Harriet Harris (academic)

The Reverend Harriet A. Harris MBE FRSE
Chaplain of the University of Edinburgh
Harris gives evidence on proposed legislation to a Scottish Parliament committee in 2015.
Church	Church of England Scottish Episcopal Church
Appointed	2010
Predecessor	Di Williams
Orders
Ordination	2000 (deacon) 2001 (priest)
Personal details
Born	1968 (age 56–57)
Denomination	Anglican
Alma mater	University of Oxford (DPhil)

Harriet Anne Harris (born 1968) is a British theologian and Anglican priest. As a theologian, she is best known for her 1998 monograph Fundamentalism and Evangelicals. Since 2010, she has been university chaplain and head of the multifaith chaplaincy service at the University of Edinburgh. In 2026, she will become principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon, a Church of England theological college.

Early life and education

Harris was born in 1968. ^[1] She studied at Oriel College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1990. ^[1] She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) from the University of Oxford. ^[2] She undertook training for holy orders at St Stephen's House, Oxford. ^[1]

Ordained ministry

Harris was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2000 and as a priest in 2001. ^[1] She began her ministry in the Diocese of Oxford as assistant curate at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford. ^[3] She was also chaplain to Wadham College, Oxford, leaving her parish ministry to become the full-time chaplain in 2006. ^[1]

She was appointed university chaplain at the University of Edinburgh in 2010. From 2010 to 2012, she additionally served as a non-stipendiary minister of St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, the cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church's Diocese of Edinburgh. ^[1] During her tenure as university chaplain, she increased the chaplaincy staff from three and half to nine and appointed more than 40 honorary chaplains and listeners, including the appointment of chaplains to serve the Daoist, humanist and pagan traditions as well as those who promote mindfulness and serve LGBTQ persons. ^[3] For her service to multifaith education and community cohesion, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours ^[4] and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) in 2022. ^[5]

While at Edinburgh, she was an ordained priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church. As convenor of the SEC's Doctrine Committee, she produced a paper on marriage for the SEC's 2015 General Synod that paved the way for the church's 2017 vote to authorize same-sex marriages. ^[3]

Academic career

In addition to her chaplaincy work, Harris has taught theology at Oxford, the University of Exeter, and Edinburgh. ^[2] Her academic research focus includes the legacy of analytic philosophy and the relevance of spirituality to religious epistemology. ^[6]

In 1998, she published Fundamentalism and Evangelicals, which according to her University of Edinburgh biography was the best-selling entry in the Oxford Theological Monograph series. ^[6] The book was intended to demonstrate that evangelicalism is a perpetuation of fundamentalism, not a departure from it. ^[7] James Barr described it as "brilliantly distinguished . . . and incisively argued", adding that fundamentalism had been extensively studied in its political and social aspects but less so in its theological aspects, a gap he said Harris addressed. ^[8] D. G. Hart critiqued the lack of new historical insights as well as the absence of "a sustained treatment of revelation or theological hermeneutics". ^[7]

In July 2025, Harris was named to succeed Humphrey Southern as principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon, a post she will take up in January 2026. ^[2]

Bibliography

Authored books

• Harris, Harriet A (1998). Fundamentalism and Evangelicals. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Harris, Harriet A (2002). Faith Without Hostages: The Cross and Resurrection in our Lives Today. London: SPCK.
• Avis, Paul D L; Davie, Martin; Harris, Harriet A (2011). The Journey of Christian Initiation: Theological and Pastoral Perspectives. London: Church House Publishing.

Edited books

• Harris, Harriet A; Shaw, Jane, eds. (2004). The Call for Women Bishops. London: SPCK.
• Harris, Harriet A; Insole, Christopher J, eds. (2005). Faith and Philosophical Analysis: The Influence of Analytical Philosophy on Philosophy of Religion. Farnham: Ashgate.
• Harris, Harriet A, ed. (2011). God, Goodness and Philosophy. Farnham: Ashgate.
• Harris, Harriet A.; Harrison, Victoria, eds. (2023). Atheisms. London: Routledge.

References

1. "The Revd Harriet Anne HARRIS MBE" . Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.). Church House Publishing . Retrieved 24 August 2025.
2. "Revd Dr Harriet Harris MBE appointed new Principal". Ripon College Cuddesdon. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
3. LeBlanc, Douglas (13 August 2025). "Multifaith Chaplain to Lead Ripon College Cuddesdon". The Living Church. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
4. "New Year's Honours 2017" (PDF). GOV.uk. 30 December 2016. p. 63.
5. "Dr Harriet Harris FRSE". Royal Society of Edinburgh. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
6. "University Chaplain - Harriet Harris". University of Edinburgh. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
7. Hart, D. G. (January 2000). "Review". Journal of Religion. 80 (1): 142–143. doi:10.1086/490578. JSTOR   1205678.
8. Barr, James (April 2000). "Review". Journal of Theological Studies. 51 (1): 408–411. doi:10.1093/jts/51.1.408. JSTOR   23967835 . Retrieved 23 August 2025.