Richard John Parish (1948-2022) was a scholar of French literature. He was Professor of French 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 ...

between 1996 and 2015.

Career

Born in 1948, Parish was educated at

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...

, graduating with a BA in 1970."Richard John Parish"
''Centro Interdipartimentale di Studi su Pascal e il Seicento'' (

University of Catania The University of Catania ( it, Università degli Studi di Catania) is a university located in Catania, Sicily. Founded in 1434, it is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy, and the 29th oldest university in the world. With a ...

). Retrieved 15 December 2019. He then completed his

doctoral studies A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

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 ...

; his

DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

was awarded in 1974 for his

thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

"The

abbé de Choisy ''Abbé'' (from Latin ''abbas'', in turn from Greek language, Greek , ''abbas'', from Aramaic ''abba'', a title of honour, literally meaning "the father, my father", emphatic state of ''abh'', "father") is the French word for an abbot. It is th ...

(1644–1724): a historical and critical study". Parish was appointed to a

lectureship Lecturer is an academic rank Academic rank (also scientific rank) is the rank of a scientist or teacher in a college, high school, university or research establishment. The academic ranks indicate relative importance and power of individuals ...

at the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

in 1973; he returned to Oxford in 1976 when he was elected 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 ...

and tutor in French at St Catherine's College and appointed to a university lectureship. He was awarded the title of

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of French in 1996 and retired in 2015, since when he has been an

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 ...

professor. He was appointed an ''officier'' of the French

Ordre des Palmes académiques A suite, in Western classical music and jazz, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes and grew in scope to comprise up to five dances, sometimes with ...

in 2001 and was promoted to the grade of ''Commandeur'' in 2012. He gave the

Bampton Lectures The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial ...

in 2009.William Burgwinkle, Nicholas Hammond, Emma Wilson (eds.), ''The Cambridge History of French Literature'' (Cambridge University Press, 2011), p. xx. He died on 1 January 2022.

Selected publications

Monographs

* ''Pascal's Lettres Provinciales: A Study in Polemic'' (Oxford:

Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1989). * ''Racine: The Limits of Tragedy'' (Paris, Seattle, Tubingen: Papers on French Seventeenth Century Literature, 1993). * ''Catholic Particularity in Seventeenth-Century French Writing: "Christianity is Strange"'' (Oxford:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 2011).

Editions or translations of texts

* (ed.) ''Abbé de Choisy et Abbé de Dangeau: Quatre Dialogues: I. Sur l'lmmortaluté de l'Ame II. Sur l'Existence de Dieu III. Sur la Providence IV. Sur la Religion; suivis de Pierre Jurieu: Apologie d'un tour nouveau pour les Quatre Dialogues de M. l'abbé de Dangeau'' (Fribourg: Éditions universitaires, 1981). * (ed.) ''Moliere, Le Tartuffe'' (Bristol: Bristol Classical Texts, 1994). * (ed.) ''Racine, Berenice'' (Paris: Gallimard, 1994). * (ed.) ''Racine, Phedre'' (London: Bristol Classical Texts, 1996). * (ed.) ''Scarron: Le Roman Comique'', Critical Guides to French Texts, no. 119 (Valencia: Grant and Cutler, 1999). * (ed.) ''Jean de La Bruyère t Louis-Ellies du Pin Dialogues posthumes sur le quiétisme'' (Grenoble: Jérôme Millon, 2005). * (ed.) ''Éloge et pensées de Pascal: édition établie par Condorcet, annotée par Voltaire'' (Oxford:

Voltaire Foundation The Voltaire Foundation is a research department of the University of Oxford, founded by Theodore Besterman in the 1970s. It publishes the definitive edition of the ''Complete Works of Voltaire'' (''Œuvres complètes de Voltaire''), as well as ' ...

, 2008).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parish, R. J. Living people 1948 births Scholars of French literature Alumni of Newcastle University Alumni of the University of Oxford Academics of the University of Liverpool Fellows of St Catherine's College, Oxford Academics of the University of Oxford Commandeurs of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques