Archives & Special Collections (A&SC) is a key resource in the scholarship activities of the University with an essential role in supporting the research and teaching activities of both Hope staff and students, and external researchers, in line with the University’s strategic and academic goals.

Some donated special collection material has been integrated into the main collection, for example the Merseyside CND library, where it is felt they complement and enhance the existing collection and will be best exploited by users.

Catalogued collections are available to search on the library catalogue, OneSearch. To limit your search to a particular collection, e.g. Andrew F. Walls Centre, select the name of the collection from the drop-down menu under 'Location' using the advanced search tool. Go to Information and Guides for help navigating your way around OneSearch.

For those collections, that are not yet catalogued, there are finding aids in the form of printed catalogues and classification schemes available to download or to consult in the Reading Room. Unfortunately, due to limited staffing, we are unable to offer a paid research service. If you would like to make an appointment please email specialcollections@hope.ac.uk.

Subject strengths

Subject strengths include:

• Early bible translations and commentaries
• History of education
• History of mission and missionary activity
• History of religions
• Liturgy – during the Reformation
• Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts
• Methodism
• Mission studies
• Mission theology
• Non-Western Christian art
• Philosophy
• Philosophy of education
• Recusant history (particularly in the NW)
• Roman Catholic studies
• Vatican II 

Andrew F. Walls Centre for the Study of African & Asian Christianity (AWC)

Collection focus

The collection offers resources across a range of mission studies, its principal focus being Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Missions from the West have had a part in the African and Asian Christian story, and this collection has substantial holdings on the history of mission and missionary activity in other parts of the world, as well as on mission theology and practice, other faiths, and the history of religions. The collection also includes many volumes on the historical, political, economic, social and religious background and context of African and Asian Christianity. There is an eclectic range of unique materials from books, journals, reports and newsletters from many different organisations and churches around the world to recordings on cassette tapes, films and photographs.

Donations to the collection

The Andrew F. Walls Centre for the Study of African and Asian Christianity (AWC) was officially opened in May 2008 and, primarily, comprises materials donated by Prof Andrew Walls himself, the University of Edinburgh (Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World), and the University of Aberdeen.

Several individuals have also donated materials to the Centre including; Rev. George Hood’s collection of materials which he acquired during his time as a missionary in China; South African materials donated by the Brothers Hofmeyr, Prof. J.W. (Hoffie) Hoymeyr and Mr. G.S. (George) Hofmeyr; Indian Christianity material from Canon Daniel O’Connor, and books from Mrs M.E. Cecilia Irvine and Mr. R. Ross Noble. Most recently we have received generous donations from the Methodist Church House, London and the Wesley Historical Society Library in Oxford, as yet to be catalogued. We welcome donations on World Christianity and Missions History, for further information please read our guide to donations. To find out more about the research activities and events surrounding the Andrew F. Walls Centre please follow the link to Liverpool Hope’s Research Centres.

J.F. Butler Collection (AWC)

The Butler Collection was donated by the University of Edinburgh to sit alongside the Andrew Walls Centre material. The collection focuses on Non-Western Christian Art and contains a range of formats including some Indian theological journals, and artefacts.

Biblioteca Diocesana of Modena-Nonantola Diocese

A reciprocal arrangement between Liverpool Hope University and Biblioteca Diocesana of Modena-Nonantola Diocese, allows Hope staff and students access to their Library catalogue and Serial catalogue to support their studies and research. The online catalogues currently cover 30% of all their documents. The library staff at Modena-Nonantola can undertake a search of the complete paper catalogue (especially ancient documents and manuscripts) and, if required, are able to check if specific documents are available as digital versions. 

Cornwell Collection

Liverpool Hope Library is privileged to house the Anthony Cornwell collection of books, previously held in the Talbot Library in Preston where Cornwell spent many hours cataloguing the stock. The collection covers subjects such as theology, history, literature, art and some music books and is fully catalogued. 

Education Research Collection (Ed Stack)

This research collection of books, pamphlets and journals, including government annual reports and other statistical publications on education, particularly from an historic viewpoint and with large sections on religious education, learning difficulties and special education and educational psychology.

