Stephen Sykes
university teacher · politician · Anglican priest · Anglican theologian · bishop
- August 1, 1939 · Bristol
- September 25, 2014 · England
- 75 years
About Stephen Sykes
Stephen Sykes, 75, English Anglican prelate, Bishop of Ely (1990–1999).
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60 Seconds Life Story
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was a distinguished English academic and Anglican prelate who dedicated his life to
Stephen Sykes
1939 – 2014
60 Seconds: Stephen Sykes's Life Story
A brief overview of the life and career of Stephen Sykes, a notable British theologian and Bishop of Ely.
Transcript
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was a distinguished English academic and Anglican prelate who dedicated his life to divinity. Born in Bristol in 1939, he followed a path of deep theological study, eventually graduating from Cambridge in 1961. His academic career flourished as he held prestigious divinity chairs at both Durham and Cambridge Universities. Between 1990 and 1999, he stepped away from his academic posts to serve as the Bishop of Ely. He later returned to education as the Principal of St John's College, Durham, until his retirement in 2006. Even in his later years, Sykes continued his service as an honorary assistant bishop. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 75, leaving a lasting legacy in both church and classroom.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
Visual credits: Generated illustration by The Deaths Archive (Generated illustration, not a photograph) · quns.cam.ac.uk (Public domain) · Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.) (Public domain) · archive.org (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Own work by mattbuck. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Full Biography
|Stephen Whitefield Sykes (1 August 1939 – 24 September 2014) was a Church of England bishop and academic specialising in divinity. He was Van Mildert Professor of Divinity at Durham University from 1974 to 1985, and Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University from 1985 to 1990. Between 1990 and 1999, he served as the Bishop of Ely, the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Ely. He was the Principal of St John's College, Durham from 1999 to 2006. He served as an Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Durham during his time as head of St John's College and in retirement.
Early life
Sykes was born on 1 August 1939 in Bristol, England; his father was the principal of one of the city's theological colleges. He was educated at Monkton Combe School, then an all-boys private school in Bath, Somerset. He matriculated into St John's College, Cambridge in 1958 to study theology. He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1961. He then trained for ordination at Ripon Hall, Oxford.
Career
Ordained ministry
Sykes was ordained deacon in 1964 and priest in 1965. In 1964, he returned to St John's College, Cambridge, his alma mater, as dean of the college chapel. When he moved to Durham in 1974, he became a residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral. Having returned to Cambridge in 1985, he was given a corresponding honorary canonry at Ely Cathedral. He served as a curate of St John the Evangelist's Church, Cambridge, from 1985 to 1990.
On 2 May 1990, he was consecrated as the Bishop of Ely. He became a Lord Spiritual through seniority and served in the House of Lords from 31 August 1996 to 31 July 1999. He stepped down from this position on 1 September 1999 and returned to education. From 1999 to 2014, when he was head of St John's College and during retirement, he served as an honorary assistant bishop in the Diocese of Durham.
From 1991 he was a member of the Doctrine Commission of the Church of England. He served as its chairman from 1996 to 2002.
Academic career
In addition to serving as dean of St John's College, Sykes was a member of the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. He was an assistant lecturer in divinity from 1964 to 1968, then a lecturer in divinity from 1968 to 1974. In 1974, he was appointed as the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity at Durham University. In 1985, he returned to Cambridge University to take up the chair of Regius Professor of Divinity. During a break from academia he served as a bishop: he was Bishop of Ely from 1990 to 1999. In 1999, he was appointed the principal of St John's College, Durham. St John's is both a college of Durham University and an Anglican theological college. He retired in 2006.
Later life
Following his retirement, Sykes remained living in Durham. In his later years, he developed a neurological condition that confined him to a wheelchair.
Sykes died on 24 September 2014, aged 75. He was survived by his wife and children, though his wife died eight weeks later. His funeral was held in Durham Cathedral on 10 October 2014. He was later buried in Cambridge at a woodland burial site.
Personal life
In 1962, Sykes married Marianne Hinton, known as Joy. Together they had three children; one son and two daughters. Their son, Richard, is a barrister and both daughters, Joanna and Juliet, are trained as teachers.
His brother was Hugh Sykes.
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Articles & News
- "The Right Rev Stephen Sykes"thetimes.co.uk
- "The Right Reverend Stephen Sykes – obituary"telegraph.co.uk
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Sykes
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Stephen Sykes's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Stephen Whitefield Sykes born?
