St Andrews appoints N.T. Wright to chair in Divinity

Monday 26 April 2010

The Right Reverend Dr N.T. Wright delivering the James Gregory Lecture in St Andrews, December 2007

The Right Reverend Dr N.T. Wright delivering the James Gregory Lecture in St Andrews, December 2007.

The University of St Andrews has appointed the Right Reverend Dr Nicholas Thomas Wright, presently the Bishop of Durham, to be Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity.

Professor Wright will take up post in the School of Divinity at St Andrews from September 1st 2010.

An internationally-renowned scholar and author, Tom Wright was born in Morpeth, Northumberland and educated at Sedbergh School, Yorkshire, where he specialised in Classics and played rugby and cricket for the school.

He took a ‘double first’ in Philosophy and Ancient History (‘Greats’) and Theology at Exeter College, Oxford, where he was president of the undergraduate Christian Union and gained a half-blue for Rugby Fives. He then studied for the Anglican ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and was ordained to a Junior Research Fellowship at Merton College, Oxford, where he was later junior Chaplain. From 1978 to 1981 he was Fellow and Chaplain of Downing College, Cambridge.

In 1981 he moved to Canada to be Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies at McGill University, Montreal, returning to the UK in 1986 as Lecturer in New Testament in the University of Oxford and Chaplain, Fellow and Tutor at Worcester College. He became Dean of Lichfield in 1994, Canon Theologian of Westminster Abbey in 2000, and then Bishop of Durham in 2003.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost New Testament scholars, Professor Wright has written over fifty books, both for the academy (his series Christian Origins and the Question of God) and for a mainstream audience (the Everyone series of guides to the New Testament). He has also written books of apologetics, including the best-selling Simply Christian. He has broadcast regularly on radio and television and has written guest columns for broadsheet newspapers.

Dr Louise Richardson, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of St Andrews, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Right Reverend Dr Wright will be joining the University of St Andrews. A scholar of unparalleled insight and erudition he is one of the leading New Testament analysts of our time. Among his wide ranging skills, he possesses in abundance the rare ability to combine fine grained technical exegesis with a capacity to see and to illuminate the big picture. We are all every much looking forward to his arrival in September.”

Tom Wright is married to Maggie, who has worked as a teacher, a consultant and as a member of the Board of Visitors of a prison in the Midlands. They have four children and three grandchildren. He lists among his hobbies music, hill walking and golf, and is a life-long supporter of recently-promoted Newcastle United FC.

The School of Divinity at St Andrews has a global reputation for excellence in teaching and research. The most recent Research Assessment Exercise in 2008 confirmed St Andrews as a leading European centre for research in theology. 95% of its research output was judged to be world class, internationally excellent or internationally recognised.

Further information:  www.ntwrightpage.com www.st-andrews.ac.uk/divinity

Niall Scott
Director of Communication
April 23rd 2010
Tel 01334 462244, mob 07711 223062, email [email protected]


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