St John's College News - The Latest

Introducing new members of College Council

Francis Davis

Francis Davis is a Fellow of Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford where he works in the fields of leadership, social policy, the third sector and faith communities not least and with those in SE Europe and S. Africa. A graduate of St John’s he has previously led organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors, and from 2004-07 chaired a UK social enterprise of the year.He regularly contributes to the broadcast, web and print media.

Another former John's student elected as Bishop

Rev George Erwau, who did a degree in Theology from 1995-1997, has been elected as the new Bishop of Soroti, a Diocese in Teso in north eastern Uganda. He will be consecrated later this year

Principal Contributes to radio show on the new movie 'Angels and Demons'

The Principal of St John's College The Revd Dr David Wilkinson Contributes to radio show on the new movie 'Angels and Demons' .
You can now listen online via www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable where it is currently the "featured" show and will remain in the archive, at the bottom of the page, as the show of 16 May 2009.
You can click through directly to the show via the following link:http://www.premierradio.org.uk/listen/ondemand.aspx?mediaid={9D60D140-3CFE-4346-B896-F948DDE8803E}
You can also get the mp3 podcast via http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx

Or subscribe via itunes

William Leech Research Fellowships in Applied Christian Theology

The William Leech Research Trust invites applications for William Leech Fellowships in Applied Christian Theology. Fellowships can be held for periods of three months to one year and will support projects to undertake research in order to develop theological reflection on Christian hope, the discharge of Christian pastoral responsibility, and the communication of the gospel in the contemporary context of the U.K., with particular reference to the North East of England. The Fellowships may be held, with their agreement, at: (a) Durham University; or (b) the Colleges of St Chad’s and St John’s, Durham; or (c) Newcastle University; or (d) be associated with an appropriate church organisation in the North East of England. Fellows are required to reside in the North East of England and engage with churches of all denominations in the region.

Further particulars and application forms for these Fellowships are available at http://www.newcastle.anglican.org/ under the ‘news’ section.

Applications must be submitted in Microsoft Word 97 format to mailto:leech.fellowships@btinternet.com by May 29th, 2009. Interviews of short-listed candidates will be held on Thursday 16 July in Newcastle.

Announcement from the Principal

I am delighted to announce that Charlotte Gilham will be starting with us on April 20th as our new Development Director.

We are very fortunate to have her in this role. She comes to us after almost four years as Development Executive, and later Development Manager, within Durham University’s Development and Communications Office. Prior to this, she was a Development Officer at another UK University, and so has several years experience of fundraising for Higher Education. Her previous roles have also seen her organise alumni events and dinners, create fundraising brochures and materials, and contribute to alumni magazines, such as ‘Durham First’.

She writes:

'Durham is a place I am very fond of. I was a student at Durham University between 2000 and 2004, studying first for a BA in Combined Arts (Music, Philosophy, Classics, and Linguistics), and then for an MA in Philosophy. My fiancé, Richard (we are getting married in October!) was also a student at Durham (Engineering), and we both came to University from the same school in Wiltshire. I am also a college tutor at Hatfield.'

Charlotte will be working part-time and concentrating on major gifts and the College Endowment campaign.

David Wilkinson
The Principal,
St Johns College.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Visits St John’s College and argues for the important place of theology in any world-class University.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt Rev Rowan Williams, gave the annual St John’s Borderlands Lecture to a packed lecture hall of over 350 people. The lecture was chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Chris Higgins, and was followed by a dinner at the College where church leaders, academic staff and students engaged in further conversation with the Archbishop.

James Menzies, a theology graduate and current student at Cranmer Hall writes:

In an age when the discipline of Theology is re-negotiating its place within the university and the world, Archbishop Rowan William’s Borderlands Lecture, Theology and the Reading of Books comes as a timely assessment of how Theology can meaningfully and distinctively inform the humanities.

Texts, he argues, are not simply inert, not simply “voiceless things” to quote Mihail Baktim. Rather, they invite a response from the imagination, the process by which the text comes into existence. As we read the text something happens: the text becomes alive. Yet because reading is “always an act of translation”, it is not simply an entry into the mind of the author. When we read, there is always present an element of our own interpretation, as we seek to make sense of the textual
communicative meaning in light of our own experience and conceptual framework. So reading is, in a sense, never a completed act; there is always space for re-reading that draws out “afresh and anew” different meanings and ideas from the text as we and others come to it again and again from our own differing perspectives.

