Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture

The position of Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture was established at the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

in 1847. The professorship was instituted by John Ireland

John Ireland (Dean of Westminster)

John Ireland was an English Anglican priest, who served as Dean of Westminster from 1816 until his death. In this role, he carried the crown during the coronation services at Westminster Abbey of two monarchs...

, Dean of Westminster from 1816 until his death in 1842, who acquired considerable riches during his ecclesiastical career. He founded scholarships in his lifetime at the University of Oxford, which are still awarded after an examination to undergraduates "for the promotion of classical learning and taste". The second Dean Ireland's Professor, Robert Scott

Robert Scott (philologist)

Robert Scott was an English academic philologist, clergyman, and a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford...

, had won an Ireland scholarship in 1833 while studying at Christ Church

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

. In 1831, as Ireland was "a distinguished Benefactor of the University", Oxford sought and obtained his permission to put on display a marble bust of him by the sculptor Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey. The bust is now in the Examination Schools

Examination Schools

The Examination Schools of the University of Oxford are located at 75–81 High Street, Oxford, England.The building was designed by Sir Thomas Jackson , who also designed the cricket pavilion in the University Parks...

of the university. In his will, he left £10,000 (approximately £ as of ) to the university, with the interest arising to be applied to the professorship. The first professor, Edward Hawkins

Edward Hawkins

Edward Hawkins was an English churchman and academic, a long-serving Provost of Oriel College, Oxford known as a committed opponent of the Oxford Movement from its beginnings in his college.-Life:...

, was appointed in 1847.

As of 2010, 12 men have held the position of Dean Ireland's Professor, with differing interests in scriptural exegesis

Exegesis

Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...

(critical interpretation or explanation of biblical texts). Hawkins was elected on the strength of his reputation gained opposing the Oxford Movement

Oxford Movement

The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...

(a group within the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

, sometimes called "Tractarians", who aimed to reform the church by reasserting its links with the early Catholic church). In contrast, the third professor Henry Liddon (elected nine years after Hawkins resigned) was a prominent member of the Oxford Movement.

Since 1932, the holder of the chair has been appointed to a fellowship at The Queen's College

The Queen's College, Oxford

The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...

. Christopher Rowland

Christopher Rowland (theologian)

Christopher Charles Rowland is a British priest and theologian, who has been Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford since 1991.-Life:...

became the latest Dean Ireland's Professor in 1991; he is one of twelve professors in the university's Faculty of Theology.

