John M Hull
Encyclopedia
John Martin Hull, BA, BEd (Melbourne); PhD (Birmingham); MA, LittD (Cambridge) (born 22 April 1935) is Emeritus Professor of Religious Education at the University of Birmingham
. He is the author of a number of books and many articles in the fields of religious education, practical theology, and disability. The latter interest arose from his experiences, and personal and theological reflections, on becoming blind in mid-career. He edited the British Journal of Religious Education for 25 years, and co-founded the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values (ISREV), of which he is still the General Secretary. He is now pursuing a further interest as Honorary Professor of Practical Theology
in The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, Birmingham, England.
, Australia, the son of John Eaglesfield Hull (born in Leicester, England), a Methodist minister, and Madge Enid Hull, a teacher. He received a General Arts degree from the University of Melbourne
and became a school teacher, but after three years teaching in Melbourne and obtaining a post-graduate BEd he moved to England in 1959 to study theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
, followed by Cheshunt College
. He became domiciled in the UK in 1962.
From 1971 to 1996 he was Editor of the British Journal of Religious Education, and he remained a member of its UK Editorial Board until 2009. He has served two terms as President of the National Christian Education Council. In 1978 he was the co-founder with the late Dr John H Peatling (US) of the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values (ISREV), by its 2008 Session an association of over 200 religious education scholars from 36 countries, which meets in a different country every other year. He was its General Secretary from 1978 to 2010.
In 1989 Dr Hull was appointed to a personal chair as Professor of Religious Education in the University of Birmingham, the first such in the United Kingdom. In 1990 he was also appointed Dean of its Faculty of Education and Continuing Studies. In his time in Birmingham, he has written many papers and contributed over 50 chapters to books. Books on religious education which he has written or edited include:
Professor Hull has lectured on religious education or the consideration of disability in many countries; and for example in the three years since becoming Professor Emeritus at the University of Birmingham in 2002, he spoke at meetings in Canada, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Taiwan, and the US, as well as at many events in England. (He now accepts fewer invitations, so that he can concentrate on his teaching and writing.)
In 1992 Professor Hull received the 'William Rainey Harper Award' of the Religious Education Association of the United States and Canada, given for outstanding contributions to the study of religion in society, especially religious education. A festschrift was commissioned to mark his 70th birthday: Education, Religion, and Society: Essays in Honour of John M. Hull (2005). Another book has been published as a tribute to "his exceptional academic achievements in the field of religious education": Religious Education as Encounter: A Tribute to John M. Hull (2009).
In 2006 the University of Cambridge awarded Professor Hull the higher doctorate of Litt.D. in respect of his published works on religious education. His work has also been recognised internationally by the award of the honorary doctorates of Hon.D.Theol. (Frankfort) and Dr.H.C. (Free University of Amsterdam).
commented in the New Yorker
, "There has never been, to my knowledge, so minute and fascinating (and frightening) an account of how not only the outer eye, but the 'inner eye', gradually vanishes with blindness; of the steady loss of visual memory, visual imagery, visual orientation, visual concepts... of the steady advance or journey... into the state which he calls 'deep blindness'.".
His experiences led John Hull into further consideration of blindness and disability, particularly in a Christian context, on which he has written a number of challenging articles.
He has also written another book, In the Beginning there was Darkness: A Blind Person’s Conversations with the Bible. (2001); in which he interprets the Bible as the product of a sighted culture, with a negative attitude towards blindness.
In 1988 John Hull initiated Cathedrals through Touch and Hearing, a scheme which has provided 17 English cathedrals with wooden models and elevated ground plans for the benefit of blind visitors. In 2003 the Vice-President of the Republic of China presented him with a 'Global Love of Life Award', given by the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Education Foundation of Taiwan to honour those who have contributed to the cause of disabled people, or have overcome personal disability.
Alongside his work on religious education, he has been concerned with the theology of education, the theology of disability, and the theology of Christian mission, including a critique of money. Some of Hull's writings on the last subject have been edited and translated into German, and published as Gott und Geld ('God and Money') (2000). (Book not available in English.)
After becoming Professor Emeritus at the University of Birmingham, his research and teaching interests turned to issues of practical theology. In 2004 he took up a post at the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, Birmingham, as Honorary Professor in Practical Theology. Here he is involved with the training of students for the Anglican and Methodist ministries, particularly in the area of prophetic ministry, which concerns leadership on questions of social justice - questioning and criticising society in the name of the God of justice and peace. His website gives details of a number of public acts of prophetic witness which have been organised by the Queen's Foundation.