Gradwell Collection

Collection focus

The Gradwell Collection, entrusted to Liverpool Hope on the closure of St. Joseph's College at Upholland, contains material covering the following subjects: theology, philosophy, church, secular and local history, ecclesiastical history, art, architecture, sociology, education and works of general reference.

The Gradwell is particularly strong in Catholic studies with standard works of Catholic reference including the complete series of Concilium Tridentinum, Acta et Documenta Oecumenico Vaticano II Apparando, Acta Synodalia and a substantial number of volumes from the Corpus Christianorum series. The collection contains primary recusant material from the 17th and 18th centuries; this includes devotional works, sermons, tracts, pamphlets, and biblical studies, including editions of the Fathers in Greek and Latin from the 16th century. 

Access

The Gradwell is only part catalogued and it is advisable to book an appointment to discover the full extent of the resources available. The classification scheme is available to download from our Finding Aids webpage which highlights the subject coverage of the collection.

Loughlin Collection

See Talbot Library

Millennialism Studies Centre

The Centre for Millennialism Studies focusses on the study of contemporary manifestations of millennialism and apocalypticism; particularly the ‘afterlife' of apocalyptic texts and ideas within popular culture. The collection consists of books, DVDs, games, graphic novels, comics, pamphlets and newspapers. 

John Henry Newman Collection

The John Henry Newman Collection is the result of the amalgamation of Newman’s own published works (including first editions), books on or related to Newman, and pamphlets brought together from other collections across The Sheppard-Worlock Library. The collection includes, preserved on microfilm, the diaries, letters and miscellaneous documents from the Cardinal Newman Archive held at the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, in Birmingham. Contents of this archive can be found on the John Henry Newman Personal Papers. 

Historical background

Saint John Henry Newman was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1991, Beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, and Canonised by Pope Francis on 13 October 2019, Britain’s first new saint since St. John Ogilvie was Canonised in 1976. John Henry Newman stands as a Victorian giant in the field of theology, philosophy and education. Influencing many academic and spiritual disciplines, Cardinal Newman’s writings and his lifelong search for religious truth continue to inspire scholars throughout the world. Liverpool Hope University aims to enhance and extend the reach of Cardinal Newman’s life and spirituality.

R.S. Peters Library

In the Summer of 2021 Liverpool Hope University was gifted Richard Stanley Peters’ personal library by the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB). The collection includes twelve handwritten notebooks, audio recordings of Peters’ lectures, and around 1000 books, several inscribed first edition volumes presented to Peters by, among others, Michael Oakeshott, Israel Scheffler and Paul Hirst.

As well as containing works written or edited by Peters, including his personal first edition hardback copy of Ethics and Education, the collection represents Peters’ scholarship and diverse interests. There is a substantial collection of ancient Greek, modern, and 20th century (especially analytical) philosophy. There are also many books on the philosophy, psychology, and practice of education, including books by Peters himself, in several languages. The library represents Peters’ wide interests in general philosophy – philosophy of mind, ethics, science, politics etc. – as well as his particular passions for religion, psychology, and literature.

The R.S. Peters Library has been kept as a discrete collection and is located in the Silent Study Space in The Sheppard-Worlock Library. The R.S. Peters Archive is housed in Hope's Archive & Special Collections (A&SC) and is fully catalogued. 

Picton Library

The Picton Library is a collection of theology books on deposit from the Liverpool City Library Collection. This collection contains many of the classic New Testament works published before 1975, some old but extremely useful linguistic studies including older Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek lexicons, and several sets of theological texts. 

Radcliffe Collection

Collection focus

The Radcliffe Collection, named after its chief donor, Sir Frederick Radcliffe (1861-1952), is the Anglican library of Liverpool Cathedral and St Aidan’s Theological College. The focus of the collection was primarily to be a ‘liturgical library’. Radcliffe aimed to buy exemplars of every book printed for liturgical use in England during the Tudor and Stuart reigns, both Roman Catholic and Anglican, to be brought together alongside medieval manuscripts to document and observe the liturgical transition during this period.

