Canon John Bowes

John is an Anglican priest, recently retired in Bristol, married with two adult children. After reading Classics and Theology at Oxford and training at Westcott House, Cambridge, he served in new housing areas, university chaplaincy, local ecumenical partnerships and leafy suburbs.

He helped set up the Ministry of Spiritual Direction Course in 1984, was trained on it, and has been practising as a director since then. He has been a tutor for twelve years. He has long experience in leading retreats, recently based on film. He lectures in the Bristol University Public Engagement Department in spirituality and theology, including spirituality in film. He was a co-founder of the Bristol Spirituality Network. For his sabbatical he explored the spiritual common ground between the faiths.

He works an allotment, plays in an orchestra, sings in a choir and enjoys long-distance walking.