Ernest Wilson Nicholson, (26 September 1938 – 22 December 2013) was a British scholar of the Old Testament and

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

priest. He was

Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture The Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture (until 1991 the Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture) is a chair in theology, particular Old Testament studies, at the University of Oxford. Oriel College, ...

at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

from 1979 to 1990 and served as Provost of Oriel College, Oxford, from 1990 to 2003.

Early life

Nicholson was born on 26 September 1938 in

Portadown Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of a ...

, Northern Ireland. Having failed the Eleven-plus exam to attend grammar school, he attended the local Secondary Technical School. He later transferred to a grammar school,

Portadown College Portadown College is an academically selective, co-educational post-14 grammar school in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. History Preparatory Department Portadown College Preparatory Department was founded in 1921 as the Carlet ...

, following the advice of a priest during a

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holiday. In 1956, he

matriculated Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

into Trinity College, Dublin to study Hebrew and Semitic languages. He graduated Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1960, which was promoted to

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

(MA) in 1964. He then undertook

postgraduate study Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...

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. He completed a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1964 under the supervision of Cecil Weir. He later trained for ordination at

Westcott House, Cambridge Westcott House is an Anglican theological college based on Jesus Lane in the centre of the university city of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.Westcott House website, Home pag Retrieved on August 27, 2006. Its main activity is training people for ...

, an Anglican

theological college A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

, completing it in 1969.

Career

Academic career

Nicholson began his academic career in 1962 when he returned to his alma mater Trinity College, Dublin as a lecturer in Hebrew and Semitics. In 1967, he moved to the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

where he became a university lecturer in Old Testament Studies and a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

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. In 1969, he changed colleges and became a fellow of Pembroke College. In 1979, he moved to the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. He was granted a chair as Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture and became a Fellow of

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, w ...

. In 1990, he became the 50th Provost of Oriel College; he was installed by the college's Visitor, Queen Elizabeth II. He served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1993 to 2003. He retired from academia in 2003 and was appointed

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of the University of Oxford.

Ordained ministry

Nicholson had been a

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while at school in Northern Ireland. In 1969, he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

in the

at Ely Cathedral. He was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

the following year. When he joined Pembroke College, Cambridge, he served as a college chaplain and

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of its chapel between 1973 and 1979. In retirement, Nicholson held

Permission to Officiate A permission to officiate (PTO), also known as a licence to officiate, is a concessionary ministry licence granted by an Anglican bishop. It is most commonly issued to a retired deacon, priest, or lay reader over the age of 70 years. It allows th ...

in the

Diocese of Oxford The Diocese of Oxford is a Church of England diocese that forms part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Oxford (currently Steven Croft), and the bishop's seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. It contain ...

from 2010 until his death in 2013.

Later life

After his retirement in 2003, he remained living in Oxford. In November 2012, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He died on 22 December 2013 at the age of 75. His funeral was held on 10 January 2014 at St Peter's Church,

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, Oxford. A memorial service was held on 29 March 2014 at the

University Church of St Mary the Virgin The University Church of St Mary the Virgin (St Mary's or SMV for short) is an Oxford church situated on the north side of the High Street. It is the centre from which the University of Oxford grew and its parish consists almost exclusively of u ...

in Oxford.

Personal life

In 1962, Nicholson married Hazel Jackson. They had met while at the same school and, after she tutored him in Latin for his university entrance exam, they entered a relationship. Together they had four children; Rosalind, Kathryn, Jane, and Peter. His son predeceased him, having died from an epileptic seizure in 2011.

Honours

In 1987, Nicholson was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA). in 1988 was president of the Society for Old Testament Study. In 1994, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by

St Peter's College, Oxford St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is located in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. It occupies the site of two of the university's medieval halls, dating back to at least the 14th ...

. He was awarded the 2009

Burkitt Medal The Burkitt Medal is awarded annually by the British Academy "in recognition of special service to Biblical Studies". Awards alternate between Hebrew Bible studies (odd years) and New Testament studies (even years). It was established in 1923 and h ...

for Biblical Studies by the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...

. In 2010, he was elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA). He was appointed Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Works

*''Deuteronomy and Tradition'' (1969) *''Preaching to the Exiles'' (1971) *''Exodus and Sinai in History and Tradition'' (1973) *''God and His People: Covenant and Theology in the Old Testament'' (1986) *''The Pentateuch in the 20th century: the legacy of Julius Wellhausen'' (1998) *''A Century of Theological and Religious Studies in Britain, 1902–2002'' (2003), editor *''Deuteronomy and the Judaean Diaspora'' (2014)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholson, Ernest Wilson 1938 births 2013 deaths British biblical scholars People from Portadown People educated at Portadown College Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Academics of Trinity College Dublin Fellows of University College, Cambridge 20th-century English Anglican priests Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge Fellows of Oriel College, Oxford Fellows of the British Academy Deaths from liver cancer Members of the Royal Irish Academy Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Oriel and Laing Professors of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture Anglican biblical scholars Alumni of Westcott House, Cambridge Presidents of the Society for Old Testament Study