The collection houses Missals dating from the pre-Reformation era, some 15th century European manuscript books of hours, 16th and 17th century bibles and early commentaries, hymn books and ecclesiastical music, and a large number of early printed books chiefly of liturgical and scholastic interest. The collection also includes the library of St. Aidans Theological College, Birkenhead, donated after its closure in 1969.

Wordsworths' Library

Historical background

The Radcliffe Collection is also home to a significant number of holdings from the library of Christopher Wordsworth (1848-1938); great-grandson of Christopher Wordsworth (1774-1846), Master of Trinity College Cambridge, great-nephew of the poet William Wordsworth, nephew of Charles Wordsworth (1806-1892), Bishop of St. Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, son of Christopher (1807-1885), Bishop of Lincoln, and brother to John (1843-1911), Bishop of Salisbury and Dame Elizabeth Wordsworth (1840-1932), the founding Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, a college for female undergraduates.

Christopher Wordsworth served as chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral and later was a canon of Salisbury Cathedral, where he held a number of posts including that of librarian and chancellor. The Wordsworths' collection reflects his academic interest in historical and liturgical research as well as containing books and manuscripts that belonged to or were written by his brother, father, uncle and grandfather. 

Access

The Radcliffe Collection catalogue lists the holdings of early printed books, including 26 incunabula (books printed before 1501), and manuscripts. The remainder of the Radcliffe collection (printed after 1801), contains liturgical and antiquarian books and books of general theological interest and is fully catalogued.

Sisters of Notre Dame Collection

The Sheppard-Worlock Library holds a unique collection of books donated by Sister Mary Charles-Murray and Sister Maura O'Carroll from the British Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Sister Mary Charles-Murray, Trustee and Member of the Governing Council, is a noted Patristics Oxford scholar and her research interests are reflected in her outstanding private collection which focuses on the Church Fathers, both Latin and Greek, and early Christian Art. The late Sister Maura O'Carroll, awarded Doctor of Education (honoris causa) in July 2017 in recognition of her outstanding service towards the foundation of the University, sadly died in December 2019. Her collection is centred on medieval Church history, particularly the Preaching revival of the 12th-13th Centuries. To support this study, works of the Church Fathers mostly in translation were collected as well as a number of catalogues of medieval manuscripts with an emphasis on the Dominicans. The two collections complement each other very well and are fully catalogued.

Talbot Library

Collection focus

The Talbot Library is a major reference collection of Catholic history, theology, and spirituality. It contains a sizeable collection of Irish studies material, missals and other liturgical texts, seminary key works, and books on politics, history, English literature, art and architecture. The collection also includes a substantial number of early printed books (pre-1801).

Catholic Truth Society (CTS) Pamphlets

Catholic Truth Society Pamphlets contents list.

The Catholic Truth Society is a unique charity with a mission to communicate the truths of the Catholic faith through its publishing since 1868. The Talbot Library is home to a sizable collection of Catholic Truth Society pamphlets and other CTS publications.

Loughlin Collection

The Loughlin Collection is a small collection of books belonging to the Talbot Library containing books by and about G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc.  

Historical background

The Talbot Library was named after William Talbot, a wealthy Lancashire cotton manufacturer, who in 1849 provided the money with which the Jesuits built the first Catholic school and chapel in the Maudland area of Preston. In 1988, the school was closed and Bishop John Brewer, then Bishop of Lancaster, established a Catholic library in the former school premises. Donations of books and journals came in from presbyteries and convents in the diocese, and the Talbot Library was officially opened in 1992.

Access

The collection remains uncatalogued but is available to browse and the original card catalogue is accessible for consultation. The Talbot Library Classification and the Irish Studies Collection finding aids are also available to download.

Wordsworths' Library

See Radcliffe Collection

The University has a collection of recordings of inaugural lectures and distinguished talks. Older recordings are available on CD for consultation within The Sheppard-Worlock Library. Please email specialcollections@hope.ac.uk to make an appointment. 

