexuality.

The Continuing Journey: Bishop Susan Bell and the 2025 Lecture

Bishop Susan Bell’s upcoming lecture continues this vital progressive trajectory. As a leader who has championed LGBTQ+ rights within the Anglican Church of Canada, her voice is a beacon of hope and transformation. Her focus on George Herbert, a poet who wrestled with faith and human complexity, promises to offer fresh insights into how spirituality can embrace diversity and change.

Bishop Bell’s work resonates deeply with the themes Michael Kirby raised over a decade ago: the need for openness, love, and a willingness to re-examine tradition in light of new knowledge and lived experience. Together, their voices inspire a Christianity that is inclusive, evolving, and rooted in justice.

A Moment to Reflect

While this lecture series is hosted by Trinity College, the themes it raises are of broad interest to anyone engaged with progressive Christianity. The conversations sparked by Michael Kirby’s 2012 lecture and now by Bishop Susan Bell’s upcoming address invite us all to reflect on how faith communities can better embody love, justice, and inclusion in today’s world.

Read Michael Kirby's 2012 address: here
Learn more about the Barry Marshall Memorial Lecture event: here

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