Some of the people mentioned are probably too old to merit serious consideration.
This could be a sign of a poor field with not much talent available or it could be an indication that journalists have not done their homework and taken a serious look at less well-known figures.
Here is a list of potential candidates.
Archbishop John Sentamu. At this stage he must be the favourite although he is not likely to be too popular with other bishops and the church establishment. He has a reputation for being a maverick and launching initiatives (eg the tent in the Minster) without consulting first. ‘The Times’ has reported an ‘ABY’ push: ‘anyone but York’. His evangelical faith and opposition to gay marriage do not endear him to liberals but he would be a popular choice in parts of the Anglican Communion. He is good with the media but can be hard to follow as a preacher. At 62 he would still be in office for the next Lambeth Conference. Benefits from being well known to the media.
Richard Chartres turns 65 this year so would not be in office for the next Lambeth Conference. His presence at the top of most media lists reflects a failure of journalists to do their homework unless they are assuming that the retirement age is going to change. Chartres is a skilful politician who has held together the very diverse diocese of London but his grand style might not go over too well if he had more media exposure as Archbishop. He is not a deep thinker and his preaching is often pedestrian although, with the exception of David Starkie, most people think he did well at the royal wedding.
Graham James, a liberal Catholic who is being pushed as a ‘safe pair of hands’. James served as chaplain to both Runcie and Carey so has seen the job from the inside. At 62 he could be in post for seven years to give chance for a younger candidate to emerge. James would be competent but he would not capture the imagination of the country or inspire the church.
Except for the fact that he is an open evangelical and is slightly older at 64 the same comments could be made about John Pritchard. He is a bishop from central casting. ‘Perfectly pleasant and personable, but typical of the rather dull, managerial types that the church appoints these days’, was a verdict on him reported recently in the Guardian education supplement. That said, it is generally acknowledged that Pritchard has done a good job as Chair of the Education Board and would be a competent leader at Lambeth.
Tom Wright, 62, is the only bishop to approach Rowan Williams’ intellectual prowess. He has less range as a thinker than Williams but is a much better communicator. As Bishop of Durham he spent too much time away from the diocese giving lectures at Harvard and elsewhere but was an inspiring figure for younger clergy. Like Rowan Williams he is a genuine spiritual leader and a public intellectual. It is uncertain that he want to leave academia, especially with the defeat of the Covenant in the Church of England, but he is definitely a big beast, one of the very few in the Church of England.
Nick Baines, 53, usually heads the list of younger bishops. He wins admiration for his communication skills but has yet to prove himself as a deep thinker. He probably lacks enough experience and has not yet been tested to prove he has the abilities for Lambeth. In with an outside chance but unlikely to be appointed.
Christopher Cocksworth, 52, has been Bishop of Coventry since 2008. Among the younger bishops, he is a leading candidate. He is a moderate evangelical with an appeal to Catholics because of his interest in liturgy. He has a first class degree in theology from Manchester and a PhD in theology. Before becoming a bishop he was head of Ridley Hall, Cambridge and has a friendly, approachable manner.
Archbishop Michael Jackson, 57. If the Crown Nomination Commission looks outside the Church of England they would be well advised to consider the Archbishop of Dublin. Michael Jackson has intellectual ability (two first class degrees from Trinity College, Dublin, and Cambridge and a PhD from Cambridge), a British passport (he comes from Northern Ireland) and has worked in the C of E as chaplain of Christ Church, Oxford. He has a good track record as a bishop and has been involved in Anglican Communion affairs. Although a liberal in theology he has shown a readiness to reconcile different sections of the church in the debate over sexuality.
James Jones, 64, is probably too old to be among those seriously considered. Once a darling of the evangelicals he caused dismay when he changed his views on sexuality and apologised to Jeffrey John for signing the letter against his appointment as bishop of Reading but he has marked out a role for himself as a forceful and knowledgeable advocate of environmental ethics. Likely to remain at Liverpool.
Stephen Cottrell, 54,the Bishop of Chelmsford, is a surprise name of many lists. He has shown skill as a communicator and made his name as an evangelist from the Catholic wing of the church but is not a deep or profound thinker. Lacks the breadth of vision required for the job and, possibly unfairly, seen as too ambitious.