More recent recordings are available from the University's YouTube account using the links provided.

Inaugural lectures available on YouTube

Prof Bryce Evans, "The most important thing in the World": Absence and abundance in modern history (15 June 2022) 

Prof Michael Brennan, From death denial to death doulas: Is death having a moment? (1 June 2022)

Prof Franco Rizzuto, The political limits to constitutional compliance in the European Union: The case of Poland (18 May 2022)

Prof Stephen Kelly, A shared history: A personal reflection on the Northern Ireland conflict and the search for truth and reconciliation (27 Apr 2022)

Prof Caroline Wakefiled, ‘Possunt quia posse videntur: the role of motor imagery in enhancing performance’ (16 Mar 2022)

Prof Guy Cuthbertson, A return to nature: The pursuit of the 'simple life' from Edward Thomas to the present day (3 Mar 2022)

Prof Steven Shakespeare, Romancing nature? Philosophy of religion in an age of ecological crisis (23 Feb 2022)

Prof Peter McGrail, Living under the shadow of 'a lonely and sacramentally-starved old age'? Liturgical realities and opportunities in the Archdiocese of Liverpool (17 Nov 2021)

Prof Stephen Davismoon, In Search of Musical and Sonic Authenticity (13 Nov 2019)

Prof David Bolt, From Avoidance to Appreciation: The Cultural and Social Values of Disability Studies and Interdisciplinarity (16 Oct 2019)

Prof Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Modern Day Football Social Schemes: Sport at the Service of Humanity or Superficial Social Alibi? (11 Apr 2018)

Prof Ian Vandewalle, Corporate Social Responsibility for good … or profit? (31 May 2017)

James Timpson, Inaugural Burrows / Kennedy Distinguished Lecture (21 Nov 2016)

Dr David Fleming, Museums change lives (9 Mar 2016)

Prof David Chester, "What happened then matters now": Reconstructing the impact of historic volcanic eruptions and earthquakes (9 Feb 2016)

Prof Christopher Williams, The forgotten victims in Stalin's purges, 1930-38 (4 Mar 2015)

Prof Peter Siska, De Paradoxo Cosmologico Geocentrico (17 Feb 2015)

Prof Michael Mulqueen, Security, intelligence and big data (2 Apr 2014)

Prof Michael Apple, The task of the critical scholar, activist in Education (19 Feb 2014)

Prof Roger Phillips, The BBC: the good, the bad and the ugly (5 Feb 2014)

Prof George Mair, "It's going to be a difficult trip, I think" (17 Apr 2013)

Prof Michael Lavalette, The hidden history of 'popular' social work (13 Mar 2013)

Prof Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Where do ideas come from? (9 May 2012)

Prof Ebrahim Naderali, Obmentia: a cause for concern? (25 Apr 2012)

Dom Henry Wansbrough, Was Jesus a Pharisee? (7 Mar 2012)

Prof Bernard Jackson, Tales of two Prodigals: Jewish Christian Relations in the 1st and 20th Centuries (28 Apr 2010)

Prof Bill Jones, Climbing the Greasy Pole: Ministerial Promotion in UK Politics (10 Feb 2010)

Rev Dr Daniel Jeyaraj, Christian Mission as “service to the soul” and “service to the body”: When will the West learn from Non-Western Christian Experiences? (11 Mar 2009)

Prof Simon Piasecki, The wealth of moral sentiments: altruism, peril and performance

Dr Marilynne Robinson, (Augural Hopkins Lecture, 2015) What are we doing here? A response to Alexis de Tocqueville

Distinguished lectures available on YouTube

His Eminence Cardinal Michael Louis Fitzgerald, 'Human Fraternity': A proposal and a project for relations between Christians and Muslims (17 Feb 2022)

Steve Munby CBE, 'Imperfect Leadership' (30 Jan 2020)

Rt Rev Thomas A Williams (Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool), "Christian Faith in the City over 175 years. Is it 'Better Together' or getting worse?" (13 Nov 2019)

