Joint authors: Dr Nicholas Bennett, Carol Bennett, Wayne Valis and Revd Canon Professor Michael West.

The events of June 15th 1215, when King John was forced to accept the terms of Magna Carta, were dramatic and important.  Yet none present on that day in Runnymede could have foreseen the ultimate significance of the principles that were established.  The sixty three clauses of Magna Carta have shaped the relationship between government and the governed, have established the pre-eminence of the law and have set benchmarks for individual rights which are seen as the test of truly free societies.  Nowhere has the influence of Magna Carta been felt more strongly than in the United States of America.  From the revolutionary wars, through the constitutional settlement, the Civil War, equal rights movement and the ‘war on terror’, the principles laid down eight hundred years ago have fuelled debate and action. 

This booklet, inspired by Lincoln Cathedral’s original 1215 Magna Carta, explores the history, current significance and future role of Magna Carta in shaping a rapidly changing world.  It reminds us, as King John was reminded, that unbridled power is unacceptable in a civilised society.

• Paperback ISBN: 978 1 870561 33 4Our Price: £6.95