Edward Kessler
Encyclopedia
Dr Edward Kessler MBE
(born 1963) is the co-founder and current executive director of The Woolf Institute. He is a thinker in interfaith
relations, primarily contemporary Judaism, Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Muslim Relations, and is a Fellow of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge.
and graduated with a First-Class Joint Honours Degree in Hebrew and Religious Studies from the University of Leeds
in 1985, a Master of theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School
in 1987, and Master of business Studies from the University of Stirling
in 1989. He went on to work in a family business for 7 years before returning to his academic studies, completing a PhD at the University of Cambridge
in 1998.
Kessler, with Martin Forward
, founded the Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations (CJCR) in 1998 and The Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR)
in 2006 and is presently executive director of The Woolf Institute, the umbrella body over the two centres. In 2006, he was awarded the Sternberg Interfaith Award from philanthropist Sir Sigmund Sternberg
"in recognition of outstanding services in furthering relations between faiths". In June 2007 The Times Higher Education newspaper described him as "probably the most prolific interfaith figure in British academia". In 2011 he was awarded an MBE awarded for services to interfaith relations
For further details and a full bibliography for Edward Kessler MBE, see:
2002 - Jews and Christians in Conversation: crossing cultures and generations, eds., E. Kessler, JT Pawlikowski & J Banki, Cambridge: Orchard Academic
2004 - A Reader of Liberal Judaism: Israel Abrahams, Claude Montefiore, Israel Mattuck and Lily Montagu, London: Vallentine Mitchell
2004 - Aspects of Liberal Judaism: Essays in Honour of John D Rayner on the occasion of his 80th Birthday, eds., E. Kessler and D.J.Goldberg, London: Vallentine Mitchell
2004 - Bound by the Bible: Jews, Christians and the Sacrifice of Isaac, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2004 - Themes in Jewish-Christian Relations, eds., E. Kessler & M.J. Wright, Cambridge: Orchard Academic
2005 - A Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations, eds., E, Kessler & N. Wenborn, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2006 - Challenges in Jewish-Christian Relations, eds., J. Aitken & E. Kessler, New York: Paulist Press
2006 - What do Jews Believe? London and New York: Granta Publications
2010 - Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
and Beyond Belief. For examples see external links.
He has expressed opposition about any imminent beatification/canonisation of Pope Pius XII
.
Kessler has delivered a number of public lectures including:
The 1st Hugo Gryn Memorial lecture, London (1998);
The 30th Cardinal Bea Memorial Lecture, London (2000);
The Shapiro Lecture, Chicago (2003);
The Martin Buber Lecture, East Anglia University (2004);
The Bishop Grossteste Lecture, Lincoln Cathedral (2005);
The Kennedy lecture, North Carolina (2008);
Ely Cathedral Lectures: 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1963) is the co-founder and current executive director of The Woolf Institute. He is a thinker in interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
relations, primarily contemporary Judaism, Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Muslim Relations, and is a Fellow of St Edmund’s College, Cambridge.
Biography
Born in 1963, Kessler was educated at City of London SchoolCity of London School
The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...
and graduated with a First-Class Joint Honours Degree in Hebrew and Religious Studies from the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 1985, a Master of theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
in 1987, and Master of business Studies from the University of Stirling
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
in 1989. He went on to work in a family business for 7 years before returning to his academic studies, completing a PhD at the 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...
in 1998.
Kessler, with Martin Forward
Martin Forward
Martin Forward is a British, Methodist Christian lecturer and author on religion and Professor of Religion at Aurora University, Illinois. He has taught Islam at the Universities of Leicester, Bristol and Cambridge, and had spent a period of time in India where he was ordained into the Church of...
, founded the Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations (CJCR) in 1998 and The Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR)
The Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations (CMJR)
The Centre for Muslim Jewish Relations , based at Wesley House, is dedicated to the study and teaching of Muslim-Jewish Relations and the promotion of interfaith dialogue...
in 2006 and is presently executive director of The Woolf Institute, the umbrella body over the two centres. In 2006, he was awarded the Sternberg Interfaith Award from philanthropist Sir Sigmund Sternberg
Sigmund Sternberg
Sir Sigmund Sternberg, is a British philanthropist, businessman and Labour Party donor.-Early life:Sternberg is Jewish and was born in Hungary. He emigrated to Britain in 1939 and was naturalised as a British citizen in 1947.-Career:...
"in recognition of outstanding services in furthering relations between faiths". In June 2007 The Times Higher Education newspaper described him as "probably the most prolific interfaith figure in British academia". In 2011 he was awarded an MBE awarded for services to interfaith relations
For further details and a full bibliography for Edward Kessler MBE, see:
Books and edited volumes
1989 - An English Jew: The Life and Writings of Claude Montefiore, London: Vallentine Mitchell, (2nd Edition, 2002)2002 - Jews and Christians in Conversation: crossing cultures and generations, eds., E. Kessler, JT Pawlikowski & J Banki, Cambridge: Orchard Academic
2004 - A Reader of Liberal Judaism: Israel Abrahams, Claude Montefiore, Israel Mattuck and Lily Montagu, London: Vallentine Mitchell
2004 - Aspects of Liberal Judaism: Essays in Honour of John D Rayner on the occasion of his 80th Birthday, eds., E. Kessler and D.J.Goldberg, London: Vallentine Mitchell
2004 - Bound by the Bible: Jews, Christians and the Sacrifice of Isaac, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2004 - Themes in Jewish-Christian Relations, eds., E. Kessler & M.J. Wright, Cambridge: Orchard Academic
2005 - A Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations, eds., E, Kessler & N. Wenborn, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2006 - Challenges in Jewish-Christian Relations, eds., J. Aitken & E. Kessler, New York: Paulist Press
2006 - What do Jews Believe? London and New York: Granta Publications
2010 - Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Other media and public presence
Kessler writes for the printed media and broadcasts on radio, predominantly BBC Radio 4 - Today programmeToday programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
and Beyond Belief. For examples see external links.
He has expressed opposition about any imminent beatification/canonisation of Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
.
Kessler has delivered a number of public lectures including:
The 1st Hugo Gryn Memorial lecture, London (1998);
The 30th Cardinal Bea Memorial Lecture, London (2000);
The Shapiro Lecture, Chicago (2003);
The Martin Buber Lecture, East Anglia University (2004);
The Bishop Grossteste Lecture, Lincoln Cathedral (2005);
The Kennedy lecture, North Carolina (2008);
Ely Cathedral Lectures: 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible.
External links
- Woolf Institute Home Page
- BBC Religion & Ethics biographies including of Edward Kessler
- Times Higher Education article
- European Association for Jewish Studies profile of Edward Kessler
- Archived articles by Edward Kessler in The Tablet
- Woolf Institute in the Press, including various articles by Edward Kessler
- Recent example of BBC Radio 4 broadcast, on the subject of the Pope and Holocaust denial