Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture

A black-and-white photograph of two men wearing glasses, the man on the right writing in a book while the man on the left watches
G. B. Caird, who held the position from 1977 to 1984

The position of Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture was established at the University of Oxford in 1847. This professorship in the critical interpretation or explanation of biblical texts, a field known as exegesis, was instituted by John Ireland, who was Dean of Westminster from 1816 until his death in 1842.[1] He founded scholarships in his lifetime at the University of Oxford, which are still awarded after an examination to undergraduates "for the promotion of classical learning and taste".[2] In his will, he left £10,000 to the university (equivalent to £1,300,000 in 2023[3]), with the interest arising to be applied to the professorship.[1][4] The first professor, Edward Hawkins, was appointed in 1847.[5] The second Dean Ireland's Professor, Robert Scott, had won an Ireland scholarship in 1833 while studying at Christ Church.[6]

As of 2017, 13 men have held the position of Dean Ireland's Professor, with differing interests in scriptural exegesis (critical interpretation or explanation of biblical texts). Hawkins was elected on the strength of his reputation gained opposing the Oxford Movement (a group within the Church of England, sometimes called "Tractarians", who aimed to reform the church by reasserting its links with the early Catholic church).[5] In contrast, the third professor, Henry Liddon (elected nine years after Hawkins resigned), was a prominent member of the Oxford Movement.[7]

Between 1932 and 2014, the holder of the chair held a fellowship at The Queen's College. As of 2017, Markus Bockmuehl is the current professor, having been appointed in 2014; he is a professorial fellow of Keble College.[8]

  1. ^ a b Trowles, Tony (January 2008). "Ireland, John (1761–1842)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14448. Retrieved 22 January 2010. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "Statutes and Regulations – Part 31: Dean Ireland's Scholarship". University of Oxford. 21 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  3. ^ United Kingdom Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth "consistent series" supplied in Thomas, Ryland; Williamson, Samuel H. (2024). "What Was the U.K. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  4. ^ Ward, George Robert Michael; Heywood, James (1851). Oxford University Statutes: The University statutes from 1767 to 1850. London: William Pickering. p. 253. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Hawkins was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Scott was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Liddon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Markus N. A. Bockmuehl". Keble College, Oxford. 2014. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.