Mark Vernon

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Mark Vernon is a British psychotherapist, writer and former Anglican priest. [1] [2]

Contents

Biography

Vernon studied physics at Durham University, where he was a member of St John's College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1989. [3] He received a PhD in ancient Greek philosophy from the University of Warwick. [4]

Vernon trained for ordination at St Stephen's House, Oxford, between 1990 and 1993. During this time, he also studied for a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree at the University of Oxford. He was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1993 and as a priest in 1994. He served his curacy at St Cuthbert's Church, Billingham, in the Diocese of Durham. [3] His bishop, David Jenkins, was liberal and allowed his to serve as long as he kept his homosexuality "discreet". [5] Three years after his ordination, he left the church, having been unable to live with the lie any longer; "you internalise the charge of being an abomination. You live a lie. And like any lived lie, insidious psychological damage is the price." [5]

Vernon is the author of several books on subjects from friendship and belief, to wellbeing and love, including A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling, and the Evolution of Consciousness (2019), [6] [7] based upon the ideas of the Oxford Inkling, Owen Barfield, [8] Dante's Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey., [9] [4] and most recently, Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps. [10]

He is a columnist for The Idler , and has written for Aeon , Church Times and The Tablet , amongst other publications. [11] [2] He has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Moral Maze , In Our Time , alongside other programmes, and also regularly podcasts and posts YouTubes, including the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues with Rupert Sheldrake. [12] [2] [13] Vernon was formerly a Church of England priest. [4]

Vernon has a private psychotherapy practice and has also worked at the Maudsley Hospital. [1] [14]

Works

References

  1. 1 2 "Mark Vernon | The Guardian". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mark Vernon | Closer to Truth". www.closertotruth.com. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  3. 1 2 Crockford's Clerical Directory 2000. London: Church House Publishing. 1999. p. 751. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mark Vernon". Greenbelt. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  5. 1 2 "'I was a gay priest'". News Magazine. BBC. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "Secret History of Christianity, A from Christian Alternative Books".
  7. ↑ "A Secret History of Christianity, by Mark Vernon". www.churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "Owen Barfield (1898–1997)" . Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Dante's Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey, from Angelico Press".
  10. ↑ Vernon, Mark. "Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps". Iff Books.
  11. ↑ "Mark Vernon". www.churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Mark Vernon - YouTube". YouTube .
  13. ↑ "Mark Vernon". Oneworld. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "Mark Vernon". www.psychotherapy.org.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
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