Professors

Professor	EducationAt the University of Oxford, unless otherwise indicated	College as Professor	Notes
1847–1861	St John's College St John's College, Oxford __FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...	Oriel College	Hawkins, a Fellow of Oriel since 1813, was ordained in 1816 and quickly became a prominent theologian. Appointed Provost Provost (education) A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland.... of Oriel in 1828, he was a leading opponent of the Oxford Movement Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy... ; his theologian reputation led to his election as the first Dean Ireland Professor. One biographer said of Hawkins that he "threw himself into the office with conscientious earnestness, and discharged its duties with exemplary fidelity".
1861–1870	Christ Church Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...	Balliol College Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....	Scott was awarded an Ireland Scholarship in 1833 and became a Fellow of Balliol in 1835, the year he was ordained. He was Dean Ireland Professor in addition to being Master of Balliol (elected 1854), leaving Oxford in 1870 to become Dean of Rochester.
1870–1882	Christ Church Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...	Christ Church Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...	Liddon, a supporter of the Oxford Movement Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy... from his student days, was vice-principal of Cuddesdon theological college Ripon College Cuddesdon Ripon College Cuddesdon is a Church of England theological college in Cuddesdon, a village outside Oxford, England.-History:Ripon College Cuddesdon was formed from an amalgamation in 1975 of Cuddesdon College and Ripon Hall... , and then vice-principal of St Edmund Hall St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university"... , where his New Testament lectures were well-attended. His 1866 Bampton Lectures Bampton Lectures The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton,. They have taken place since 1780.They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial. They continue to concentrate on Christian theological... were highly regarded for their theological content and scholarship. He was appointed Dean Ireland Professor in the same year as he became a canon Canon (priest) A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule .... of St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother... , London, where his preaching was popular; he published fourteen volumes of sermons, and became the most prominent member of the Oxford Movement as his friend and mentor Edward Bouverie Pusey Edward Bouverie Pusey Edward Bouverie Pusey was an English churchman and Regius Professor of Hebrew at Christ Church, Oxford. He was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement.-Early years:... became less active in his old age.
1882–1895	Balliol College Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections.... and Corpus Christi College Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...	Exeter College Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...	After his ordination, Sanday became a parish priest and then spent six years as principal of Bishop Hatfield Hall at the University of Durham before returning to Oxford. He was Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity from 1895 to 1919. His theological focus was on the study of the New Testament, particularly the four gospels, using close textual analysis.
1895–1919	Corpus Christi College Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...	Keble College Keble College, Oxford Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...	Lock, another follower of the Oxford Movement Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy... , was one of the first Tutors at Keble College on its foundation in 1870, becoming Sub-Warden in 1881 and Warden in 1897; he wrote a biography of John Keble John Keble John Keble was an English churchman and poet, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, and gave his name to Keble College, Oxford.-Early life:... in 1893. He resigned the professorship in 1919 on his appointment as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity. He was an advocate for university education for women, and pressed (successfully) for Oxford's Bachelor of Divinity Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies.... and Doctor of Divinity Doctor of Divinity Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects.... degrees to be available to students who were not members of the Church of England. He was a respected preacher and teacher, and had friends from a great variety of theological backgrounds. His "sometimes over-cautious" scholarship has been said to have been best demonstrated in Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles (1924).
1920–1930	New College New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...	Magdalen College Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...	Turner's main research interest was textual criticism, particularly material and manuscripts relating to the canon law Canon law Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of... of the early church. His work broadened his interest into New Testament studies (particularly the Gospel of Mark Gospel of Mark The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second... ) and he never wrote a large-scale church history as he had planned. His inaugural lecture, published as The Study of the New Testament, 1883 and 1920, discussed the position of an earlier Dean Ireland Professor, William Sanday William Sanday William Sanday was born in Holme Pierrepont, Nottinghamshire, England to William Sanday and Elizabeth Mann. He was a British theologian and biblical scholar... , in the history of biblical scholarship.
1932–1933	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	Streeter has been described as "one of the most distinguished New Testament scholars of his day", although another view is that his work was "of immense biblical and patristic learning but of rather little sustained theological skill". He had a sustained interest in the philosophy of religion, writing and speaking on the topic. His tenure of the chair was brief, as he became Provost Provost (education) A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland.... of The Queen's College in 1933.
1934–1949	Worcester College Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	Lightfoot served as Principal of Wells Theological College Wells Theological College Wells Theological College began operation in 1840 within the Cathedral Close of Wells Cathedral. In 1971 it merged with Salisbury Theological College, the students moved to Salisbury, and the new institution became known as the Salisbury & Wells Theological College, now Sarum College.The official... before returning to Oxford, first as chaplain of Lincoln College Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College... and then as a tutor in theology at New College New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always... . He concentrated his work on the four gospel Gospel A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John... s, particularly the Gospel of Mark Gospel of Mark The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second... . After becoming Dean Ireland Professor, he was described as "zealous in promoting Biblical research" at Oxford, but published little as he was "a hesitant writer with an unfeigned horror of inaccuracy".
1949–1977	University College, London and Oriel College, Oxford	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	Kilpatrick lectured at theological colleges and at University College Nottingham before his appointment to the chair. He has been described as "one of the outstanding textual critics of the twentieth century." According to one commentator, he "pioneered the eclectic method in New Testament textual criticism", and his "special emphasis on the style of the New Testament writers ... and his study of the influence of Atticism Atticism Atticism was a rhetorical movement that began in the first quarter of the 1st century BC; it may also refer to the wordings and phrasings typical of this movement, in contrast with spoken Greek, which continued to evolve in directions guided by the common usages of Hellenistic Greek.Atticism was... on the early transmission of the New Testament have made a vital contribution to our understanding of the text."
1977–1984	University of Cambridge University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... (Peterhouse Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely... ); Mansfield College, Oxford Mansfield College, Oxford Mansfield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Of the colleges that accept both undergraduate and graduate students Mansfield College is one of the smallest, comprising approximately 210 undergraduates, 130 graduates, 35 visiting students and 50...	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	Caird trained as a Congregationalist minister at Mansfield College before teaching in Canada, where he was the first professor of New Testament at McGill University McGill University Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university... , Montreal Montreal Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... . He returned to Mansfield College as tutor in theology in 1959, becoming Principal in 1970. He was an influential and respected scholar and lecturer, with a "somewhat conservative theological position" and an appreciation of the use of language and literary styles in biblical texts.
1984–1989	Texas Wesleyan University Texas Wesleyan University Texas Wesleyan University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university founded by the United Methodist Church in 1890. The main campus is located in the Polytechnic Heights Neighborhood of Fort Worth, Texas, with branch campuses in Burleson and downtown Fort Worth.-History:Texas Wesleyan... , Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church... , and Union Theological Seminary, New York Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	Sanders taught at McMaster University McMaster University McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens... in Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... , Canada, from 1966 until 1984. After leaving Oxford, he was Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion at Duke University Duke University Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B... in North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... , USA, from 1990 to 2005. Interested particularly in Christianity and Judaism in the Greek and Roman world, he has been a visiting professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America Jewish Theological Seminary of America The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A... and a professor of Judeo-Christian Studies at Tulane University Tulane University Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States... in Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... , USA. His works include Paul and Palestinian Judaism and Jesus and Judaism, both of which won book awards.
1991 onwards	University of Cambridge University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... (Christ's College Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:... ) and Ridley Hall, Cambridge Ridley Hall, Cambridge Ridley Hall is a theological college located in Sidgwick Avenue in Cambridge in the United Kingdom, which trains intending ministers for the Church of England and other churches. It was founded in 1881 and named in memory of Nicholas Ridley, a leading protestant theologian of the sixteenth century...	The Queen's College The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...	Rowland lectured at Newcastle University for five years and was a curate Curate A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest... at churches in the Newcastle area. He returned to Cambridge in 1979 as a lecturer in Divinity and a Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely... . He has been Canon Theologian of Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin... since 2005. His academic works include consideration of biblical interpretation in liberation theology Liberation theology Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions... in Latin America, the biblical interpretation of William Blake William Blake William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age... , and the Book of Revelation Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"... .

Professors

See also