Richard S. Kirby

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Richard Stephen Kirby (July 16, 1949—September 24, 2009) was a theologian and chaplain with interests in astronomy, cosmology, and futurology. His thought was considered to be in a direct line of descent from the futurist author H.G. Wells, through the philosopher Olaf Stapledon and the astronomer and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. [1]

Chaplain Provider of pastoral care, often a minister of a religious tradition, attached to an institution

A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric, or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, school, labor union, business, police department, fire department, university, or private chapel.

Astronomy natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects

Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It applies mathematics, physics, and chemistry in an effort to explain the origin of those objects and phenomena and their evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, galaxies, and comets; the phenomena also includes supernova explosions, gamma ray bursts, quasars, blazars, pulsars, and cosmic microwave background radiation. More generally, all phenomena that originate outside Earth's atmosphere are within the purview of astronomy. A related but distinct subject is physical cosmology, which is the study of the Universe as a whole.

Cosmology academic study of the Universe

Cosmology is a branch of astronomy concerned with the studies of the origin and evolution of the universe, from the Big Bang to today and on into the future. It is the scientific study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe. Physical cosmology is the scientific study of the universe's origin, its large-scale structures and dynamics, and its ultimate fate, as well as the laws of science that govern these areas.

Contents

Education

Kirby attended the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (United States) as an ordinand from 1982 to 1985 and graduated with an M.Div. He worked in various church ministries on both sides of the Atlantic for the next 10 years. His Ph.D. thesis at King's College London in 1992 was on The Theological Definition of Cosmic Disorder in the writings of Thomas Forsyth Torrance . From 1992 to 1994 Kirby served as the Director of Administration for Mensa International.

General Theological Seminary seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States, located in Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.

The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States located between West 20th and 21st Streets and Ninth and Tenth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York.

Episcopal Church (United States) Anglican denomination in the United States

The Episcopal Church (TEC) is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion based in the United States with dioceses elsewhere. It is a mainline Christian denomination divided into nine provinces. The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church is Michael Bruce Curry, the first African-American bishop to serve in that position.

Kings College London public research university located in London, United Kingdom

King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, and a founding constituent college of the federal University of London. King's was established in 1829 by King George IV and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, when it received its first royal charter, and claims to be the fourth oldest university institution in England. In 1836, King's became one of the two founding colleges of the University of London. In the late 20th century, King's grew through a series of mergers, including with Queen Elizabeth College and Chelsea College of Science and Technology, the Institute of Psychiatry, the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals and the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Career

In 1988, Kirby helped re-found the World Network of Religious Futurists as a community of practice within the World Future Society. He became its chairman in 1993 and served in this capacity for 12 years before becoming the organization’s Chaplain in 2005. After finishing his Ph.D., he moved to Seattle in 1995, where for 10 years he worked developing a theological think tank, which developed into the Stuart C. Dodd Institute for Social Innovation. He became an executive director in 1997. In 2001, he formed a chaplaincy program at World Future Society annual conferences, along with Rabbi Dr. Moshe Dror, to provide collegiality and coaching for spiritually inclined attendees. In 2005, Kirby became the first President and Chaplain of Kepler Academy, an astronomical and theological college. In 2009 this developed into the Kepler Space Institute. He served as an executive director on the board of these institutions until his death in 2009.

The World Future Society (WFS), founded in 1966, is a community of futurists and future thinkers. Through publications, global summits, and advisory roles to world leaders in business and government, WFS members are credited with establishing the foundations of futures studies. Notable members and authors have included Buckminster Fuller, Herman Kahn, Gene Roddenberry, and Margaret Mead.

Stuart Carter Dodd (1900-1975) was an American sociologist and an educator, who published research on the Middle East and on mathematical sociology, and was a pioneer in scientific polling.

Books

He wrote several books and publications. His most important publications are:

References

  1. ↑ http://www.edmondsbeacon.com/obituaries/article.exm/2009-10-05-dr-richard-stephen-kirby
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