The Regius Professorships of

Divinity Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a single ...

are amongst the oldest professorships at the

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 ...

and 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 ...

. A third chair existed for a period at

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

. The Oxford and Cambridge chairs were founded by

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. The chair at Cambridge originally had a stipend of £40 per year (which is still paid to the incumbent by Trinity College), later increased by

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

with the rectory of

Somersham Somersham is a village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Somersham lies approximately east of Huntingdon and north of St Ives. Somersham is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambridgeshire as ...

, Cambridgeshire.

Professors at Oxford

* Richard Smyth, DD, Fellow of Merton, and Principal of St Alban Hall (1535) * Peter Martyr, DD, of the University of Padua, Canon of Christ Church (1548) * Richard Smyth again; Canon of Christ Church (1554) *

Juan de Villagarcia ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...

, known as Joannes Fraterculus (a Spanish Dominican), BD, Divinity Reader of Magdalen College (1556) * Richard Smyth again (1559) * Lawrence Humphrey, MA, Fellow, afterwards President, of Magdalen; DD (1560) * Thomas Holland, DD, Fellow of Balliol; Rector of Exeter (1589) * Robert Abbot, DD, Master of Balliol; afterwards Bishop of Salisbury (1612) *

John Prideaux John Prideaux (7 September 1578 – 29 July 1650) was an English academic and Bishop of Worcester. Early life The fourth son of John and Agnes Prideaux, he was born at Stowford House in the parish of Harford, near Ivybridge, Devon, England, ...

, DD, Rector of Exeter; afterwards Bishop of Worcester (1615) * Robert Sanderson, DD, sometime Fellow of Lincoln (1642) * Robert Crosse, BD, Fellow of Lincoln (1648) * Joshua Hoyle, DD, Master of University (1648) *

John Conant Rev. John Conant D.D. (18 October 1608 – 12 March 1694) was an English clergyman and theologian. He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, and later archdeacon of Norwich. Life Conant was born at Yettington, Bicton, in the south-east ...

, DD, Rector of Exeter (1654) * Robert Sanderson, DD, restored; afterwards Bishop of Lincoln (1660) * William Creed, DD, sometime Fellow of St John's (1661) *

Richard Allestree Richard Allestree or Allestry ( ; 1621/22 – 28 January 1681) was an English Royalist churchman and provost of Eton College from 1665. Life The son of Robert Allestree, descended from an old Derbyshire family, he was born at Uppington in Sh ...

, DD, Canon of Christ Church (1663) *

William Jane William Jane (1645–1707) was an English academic and clergyman, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford from 1680. Life The son of Joseph Jane, he was born at Liskeard, Cornwall, where he was baptised on 22 October 1645. He was educated at Wes ...

, DD, Canon of Christ Church (1680) * John Potter, DD, Fellow of Lincoln; Bishop of Oxford; afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury (1707) *

George Rye George Rye was an English Anglican priest in the 18th century. Rye was born in Culworth, the son of George and Elizabeth Rye (nee Tipping). The elder George Rye was educated at Trinity College, Oxford and Lincoln's Inn and was appointed a “Gen ...

, DD, sometime Fellow of Oriel; Archdeacon of Oxford (1737) *

John Fanshawe John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

, DD, Student of Christ Church, and Regius Professor of Greek (1741) *

Edward Bentham Edward Bentham (23 July 1707 – 1 August 1776) was an Oxford based theologian who in 1763, with some evident reluctance, became Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University. Life Family, provenance and early years Edward Bentham was born ...

, DD, Canon of Christ Church (1763) * Benjamin Wheeler, DD, Fellow of Magdalen (1776) * John Randolph, DD, Student of Christ Church, Professor of Poetry, and Regius Professor of Greek; Bishop of London; afterwards Bishop of Bangor, then of London (1783) * Charles Henry Hall, DD, Canon of Christ Church; afterwards Dean (1807) *

William Howley William Howley (12 February 1766 – 11 February 1848) was a clergyman in the Church of England. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1828 to 1848. Early life, education, and interests Howley was born in 1766 at Ropley, Hampshire, wher ...

, DD, Canon of Christ Church; afterwards Bishop of London, Archbishop of Canterbury (1809) *

William Van Mildert William Van Mildert (6 November 1765 – 21 February 1836) was the bishop of Durham (1826–1836), and the last to rule the county palatine of Durham. He was also one of the founders of the University of Durham, where he is commemorated ...