- A.Durham
- B.London
- C.Cambridge
- D.Bristolcorrect
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was born on 1 August 1939 in Bristol, England.
Source: Early life
2.Which school did Stephen Whitefield Sykes attend for his early education?
- A.Ripon Hall
- B.Ely Cathedral School
- C.Monkton Combe Schoolcorrect
- D.St John's College
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was educated at Monkton Combe School, an all-boys private school in Bath, Somerset.
Source: Early life
3.What subject did Stephen Whitefield Sykes study at St John's College, Cambridge, starting in 1958?
- A.Divinity
- B.History
- C.Law
- D.Theologycorrect
Stephen Whitefield Sykes matriculated into St John's College, Cambridge in 1958 to study theology.
Source: Early life
4.In what year was Stephen Whitefield Sykes ordained as a priest?
- A.1964
- B.1968
- C.1961
- D.1965correct
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was ordained deacon in 1964 and priest in 1965.
Source: Ordained ministry
5.Which professorship did Stephen Whitefield Sykes hold at Durham University from 1974 to 1985?
- A.Regius Professor of Divinity
- B.Principal of St John's
- C.Bishop of Durham
- D.Van Mildert Professor of Divinitycorrect
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity at Durham University from 1974 to 1985.
Source: Academic career
6.Where did Stephen Whitefield Sykes train for his ordination?
- A.Durham Cathedral
- B.Ripon Hall, Oxfordcorrect
- C.St John's College, Cambridge
- D.Monkton Combe
After graduating from Cambridge, Stephen Whitefield Sykes trained for ordination at Ripon Hall, Oxford.
Source: Early life
7.When did Stephen Whitefield Sykes serve as the Bishop of Ely?
- A.1999–2006
- B.1985–1990
- C.1974–1985
- D.1990–1999correct
Between 1990 and 1999, Stephen Whitefield Sykes served as the Bishop of Ely.
Source: Ordained ministry
8.What position did Stephen Whitefield Sykes hold at St John's College, Durham, between 1999 and 2006?
- A.Dean of the Chapel
- B.Regius Professor
- C.Principalcorrect
- D.Curate
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was the Principal of St John's College, Durham from 1999 to 2006.
Source: Academic career
9.How many children did Stephen Whitefield Sykes and his wife Marianne have?
- A.Five
- B.Four
- C.Two
- D.Threecorrect
Stephen Whitefield Sykes and his wife Marianne, known as Joy, had three children.
Source: Personal life
10.In what year did Stephen Whitefield Sykes become the chairman of the Doctrine Commission of the Church of England?
- A.1999
- B.1996correct
- C.1990
- D.1991
Stephen Whitefield Sykes served as chairman of the Doctrine Commission from 1996 to 2002.
Source: Ordained ministry
11.What was the name of Stephen Whitefield Sykes's wife?
- A.Elizabeth
- B.Mariannecorrect
- C.Juliet
- D.Joanna
In 1962, Stephen Whitefield Sykes married Marianne Hinton, who was known as Joy.
Source: Personal life
12.What health condition affected Stephen Whitefield Sykes in his later years?
- A.Respiratory illness
- B.Heart disease
- C.Arthritis
- D.Neurological conditioncorrect
In his later years, Stephen Whitefield Sykes developed a neurological condition that left him wheelchair-bound.
Source: Later life
13.Where was Stephen Whitefield Sykes buried following his death in 2014?
- A.A woodland burial site in Cambridgecorrect
- B.Oxford
- C.Bristol
- D.Durham Cathedral
After his funeral in Durham, Stephen Whitefield Sykes was buried in Cambridge at a woodland burial site.
Source: Later life
14.During which years did Stephen Whitefield Sykes serve as the Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge?
- A.1999–2006
- B.1990–1999
- C.1974–1985
- D.1985–1990correct
Stephen Whitefield Sykes was the Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University from 1985 to 1990.
Source: Academic career
15.What was the profession of Stephen Whitefield Sykes's son, Richard?
- A.Academic
- B.Clergyman
- C.Teacher
- D.Barristercorrect
Stephen Whitefield Sykes's son, Richard, is a barrister.
Source: Personal life
16.What was the date of Stephen Whitefield Sykes's death?
- A.24 September 2014correct
- B.10 October 2014
- C.31 July 2014
- D.1 August 2014
Stephen Whitefield Sykes died on 24 September 2014 at the age of 75.
Source: Later life
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