He is the author of Mission-Shaped Church: A Theological Response (2006). This is a serious theological evaluation of the framework within which the Anglican policy document 'Mission-Shaped Church' is presented, raising questions about the concepts of Kingdom, Church, Gospel and Mission.
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
. He is the author of a number of books and many articles in the fields of religious education, practical theology, and disability. The latter interest arose from his experiences, and personal and theological reflections, on becoming blind in mid-career. He edited the British Journal of Religious Education for 25 years, and co-founded the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values (ISREV), of which he is still the General Secretary. He is now pursuing a further interest as Honorary Professor of Practical Theology
Practical theology
Practical theology is the practical application of theology to everyday life. Richard Osmer explains that the four key questions and tasks in practical theology are:# What is going on? # Why is this going on?...
in The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, Birmingham, England.
Early life
John Hull was born in Corryong, VictoriaCorryong, Victoria
Corryong is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is located east of Albury-Wodonga, near the upper reaches of the Murray River and thus close to the New South Wales border. At the 2006 Census in Australia, Corryong had a population of 1,228....
, Australia, the son of John Eaglesfield Hull (born in Leicester, England), a Methodist minister, and Madge Enid Hull, a teacher. He received a General Arts degree from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and became a school teacher, but after three years teaching in Melbourne and obtaining a post-graduate BEd he moved to England in 1959 to study theology at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Fitzwilliam College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge in England.The college traces its origins back to 1869 and the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer students from less financially privileged backgrounds a chance to study...
, followed by Cheshunt College
Westminster College, Cambridge
Westminster College in Cambridge is a theological college of the United Reformed Church, formerly the Presbyterian Church of England. Its principal purpose is the training of clergy for ordination, but is also used more widely for training within the denomination...
. He became domiciled in the UK in 1962.
Work on religious education
After Cambridge and four years as Head of Religious Education in a London grammar school, Hull moved to Birmingham to train religious education teachers, first at Westhill College, then at the University of Birmingham, which awarded him a PhD in theology in 1969.From 1971 to 1996 he was Editor of the British Journal of Religious Education, and he remained a member of its UK Editorial Board until 2009. He has served two terms as President of the National Christian Education Council. In 1978 he was the co-founder with the late Dr John H Peatling (US) of the International Seminar on Religious Education and Values (ISREV), by its 2008 Session an association of over 200 religious education scholars from 36 countries, which meets in a different country every other year. He was its General Secretary from 1978 to 2010.
In 1989 Dr Hull was appointed to a personal chair as Professor of Religious Education in the University of Birmingham, the first such in the United Kingdom. In 1990 he was also appointed Dean of its Faculty of Education and Continuing Studies. In his time in Birmingham, he has written many papers and contributed over 50 chapters to books. Books on religious education which he has written or edited include:
- Sense and Nonsense about God (1974). Study guide for older secondary and college students on the philosophy of religion.
- School Worship: An Obituary (1975). Seminal discussion of the philosophy and practice of school worship; arguing that it should be replaced by an assembly devoted to spiritual and moral development of the school.
- New Directions in Religious Education (1982). Seventeen outstanding articles from the British Journal of Religious Education, selected and commented on by Journal Editor John Hull.
- Studies in Religion and Education (1984). A collection of Hull's academic articles published between 1969 and 1982.
- What Prevents Christian Adults from Learning? (1985). "When we find that Christian adults often seem to stop learning and developing in their faith, one must ask why."
- The Act Unpacked: The Meaning of the 1988 Education Reform Act for Religious Education (1989). Drew attention to the world religions approach of the legislation, whereas publicity had focussed on the Christianity aspect.
- Mishmash: Religious Education in Multi-Cultural Britain, a study in metaphor (1991). The debate on the 1988 Education Reform Act had used this metaphor of disgusting food to attack a world religions approach to religious education. This booklet analyses this rhetoric, tracing it back to an elitist view.
- God-Talk With Young Children: Notes for Parents & Teachers (1991). Thirty-three conversations with children, mostly about God; with interpretation and suggestions.
- A Gift to the Child (1991). Teachers' Source Book.*Utopian Whispers: Moral, Religious and Spiritual Values in School (1998). BJRE editorials, originally written and now selected by John Hull; covering a period of major changes in religious education in Britain.