, DD, Queen's; afterwards Bishop of Llandaff and Dean of St Paul's, Bishop of Durham (1813) *

Frodsham Hodson Frodsham Hodson (1770–1822) was an English churchman and academic, the Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford, from 1809. Life He was the son of the Rev. George Hodson, and was born in Liverpool, England, on 7 June 1770. He entered Manchest ...

, DD, Principal of Brasenose (1820) * Charles Lloyd, Student of Christ Church; Bishop of Oxford (1822) * Edward Burton, DD, Student of Christ Church (1829) *

Renn Dickson Hampden Renn Dickson Hampden (29 March 1793 – 23 April 1868) was an English Anglican clergyman. His liberal tendencies led to conflict with traditionalist clergy in general and the supporters of Tractarianism during the years he taught at the Univ ...

, DD, Principal of St Mary Hall; afterwards Bishop of Hereford (1836) * William Jacobson, MA, Vice-Principal of Magdalen Hall and Public Orator, sometime Fellow of Exeter; DD, afterwards Bishop of Chester (1848) *

Robert Payne Smith Robert Payne Smith (7 November 1818 – 31 March 1895) was Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford and Canon of Christ Church from 1865 until 1870, when he was appointed Dean of Canterbury by Queen Victoria on the advice of W ...

, MA, Pembroke; DD; afterwards Dean of Canterbury (1865) * James Bowling Mozley, BD, sometime Fellow of Magdalen; DD (1871) * William Ince, MA, Fellow of Exeter; DD; Canon of Christ Church (1878) * Henry Scott Holland, MA, Hon DLitt, sometime Student of Christ Church; DD; Canon of Christ Church (1911) *

Arthur Cayley Headlam Arthur Cayley Headlam (2 August 1862 – 17 January 1947) was an English theologian who served as Bishop of Gloucester from 1923 to 1945. Biography Headlam was born in Whorlton, County Durham, the son of its vicar, Arthur William Headlam (1 ...

, DD, sometime Fellow of All Souls; Canon of Christ Church (1918) * Henry Leighton Goudge, DD, Canon of Christ Church (1923) *

Oliver Chase Quick Oliver Chase Quick (21 June 1885 – 21 January 1944) was an English theologian, philosopher, and Anglican priest. Early life and education Oliver Quick was born on 21 June 1885 in Sedbergh, Yorkshire, the son of the educationist Robert Hebert ...

, MA, Canon of Christ Church; afterwards DD (1939) * Leonard Hodgson, DD, Canon of Christ Church (1944) * Henry Chadwick, DD, Canon of Christ Church (MusB, DD Cantab.; Hon DD Glas) (1959) *

Maurice Wiles Maurice Frank Wiles, FBA (17 October 1923 – 3 June 2005) was an Anglican priest and academic. He was the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford from 1970 to 1991. Life and academic career Wiles was educated at the Tonbridge ...

, DD, Canon of Christ Church (BD, MA Cantab.) (1970) *

Keith Ward Keith Ward (born 1938) is an English philosopher and theologian. He is a fellow of the British Academy and a priest of the Church of England. He was a canon of Christ Church, Oxford, until 2003. Comparative theology and the relationship between ...

, BLitt, MA, DD, Canon of Christ Church (BA Wales; MA Cantab.; DD Oxon.; DD Cantab.; HonDD Glas) (1991) * Marilyn McCord Adams, AB Illinois; PhD Cornell; ThM Princeton Theological Seminary; Canon of Christ Church (2004) * Graham Ward Canon of Christ Church (MA, PhD Cantab.) (2012–2024) * Andrew Paul Davison, Canon of Christ Church (2024–present) (Sources: ''Oxford Historical Register 1200-1900'' and supplements; and the ''Oxford University Calendar'') * See also:

Theology Faculty of the University of Oxford The Oxford Faculty of Theology and Religion co-ordinates the teaching of theology at the University of Oxford. It is part of Oxford's Humanities Division. The Theology Faculty Centre was at 34 St Giles' in central Oxford. It is now on the sec ...

Professors at Cambridge

* Edward Wigan, alias Guy (1540) * John Madew (c.1545) *

Martin Bucer Martin Bucer (; Early German: ; 11 November 1491– 28 February 1551) was a German Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Anglican doctrines and practices as well as Reformed Theology. Bucer was originally a memb ...

(1550) ** In 1553 Archbishop

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a theologian, leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He is honoured as a Oxford Martyrs, martyr ...

offered the Regius Chair to

Philip Melanchthon Philip Melanchthon (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, an intellectual leader of the L ...

