This week sees the selection of the next archbishop of Canterbury following Rowan Williams's decision to step down in March. The selection body, the Crown Nominations Commission, will have to weigh up the demands of church and society before presenting its nomination to the Queen via the prime minister.

Dr Williams leaves his post at the head of the 77 million-strong Anglican community at the end of the year, after a decade in office. He returns to academia after more than 20 years as a bishop and archbishop, to become master at Magdalene, Cambridge.

The current archbishop has warned that his successor will need "the constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros" - but so far the race to become archbishop has been fairly open, with four different favourites at bookmakers William Hill. According to William Hill, the current favourite is the bishop of Coventry, Christopher Cocksworth, followed by the recently appointed bishop of Durham, Justin Welby, with Graham James, the bishop of Norwich in third position.

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