Such re-reading finds a natural place in Theology, which “is about reading books”. The difference here though is the nature of the text: the Holy Scriptures as revelations of Divine origin are inexhaustible, and so no reading will ever get to the point where it can safely corral a definitive meaning of the text. There will always be “excess”, and the “freedom of excess”, an unbounded creative freedom that finds its source in the overflowing, intra-personal relationship of the Trinity.

Thus Theology, as the “tutor of the humanities”, has a vital role to play in maintaining the constant generation of new ideas and understanding, by drawing attention back to the excess of meaning present in texts. For, as those who engage with the ultimate source of this excess, Theologians have a responsibility to maintain a focus on the generative element of texts. This entails that if Theology is to have a place amongst the humanities, it cannot be one of a mere “reduction to other disciplines”- too often there has been a move to re-define Theology in terms of history, sociology, and anthropology and so on. Instead, Theology is here specifically to help all those involved in humane enquiry to “learn something of excess”- and consequently needs to be held to account if it does not.

One particular instance of the insight Theology can bring to the humanities as a whole is an awareness of the contemporary phenomenon of “consumerist reading”. Such reading, which seeks to mine a text for its informational content, does damage to the integrity of that text. Because it does not take into account the text’s capacity for excess and thus its creative and generative quality, a vital element of it has been lost, to the point of devaluation and collapse. Instead, Theology’s awareness of textual excess demands a listening to and engagement with texts to realise their full potential, to reclaim their innate identity and imaginative possibilities.

Inherently postmodern yet historically aware, Archbishop Rowan’s provocative and stimulating address gave cause to reconsider how and why we read books, and in particular how Theology is able to contribute beyond its own traditionally-accepted bounds to return to a more appropriate place within the academy. ‘

The annual Borderlands Lecture is hosted by St John’s College, University of Durham as part of the wider Borderlands project. The project seeks to explore and investigate the “borderlands” between Theology and other academic disciplines.

Principal gives Church of Ireland Annual Theological Lectures at Queen's Belfast

David Wilkinson became the first non-Anglican to give these lectures which stretch back over 50 years. Many found themselves standing or sitting on the floor as the lecture theatres were packed with one of the biggest attendances in the history of the lectures. Previous lecturers included Archbishop Michael Ramsey, Professor CDF Moule, Dr Elaine Storkey and Bishop Tom Wright. Dr Wilkinson explored the 'Search for God: Can science help' and focused on the beginning and end of the Universe.

Steve Croft and the Archbishop of York

'St Johns gives another Bishop to the Church of England'

Rev Dr Steve Croft, former Warden of Cranmer Hall in St Johns was consecrated as Bishop of Sheffield at a service in York Minister led by the Archbishop of York.

Steve was a student at the College and led Cranmer Hall before becoming Archbishop's Missioner and Team Leader for Fresh Expressions.
He becomes the third Warden in a row to become a Bishop following the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev John Pritchard (President of St John's Council) and the Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Rev Ian Cundy.

The three former Wardens of Cranmer Hall

The Principal of St John's, Rev Dr David Wilkinson, who was present at the service, commented 'We are delighted for Steve, and he and the family will be in our prayers during this time of transition. It is a wonderful picture of the way that Cranmer Hall continues to provide senior leadership for the Church of England who are passionate about mission, theological depth and evangelical witness'

Recapturing the Christian doctrine of creation

The Principal was one of the lecturers at the annual Christians in Science conference 'Celebrating Darwin: creation, evolution and theological challenges'. Held on Saturday 1st November in London, it brought together many leading scientists who are also Christians.

Dr Wilkinson argued that the biblical doctrine of creation has often been submerged under controversies of creationism, deistic tendencies and a concentration on Genesis 1 to the detriment of the richness of other biblical passages on creation. He suggested that the Bible needs to be taken seriously in this area - to see creation in the light of new creation, and a God who sustains every moment of the Universe's existence. While allowing a fruitful dialogue with science, and in particular Darwinian evolution, it will also lead to an emphasis that the most important insight into creation is the Creator God who is to worshipped, enjoyed and trusted.

Other papers included a paper from the Durham Christians in Science group, Darrel Falk and Henri Blocher.

The Principal of St Johns College, The Revd. Dr David Wilkinson contributes to ‘The Edge of Reason? Science and Religion in Modern Society’.

The book features atheist Lewis Wolpert and leading SETI scientist Seth Shostak.