- Glaube und Bildung (2000). Some of Hull's writings on 'Faith and Education', edited and translated into German. (Book not available in English.)
Professor Hull has lectured on religious education or the consideration of disability in many countries; and for example in the three years since becoming Professor Emeritus at the University of Birmingham in 2002, he spoke at meetings in Canada, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Taiwan, and the US, as well as at many events in England. (He now accepts fewer invitations, so that he can concentrate on his teaching and writing.)
In 1992 Professor Hull received the 'William Rainey Harper Award' of the Religious Education Association of the United States and Canada, given for outstanding contributions to the study of religion in society, especially religious education. A festschrift was commissioned to mark his 70th birthday: Education, Religion, and Society: Essays in Honour of John M. Hull (2005). Another book has been published as a tribute to "his exceptional academic achievements in the field of religious education": Religious Education as Encounter: A Tribute to John M. Hull (2009).
In 2006 the University of Cambridge awarded Professor Hull the higher doctorate of Litt.D. in respect of his published works on religious education. His work has also been recognised internationally by the award of the honorary doctorates of Hon.D.Theol. (Frankfort) and Dr.H.C. (Free University of Amsterdam).
Work on blindness and disability
John Hull became blind in 1980, and beyond his academic work on religious education is best known as the author of the autobiographical account of blindness, Touching the Rock: An Experience of Blindness (1990). This was later re-published with additional material as On Sight and Insight: A Journey into the World of Blindness (1997); which tends to emphasise features of the state of blindness, rather than the experience of losing sight. Of this work, the neurologist and writer on disability Professor Oliver SacksOliver Sacks
Oliver Wolf Sacks, CBE , is a British neurologist and psychologist residing in New York City. He is a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University, where he also holds the position of Columbia Artist...
commented in the New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, "There has never been, to my knowledge, so minute and fascinating (and frightening) an account of how not only the outer eye, but the 'inner eye', gradually vanishes with blindness; of the steady loss of visual memory, visual imagery, visual orientation, visual concepts... of the steady advance or journey... into the state which he calls 'deep blindness'.".
His experiences led John Hull into further consideration of blindness and disability, particularly in a Christian context, on which he has written a number of challenging articles.
He has also written another book, In the Beginning there was Darkness: A Blind Person’s Conversations with the Bible. (2001); in which he interprets the Bible as the product of a sighted culture, with a negative attitude towards blindness.
In 1988 John Hull initiated Cathedrals through Touch and Hearing, a scheme which has provided 17 English cathedrals with wooden models and elevated ground plans for the benefit of blind visitors. In 2003 the Vice-President of the Republic of China presented him with a 'Global Love of Life Award', given by the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Education Foundation of Taiwan to honour those who have contributed to the cause of disabled people, or have overcome personal disability.
Work on practical theology
John Hull had read theology at Cambridge University from 1959 to 1962, and received a PhD in theology from the University of Birmingham in 1969, for a study of the background to the miracles of Jesus, in the magical world of the first century; which was the basis of his book of the same title, Hellenistic Magic and the Synoptic Tradition (1974).Alongside his work on religious education, he has been concerned with the theology of education, the theology of disability, and the theology of Christian mission, including a critique of money. Some of Hull's writings on the last subject have been edited and translated into German, and published as Gott und Geld ('God and Money') (2000). (Book not available in English.)
After becoming Professor Emeritus at the University of Birmingham, his research and teaching interests turned to issues of practical theology. In 2004 he took up a post at the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, Birmingham, as Honorary Professor in Practical Theology. Here he is involved with the training of students for the Anglican and Methodist ministries, particularly in the area of prophetic ministry, which concerns leadership on questions of social justice - questioning and criticising society in the name of the God of justice and peace. His website gives details of a number of public acts of prophetic witness which have been organised by the Queen's Foundation.
He is the author of Mission-Shaped Church: A Theological Response (2006). This is a serious theological evaluation of the framework within which the Anglican policy document 'Mission-Shaped Church' is presented, raising questions about the concepts of Kingdom, Church, Gospel and Mission.
External links
- John Hull's website has extensive information on his work and life.
- ISREV website International Seminar on Religious Education and Values
- Queen's website The Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education
- Publisher's BJRE web page British Journal of Religious Education