, who declined the offer * John Young (1555) *

Thomas Sedgwick Thomas Sedgwick (Segiswycke) (died 1573 in a Yorkshire prison) was an English Roman Catholic theologian. An unfriendly hand in 1562 describes him as "learned but not very wise". Thomas Sedgwick was educated at the University of Cambridge, where ...

(1557) *

James Pilkington James Pilkington may refer to: *James Pilkington (bishop) James Pilkington (1520–1576), was the first Protestantism, Protestant Bishop of Durham from 1561 until his death in 1576. He founded Rivington and Blackrod High School, Rivington Gram ...

(1559) * Leonard Pilkington (1561) * Matthew Hutton (1562) *

John Whitgift John Whitgift (c. 1530 – 29 February 1604) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 8 ...

(1567) *

William Chaderton William Chaderton (c.1540 – 11 April 1608) was an English academic and bishop. He also served as Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity. He was born in Moston, Lancashire, what is now a part of the city of Manchester. After attending ...

(1569) * William Whitaker (1580) * John Overall (1596) * John Richardson (1607) * Samuel Collins (1617) * John Arrowsmith (1651) * Anthony Tuckney (1656) *

Peter Gunning Peter Gunning (1614 – 6 July 1684) was an English Royalist church leader, Bishop of Chichester and Bishop of Ely. Life He was born at Hoo St Werburgh, in Kent, and educated at The King's School, Canterbury and Clare College, Cambridge, whe ...

(1661) * Joseph Beaumont (1674) *

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

(1700) *

Richard Bentley Richard Bentley FRS (; 27 January 1662 – 14 July 1742) was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. Considered the "founder of historical philology", Bentley is widely credited with establishing the English school of Hellenis ...

(1717) * John Whalley (1742) *

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author and YouTuber. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' (2012), which is one of the List of best-selling books#Bet ...

(?) * Thomas Rutherforth (1745) * Richard Watson (1771) * John Kaye (1816) *

Thomas Turton Thomas Turton (25 February 1780 – 7 January 1864) was an English academic and divine, the Bishop of Ely from 1845 to 1864. Life Thomas Turton was son of Thomas and Ann Turton of Hatfield, West Riding. He was admitted to Queens' College, ...

(1827) * Alfred Ollivant (1843) *

James Amiraux Jeremie James Amiraux Jérémie (12 April 1802, Saint Peter Port, Guernsey – 11 June 1872, Lincoln, England) was Professor of Classical Literature at The East India Company College 1830–50, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge ...

(1850) *

Brooke Foss Westcott Brooke Foss Westcott (12 January 1825 – 27 July 1901) was an English bishop, biblical scholar and theologian, serving as Bishop of Durham from 1890 until his death. He is perhaps most known for co-editing ''The New Testament in the Orig ...

(1870) *

Henry Barclay Swete Henry Barclay Swete (14 March 1835 in Bristol – 10 May 1917 in Hitchin) was an English biblical scholar. He became Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge in 1890. He is known for his 1906 commentary on the Book of Revelation, and other wor ...

(1890) * Vincent Henry Stanton (1916) * Alexander Nairne (1922) * Charles Earle Raven (1932) * Arthur Michael Ramsey (1950) * John Burnaby (1952) * Edward Craddock Ratcliffe (1958) * Dennis Eric Nineham (1964) *

Geoffrey Hugo Lampe Geoffrey William Hugo Lampe (13 August 1912 – 5 August 1980) was a British theologian and Anglican priest who dedicated his life to theological teaching and research. He was Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham f ...

(1971) * Henry Chadwick (1979) *

Stephen Sykes Stephen Whitefield Sykes (1 August 1939 – 24 September 2014) was a Church of England bishop and academic specialising in divinity. He was Van Mildert Professor of Divinity at Durham University from 1974 to 1985, and Regius Professor of Divini ...

(1985) * David Frank Ford (1991) *

Ian Alexander McFarland Ian Alexander McFarland (born 1963) is an American Lutheran theologian who has served since 2019 as Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Theology at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, His books include ''The Hope of Glory: A Theology of ...