Dr Wilkinson suggests that within cosmologists there is openness to God.

More detail from the Continuum Press web site.

College principal's scientific thought

As part of Radio 4's "Big Bang Day" Revd Dr David Wilkinson presented a special Thought for the Day in Radio 4's prestigious Today programme.

You can listen again to it here

The programme was part of a day of science-themed programmes on Wednesday 10th September to mark the switch-on of the CERN particle accelerator. The experiment, which is the largest and most costly in the history of science, attempts to recreate conditions in the universe in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang.

Dr Wilkinson said "It's a privilege to present Thought for the Day on what could be a significant day in the development of science. The CERN experiment is exciting. It will tell us a little more of the beauty, intricacy and astonishing laws of physics by which God created the universe.

But why have a Thought for the Day on a day dedicated to science? "Because God is not just a god of the gaps but the author and sustainer of the whole story. Science is a gift from God that allows us 'to think God's thoughts after him.'"

Much of Dr Wilkinson's work is about the relationship between science and Christian faith. His background is in theoretical astrophysics. His first PhD was in the study of star formation, the chemical evolution of galaxies and terrestrial mass extinctions such as the event which wiped out the dinosaurs. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has published a wide range of papers on these subjects. He has a second PhD in Systematic theology.

David Wilkinson is the author of numerous books including God, Time and Stephen Hawking and The Message of Creation. He broadcasts regularly on matters of science and faith, and also presents BBC Radio 4's historic Daily Service and Sunday Worship strands.

Bishop Francis Loyo

Between 13th and 16th July, just prior to the Lambeth Conference, St John's College was privileged to host Bishop Francis Loyo and Mama Linda Loyo.

Francis is Bishop of Rokon in Southern Sudan, an area which was on the front line in the long civil war and was left devastated. Bishop Francis and Mama Linda were separated for 7 years because of the war. They are helping their community in many ways to rebuild and develop.

Francis studied at Cranmer Hall in 2004 and gained the MA in Theology and Ministry. He made a deep impact on College and on local churches and groups. In response, staff and students set up the Edith Jackson Trust, to help to develop education in Southern Sudan.

The full story is in Cranmer News

A naw book from Dr Gavin Wakefield

The North-East of England is rich in history, beautiful scenery and welcoming people. Celebrated for its Christian heritage, its saints are as diverse as the varied scenery in which we discover their history.

This book is for pilgrims - both physical and metaphorical - who want the wisdom of the past to shape their present. In each chapter we discover the stories of the saints, both well known and unfamiliar, as we journey to the places they made famous. Some of the sites and saints included in the book are:

Gavin Wakefield is an Anglican minister and deputy warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham where he is also tutor in mission. He regularly gives lectures and guided tours to pilgrims visiting the North-East of England.

A new book from Dr Richard Briggs

'Living for God' is a series of studies for those who want to take discipleship seriously, and would like to look further into the basics of Christian life and faith. Designed as a cross between a study guide and a theological resource, Richard and Melody Briggs' new book explores twenty-four aspects of Christian discipleship under the broad headings of God, scripture, and Christian life. Written in an easily accessible style, with resources recommended for further reading, it is a great tool for church study groups and individual study.

Visit the Staff books page

St Johns continues to produce Bishops

At a consecration service at York Cathedral on Friday 25th April, two of the three Bishops to be consecrated trained at St Johns College and Cranmer Hall. The Reverend Christopher Edmondson will move from Warden of Lee Abbey to be Bishop of Bolton, and the Reverend Canon Robert Paterson, will move from Chaplain and Researcher to the Archbishop of York to be Bishop of Sodor and Man. In fact St John's had a further connection in that the service was led by The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr John Sentamu, who is the College Visitor at St Johns.

The Principal of St John's attended the service in York and was delighted at these consecrations. He commented:

'St John's has had a long term commitment to training men and women for senior leadership in both the church and the world. We are delighted for Bishops Robert and Chris, and will pray for them in this new time of ministry. I am also delighted that St John's produces leaders who embody a mission shaped church'

St John's continues to have significant links with Church of England Bishops. Bishop John Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford has recently been appointed chair of College Council, Bishop Geoff Pearson, the new Bishop of Lancaster has recently been appointed Chair of Cranmer Hall and in the next academic year Bishop Tom Wright will be teaching an MA module on 'The Bible in Today's world.

St John's College: John's Hall