Morna Dorothy Hooker (born 19 May 1931) is a British

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

scholar.

Early life and education

Morna Hooker was born in

Beddington Beddington is a suburban settlement in the London Borough of Sutton on the boundary with the London Borough of Croydon. Beddington is formed from a village of the same name which until early the 20th century still included land which became ...

on 19 May 1931. She went to

Bristol University The University of Bristol is a public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had ...

where she graduated with first class honours in theology, and then earned her MA. She worked for a PhD degree at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

, then at the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to ...

Career and research

She became a

Research Fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a p ...

in Arts at Durham. In 1961 she was elected into a temporary, then permanent lectureship at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. In 1970, she left for a lectureship in Theology at

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, with a fellowship at

Linacre College Linacre College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The college was founded in 1962 and is named after Thomas Linacre (1460–1524), founder of the Royal College of Physicians as well as a distinguished re ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

. She was

Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity The Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity is the oldest professorship at the University of Cambridge. It was founded initially as a readership in divinity by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, in 1502. Since its re-endowment ...

within the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

from 1976 to 1998, becoming the first woman to hold the Cambridge degree of

D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (i.e., Christian theology and ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the English-speaking world than elsewhere. In the United Kin ...

, and as of 1998 is

Professor Emerita ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". ...

. She holds honorary doctorates from the

University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...

(1994) and the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

(1997). She remains a Fellow of

Robinson College Robinson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1977, it is one of the newest Oxbridge colleges and is unique in having been intended, from its inception, for both undergraduate and graduate students of bo ...

, having joined the fellowship as a founding Fellow in 1977, and is also a Fellow of

(1979) and an honorary Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford. Hooker was the first woman to be elected President of the ''

Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas The Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) is an international society of New Testament scholars. The current president is John Kloppenborg (Canada). The SNTS publishes the academic journal ''New Testament Studies Biblical studies is ...

'', an international society of New Testament scholars (1988). She was the first woman to become a joint editor of ''

The Journal of Theological Studies ''The Journal of Theological Studies'' is an academic journal established in 1899 and now published by Oxford University Press in April and October each year. It publishes theological research, scholarship, and interpretation, and hitherto unpubli ...

''. She has been an active

Methodist local preacher A Methodist local preacher is a layperson who has been accredited by the Methodist Church to lead worship and preach on a frequent basis. With separation from the Church of England by the end of the 18th century, a clear distinction was recognise ...

. She has also been Chair of the

Wesley House Wesley House was founded as a Methodist theological college in Jesus Lane, Cambridge, England. It opened in 1921 as a place for the education of Methodist ministers and today serves as a gateway to theological scholarship for students and sch ...

Trustees. Her scholarly interests lie in

early Christian Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and be ...

thought in the setting of Jewish biblical inheritance. Her research focuses in particular on the

Epistles of Paul The Pauline epistles, also known as Epistles of Paul or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen books of the New Testament attributed to Paul the Apostle, although the authorship of some is in dispute. Among these epistles are some of the earliest exta ...

and the

Gospel according to Mark The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four canonical Gospels and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells of the ministry of Jesus from his baptism by John the Baptist to his death, the burial of his body, and the discovery of his empt ...

, as well as on

Christology In Christianity, Christology is a branch of Christian theology, theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would b ...

. Her theological standpoint on

soteriology Soteriology (; ' "salvation" from wikt:σωτήρ, σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and wikt:λόγος, λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of Doctrine, religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation theory occupies a place of special sign ...

Arminian Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the Christian theology, theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remo ...

Personal life

She is the widow of fellow theologian and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

minister the Rev. David Stacey, and is sometimes styled Morna Hooker-Stacey.

Awards

In 2004 she was awarded the

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

for Biblical Studies by the

British Academy The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical, Philosophical and Philological Studies 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 sa ...

Publications

Books

*''Jesus and the Servant: The Influence of the Servant Concept of Deutero-Isaiah in the New Testament'' (1959) *''The Son of Man in Mark'' (1967) *''What about the New Testament?'' (jt. ed. 1975) *''Interchange and atonement'' (1978) *''Studying the New Testament'' (1979) *''Pauline Pieces''/''A Preface to Paul'' (1980) *''Paul and Paulinism'' (jt. ed. 1982) *''Trial and tribulation in Mark XIII'' (1983) *''The Message of Mark'' (1983) *''Continuity and Discontinuity: Early Christianity in Its Jewish Setting'' (1986) *''From Adam to Christ: Essays on St Paul'' (1990) *''The Gospel according to St Mark'' (1993) *''Not Ashamed of the Gospel: New Testament Interpretations of the Death of Christ'' (1994) *''The Signs of a Prophet: The prophetic actions of Jesus'' (1997) *''Beginnings: Keys that open the Gospels'' (1997) *''Endings: Invitations to discipleship'' (2003) *''Paul: A short introduction'' (2003) *''Not in Word Alone'' (ed. 2003) *''Paul: A beginner's Guide'' (2008)

Articles

Notes and references

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hooker, Morna 1931 births Alumni of Durham University Alumni of the University of Bristol Alumni of the University of Manchester Arminian theologians British biblical scholars British theologians British women writers English Methodists Fellows of King's College London Fellows of Linacre College, Oxford Fellows of Robinson College, Cambridge Women biblical scholars Lady Margaret's Professors of Divinity Living people New Testament scholars People from Beddington British women religious writers