(2015) * David Fergusson (2021)

Official coat of arms

According to a grant of 1590, the office of Regius Professor of "Devinity" at Cambridge has a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

with the following

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

Professors at Dublin

The Regius Professor of Divinity at

was established in 1607 as the "Professor of Theological Controversies". The endowment was increased in 1674 by

letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

of Charles II. The title "Regius Professor" was specified in 1761 by letters patent of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

. The School of Divinity was founded in the late 18th century with the Regius Professor as its head. The School's link to the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

was controversial after the

Irish Church Act 1869 The Irish Church Act 1869 ( 32 & 33 Vict. c. 42) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which separated the Church of Ireland from the Church of England and disestablished the former, a body that commanded the adherence of a small mi ...

disestablished the church and the University of Dublin Tests Act 1873 allowed non-Anglican

fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

s. The debate became dormant after 1911 letters patent altered the School's governance. It reignited in the 1960s, after which vacancies in the School of Divinity went unfilled, including the Regius Professorship in 1982. The School of Divinity was replaced in 1978–81 by a non-denominational School of Hebrew, Biblical and Theological Studies (renamed the Department of Religions and Theology in 2004) although the statutes mandating a School and Regius Professor of Divinity remain unrepealed. Professors were:

Professors of Divinity

*1: 1591– ( Luke Challoner) *2: 1607–21

James Ussher James Ussher (or Usher; 4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656) was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific Irish scholar and church leader, who today is most famous for his ...

*3: 1621–23 ( Samuel Ward) *4: 1623–48 Joshua HoyleDixon 1902, p.24
/ref> *5: 1662–70 Richard Lingard *6: 1670–78 Michael Ward *7: 1678–92

William Palliser Sir William Palliser CB MP (18 June 1830 – 4 February 1882) was an Irish-born politician and inventor, Member of Parliament for Taunton from 1880 until his death. Early life Born in Dublin on 18 June 1830, Palliser was the fourth of the eig ...

*8: 1693–99 George Browne *9: 1699– Owen Lloyd *10: 1714– Richard Baldwin *11: 1722–

Claudius Gilbert Claudius Gilbert (1670–1742) was an Irish academic. He was born in Belfast and educated at Trinity College Dublin.''Alumni Dublinenses : a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity College in the University of Du ...

*12: 1743– Henry Clarke *13: 1746– John Pellisier *14: 1753– John Lawson *15: 1759– Brabazon Disney

Regius Professors of Divinity

*15: 1761– Brabazon Disney *16: 1790–1819 James Drought *17: 1819–29

Richard Graves Richard Graves (4 May 1715 – 23 November 1804) was an English cleric, poet, and novelist. He is remembered especially for his picaresque novel ''The Spiritual Quixote'' (1773). Early life Graves was born at Mickleton Manor, Mickleton, Glouce ...

, D.D.

Dean of Ardagh The Dean of Elphin and Ardagh is based in St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo in the Diocese of Elphin and Ardagh within the united bishopric of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh of the Church of Ireland. The dioceses of Elphin and Ardagh were merged i ...

*18: 1829–50

Charles Richard Elrington Charles Richard Elrington (1787–1850) was a Church of Ireland cleric and academic, regius professor of divinity in the Trinity College Dublin. Life The elder son of Thomas Elrington (bishop), Thomas Elrington, Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin ...

*19: 1850–62 Joseph Henderson Singer *20: 1852–66 Samuel Butcher *21: 1866–88

George Salmon George Salmon (25 September 1819 – 22 January 1904) was a distinguished and influential Irish mathematician and Anglican theologian. After working in algebraic geometry for two decades, Salmon devoted the last forty years of his life to theol ...

*22: 1888–1917 John Gwynn *23: 1917–30 Alan Hugh McNeile *24: 1930–35 Newport John Davis White *25: 1935–57 John Ernest Leonard Oulton *26: 1957–62

Richard Randall Hartford Richard Randall Hartford (21 September 1904 – 7 August 1962) was Regius Professor of Divinity at Trinity College Dublin from 1957 until his death. Hartford was educated at Kilkenny College; and Trinity College Dublin. He was Scholar of the Ho ...

*27: 1964–82

Hugh Frederic Woodhouse Hugh Frederic Woodhouse, D.D. (Dublin 1912 - Vancouver 2010) was Regius Professor of Divinity at Trinity College Dublin from 1963 to 1982. Education and career Wodehouse was educated at Trinity College Dublin and ordained in 1938. After curac ...

References

Citations

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Professor of Divinity, Regius Religion in the United Kingdom Divinity, Regius Divinity, Regius

Divinity, Regius School of Arts and Humanities, University of Cambridge Lists of people associated with the University of Oxford 1535 establishments in England