The architectural sculptor William Mitchell was commissioned to make the Stations of the Cross for the new Clifton Cathedral, built 1969–73 to designs by Ronald Weeks in close collaboration with clergy and theological advisors. The concrete church, almost entirely monochrome and undecorated, is notable for the success of its integration of the ideas of the liturgical reform movements of the twentieth century, and its expression of the principles of the Second Vatican Council – a ‘sermon in concrete’, in the words of Nikolaus Pevsner. 

Elisabeth Frink’s bronze lectern for Basil Spence’s Coventry Cathedral was her first major commission. She was known at the time for her sculptures and drawings of birds – one made while she was a student was exhibited in 1952 and bought immediately by the Tate Gallery – and the lectern was to take the traditional form of an eagle. Unlike these early works, where the figures seemed aggressive but also vulnerable, and often had militaristic overtones, Frink’s lectern eagle is confident, in control of its powers – Spence thought it looked ‘as if it has just settled there after a long flight’. Its outspread wings, whose blocky, textured feathers Frink created by setting kindling into the plaster, echo the flock of wooden thorn-like shapes in the canopy of the choir stalls (built to designs by Spence’s partner Antony Blee) behind.

Craigie Aitchison’s four Calvary panels for Truro Cathedral sit behind the altar in St Margaret’s Chapel. Bands of luminous colour – magenta, purple, emerald green – form the background, a simplified landscape. The first three panels are composed symmetrically. The two thieves slump on their crosses, one arm draped elastically over the cross-piece, each turned towards the central figure of Christ, who is depicted with his head raised and features cautious but peaceful. A ray of yellow light splits the deep pink sky in which a single star shines, while the Holy Spirit descends as two white lines. There are no human witnesses to the scene; instead, a black dog gazes up at Christ and a blue bird perches next to his shortened arm. The fourth panel shows, in the place of the Cross, a white, stunted tree, its single branch in bud. It is illuminated by a bright white orb – the moon, or perhaps the star from the second panel, grown larger . Aitchison has said of his repeated depictions of the Passion, ‘it is a horrific story, and I think more worth trying to say something about than anything that’s happened since.’ Here the horror is transformed into a strange and tentative hope.

These two marble panels by Tom Phillips (2003) flank the entrance to the Chapel of Holy Souls at Westminster Cathedral. They have since been joined by an accompanying mosaic depicting St John Henry Newman (2008), and a mosaic scheme for the ceiling of the adjacent St George’s Chapel (2016).

Here the parable is brought into the present-day: the Good Samaritan is a young woman who has stopped to help a naked man who sits in a pool of his own blood. The same colour red forms a cross that flows up from the pool of blood above the woman's head. Young, smart professionals exchange business cards in the foreground while a couple in the fore and background look into the middle-distance, unmoved. The painting is 11ft tall with a complex interplay of figures, colours and forms that comes to a head upon the victim.

‘Antony Gormley’s Transport in Canterbury is a large and striking human figure, created from iron nails formerly in the roof of the Cathedral. It is suspended three metres above the floor of the site of the first burial place of St Thomas Becket in the Eastern Crypt. [...] This is a beautifully made and very clever piece of work which impresses by its technical accomplishment’ (The Very Revd Nicholas Frayling, Chair of the judging panel for the ACE Award for Art in a Religious Context, 2011).

This work 'was created in honour of Bishop Michael Ramsey, and intended to reflect his theological interests, in particular his fascination with the Transfiguration of Christ... The window is in the South Quire Aisle and is 16x16m in size. This window is technically very assured and of high quality. Its location means that it can only really be seen at close quarters, and it is indeed very detailed in its depiction of biblical images.’

Created by Maggi Hambling for the High Altar at Winchester Cathedral, these tapestries, the artist’s first, were dedicated on 7 July 2013. Maggi Hambling collaborated with Ateliers Pinton – a French tapestry workshop in the Aubusson region which has worked with artists such as Picasso, Miro, Leger and Sutherland (for Coventry).

One of many ovoid domes in the Cathedral which has been given imagery and decoration using mosaic. The works depict St Francis preaching to the birds and St Anthony to the fishes.

Ceri Richard's reredos and stained glass were conceived as a single triptych, abstractly flowing one into another. The tabernacle has more obvious imagery: the heavens, the chalice and the cross.

This window was designed by Eduardo Paolozzi, who was born in Leith, to replace the plain glass rose and lancets in the Resurrection Chapel. Given in memory of Mary Carmichael, a much loved member of the congregation, it was dedicated in October 2002. When the sun floods through the window, it transforms the plain stone and woodwork into a kaleidoscope of colour.

Mark Cazalet was commissioned to create a painting on 35 oak panels depicting the Tree of Life. Mark, speaking about the installation, said that the inspiration behind the piece was the music and choral tradition of the Cathedral and that he very much wanted his mural to reflect this, with the swirling motion in the painting representing the musical traditions. Mark wanted the symmetrical design of the tree to represent opposing ideas with the tree bursting into life on one side and dying back on the other.

Who are we and where do we come from? These are the questions we are born asking, and they prompt answers we go on questioning. There we stand, hearing the sound of our own questions and the sound of our own answers, yet never satisfied, never finished with the task … there we stand, pondering the sound we make, longing for silence …

In response to the invitation by the Westminster Cathedral Art and Architecture Committee to Giacomo Manzu that he should produce a low relief bronze wall panel showing St Thérèse of Lisieux for the Cathedral, Manzu submitted a sketch in 1956. This was immediately approved and the commission awarded. Manzu then proceeded to design and produce the bronze in Italy with casting taking place in Milan.

Paula Rego’s pastel depicts St Margaret of Scotland with her son, David. Born in Hungary, exiled from England to Scotland under William the Conqueror, Margaret then married King Malcolm III of Scotland, abandoning a plan to become a nun.

Stephen Cox was the joint winner of the ACE Award for Art in a Religious Context in 2007/8 for this altar which was commissioned by the people of Aosta in Italy from where the piece of marble was excavated. St Anselm is buried in the chapel having been born in Aosta.

A triptych of modern stained-glass windows hanging in Gloucestershire Cathedral's South Ambulatory Chapel, the central one recalls the story of doubting Thomas, while those either side are abstract articulations of Psalm 148 which praises God's creation.

Window based on the theme of Psalm 150

This speaks of unity of sound and glory. It is a universally accessible symbol, as was specified in the artist’s brief. They themselves echo the Grassin case design which features a fish (or Ickthus) motif on the front of the closed case. The four fish – two on the left and two on the right are Christian symbols which, in turn, enfold the circle within.

Intensely theological it addressed big issues of the day and asked questions of us about meaning, life, death and what we would give our lives for.