VIA JIM DAVILA @ PALEOJUDAICA
N. T. WRIGHT (Bishop Tom Wright) has been appointed to a New Testament Chair at the Divinity School of the University of St. Andrews:
Tuesday 27 April 2010
The School of Divinity is delighted to announce that Dr N. T. (Tom) Wright, currently Bishop of Durham, has been appointed to a Chair in New Testament and Early Christianity at St Andrews. He will take up his duties on 1 September 2010. The Head of School, Professor Ivor Davidson, says: ‘Tom Wright ranks among the most distinguished New Testament scholars in the world, and his profile as a churchman, writer and communicator is simply outstanding. I am delighted that he will be joining us at St Andrews, where he will further enhance the long-established reputation of the School of Divinity as a major international centre of biblical and theological scholarship.’
Tom Wright, a native of Northumberland, was educated at Sedbergh School and Exeter College, Oxford, where he took a ‘double first’ in Classics (‘Greats’) and Theology and gained his D. Phil. He trained at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and was ordained as a Junior Research Fellow at Merton College.
Dr Wright worked successively at Cambridge, McGill (Montreal) and Oxford Universities before holding various church appointments, culminating in seven years as Bishop of Durham. He received the Oxford DD in 2000.
N. T. Wright is best known for his writing, both scholarly and popular. He is currently working on the fourth volume (on Paul) of his major academic series Christian Origins and the Question of God, on the final two books in his popular New Testament for Everyone, and on the series of contemporary explorations of faith that includes, most recently, Virtue Reborn. He has broadcast frequently on radio and television, and has lectured at universities and colleges around the world, holding visiting Professorships at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Harvard Divinity School, and the Gregorian University in Rome. He has received honorary doctorates from several universities, including St Andrews. He is eagerly looking forward to resuming his work of teaching and writing in the School of Divinity at St Andrews.
Dr Wright is married to Maggie. They have four adult children and three grandchildren, and are looking forward to enjoying the fine scenery of Fife. More details about Dr Wright’s work are available at www.ntwrightpage.com.
Press releases are here (quoted above) and here (longer).
Let me [Jim Davila] add my voice to those of colleagues and students in welcoming Dr. Wright to St. Andrews. Tom is no stranger here: he received an honorary doctorate from the University in June of last year. I am truly delighted that he will be joining us in September.
I think this really says something about the quality of the program here at the University of St Andrews, to have N.T. Wright come here. Although New Testament isn’t my field, directly, I am excited to have Dr Wright here.
3 Comments
Just read that philosopher Roger Scruton will be a Professorial Fellow in Moral Philosophy at St. Andrews. I know Scruton has nothing to do with Old or New Testament studies, but his philosophies are quite brilliant. He has written extensively on aesthetics. I’m currently reading his book ‘Beauty’ (Oxford University Press: 2009). I encourage checking out his work if you are interested in philosophy.
Thanks Walker! I had not heard about Scruton coming here. I’m not really familiar with his work, but there are students here that are specifically working on the theological topic of “beauty” and I’m sure would really benefit from his research.
I’ll keep my eye out for him!
“theological topic of beauty”
I’d really be interested in hearing more about this. Would you mind expounding or perhaps pointing me in the direction of something I could read. I admit that my studies on this subject are at a novice level. I’ve just become interested in it.
His Gifford lectures on beauty are insightful: http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/gifford/2010/roger-scruton/
What I love about Scruton’s work on beauty is that it reminds me that God is supposed to be experienced, not necessarily intellectualized or analyzed (though those have their proper place when it comes to God). Beauty in art, literature, music, etc. was meant to convey the sacred. When one attempts to empirically verify or analyze beauty, its beauty diminishes. Beauty is meant to be experienced. Just as human relations are grounded in personal experience, so is the relation with the Divine. It has been a fascinating (and much needed) wake up call.