Prof Imogen Tyler (Lancaster University), Social Divisions and social change in the Neoliberal age (School of Social Sciences Series 2018-19)

Prof Simon Winlow, Why the Left must change, (16 Jan 2019)

Prof David Whyte, Catalonia, postfascism and popular sovereignty (28 Nov 2018)

Prof Peter Dwyer, A social insecurity? Citizenship, conditionality and discretion in the 21st century UK welfare state (18 Oct 2018)

Prof Ian Gough (LSE), The environment and social policy: Heat, greed, and human need (18 April 2018)

Dr Kevin Farnsworth (University of York), Taking back control in order to hand it back to big business: corporations in Brexit Britain (21 March 2018)

Dr Alex Scott-Samuel (Chair of the Socialist Health Association, University of Chester), Back to the future? Prospects for Labour policy on a renationalised NHS (16 Nov 2017)

Prof Kate Pickett (Professor of Epidemiology, University of York), Inequality and the quality of society (26 Oct 2017)

Department of Social Work, Care and Justice Distinguished Lecture Series 2016-2017:

Social work by and for all

From Seebohm Factory to Neoliberal Production Line? The Changing Social Work Labour Process

Refugees and social work: Sharing experiences from Samos Island, Greece

Prof Jan Hornsey, The changing face of parent advocacy

Prof Iain Ferguson, Mental health social work: the dog that hasn't barked?

Sir Mark Hedley Distinguished Law Lecture Series:

The sentence of the court: What is society's purpose? (8 Dec 2015)

Welfare and best interests: Public, personal or judicial values? (24 Nov 2015)

The state and private life: Should the state intervene to protect (10 Nov 2015) 

What is truth? The relationship between truth, proof and justice? (27 Oct 2015) 

The Modern Judge: Power, responsibility and society's expectations (13 Oct 2015)

Lord Charles Guthrie of Craigiebank (Chancellor), Distinguished Lecture (22 Jan 2014)

Inaugural lectures and distinguished talks available on CD

Rev Dr Richard Finn OP (Regent of Blackfriars, Oxford), The Gradwell Lecture - Alms-giving and asceticism in the early church: lessons for today? (8 May 2008)

Prof Andrew F. Walls, International Conference on Asian and African Christianity – Two-day Colloquium (23rd & 24th May 2008)

Rev Dr Daniel Jeyaraj (Inaugural), Christian Mission as “service to the soul” and “service to the body”: When will the West learn from Non-Western Christian Experiences? (11 Mar 2009)

Rev Dr Christopher Wright, Andrew Walls Lecture – Prophet to the Nations: Missional Reflection on the Book of Jeremiah (18 Mar 2009)

Prof Nicholas Rees (Inaugural), Globalisation, International Security and the Role of International Organisations in Conflict Resolution (8 Apr 2009)

Prof Frank Wood (Inaugural), Where are they going, these children of Cain? (17 Jun 2009)

Prof Bill Jones (Inaugural), Climbing the Greasy Pole: Ministerial Promotion in UK Politics (10 Feb 2010)

Prof Bernard Jackson (Inaugural), Tales of two Prodigals: Jewish Christian Relations in the 1st and 20th Centuries (28 Apr 2010)

Cardinal Walter Kaspar, Jews and Christians: Overcoming the Past to Construct a Shared Future of Peace (24 May 2010)

Prof Roger Brown, A Moment in History: Higher Education Policy including the Browne Report (21 Oct 2010)

The Andrew Walls Centre, The Francke Foundations - Pietism: Halle, Great Britain and the World (26 Nov 2010)

Prof Andrew F. Walls, Andrew Walls Centre for the Study of Asian and African Christianity – The Earliest British Overseas Missions (21 Feb 2011)

Prof Andrew F. Walls, Andrew Walls Centre for the Study of Asian and African Christianity – Early Sierra Leone Methodism: English, American or African (22 Feb 2011)

Prof David Bolt (Inaugural), From Avoidance to Appreciation: The Cultural and Social Values of Disability Studies and Interdisciplinarity (16 Oct 2019) - [printed copy only]