Simon Oliver | |
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Born | Simon Andrew Oliver 2 October 1971 |
Nationality | British |
Title | Van Mildert Professor of Divinity |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | |
Thesis | The God of Motion (2003) |
Doctoral advisor | Catherine Pickstock |
Influences | |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Theology |
Sub-discipline | |
School or tradition | Radical orthodoxy |
Institutions | |
Ecclesiastical career | |
Religion | Christianity (Anglican) |
Church | Church of England |
Ordained |
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Offices held |
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Simon Andrew Oliver (born 2 October 1971) is a British Anglican priest,theologian,and academic. He was formerly Associate Professor of Philosophical Theology at the University of Nottingham, [4] he is now the Van Mildert Professor of Divinity at the University of Durham. [5] Oliver is also on staff with the Centre of Theology and Philosophy. [6]
Oliver was born on 2 October 1971. He studied philosophy,politics and economics at Mansfield College,Oxford,graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1993;as per tradition,his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Oxon) degree in 1998. [7] [8] In 1995,he matriculated into Westcott House,Cambridge,an Anglican theological college in the Liberal Catholic tradition,to train for Holy Orders. [8] During this time,he also studied theology at Peterhouse,Cambridge,graduating with a further BA degree in 1997; [7] [8] as per tradition,his BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree in 2000. [8]
Having left theological college in 1998,Oliver continued his studies,undertaking postgraduate studies at Peterhouse. [8] His doctoral supervisor was Catherine Pickstock, [4] [2] and his doctoral thesis was titled The God of Motion:Theological Physics from Plato to Newton with a Particular Emphasis on the Work of St. Thomas Aquinas. [9] He completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 2003. [8]
Oliver was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1998 and as a priest in 1999 for the Diocese of Ely. [5] [8] From 1998 to 2001,he served his curacy as a non-stipendiary minister at All Saints,Teversham and St Andrew's Church,Cherry Hinton. [8] From 2001 to 2004,he was the chaplain of Hertford College,Oxford. [7] [8] In 2005,he joined the University of Wales,Lampeter,as a lecturer in theology. [8] He was promoted to senior lecturer in 2006. [8]
In 2009,Oliver moved to the University of Nottingham,where he had been appointed associate professor of philosophical theology. [5] [10] In November 2010,it was announced that he had been additionally appointed Canon Theologian of Southwell Minster;he was installed during a service at the minster on 13 February 2011. [11] He became head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Nottingham in 2013. [7]
In February 2015,it was announced that Oliver would be the next Van Mildert Professor of Divinity at the University of Durham. [5] He moved to Durham to take up the appointment in September 2015. [7] As such,he also became a residentiary canon of Durham Cathedral, [12] [13] and was installed during Evensong on 20 September 2015. [14] He gave the 2017 Stanton Lectures at the University of Cambridge;the series was titled "Creation's Ends:Teleology,Ethics and the Natural". [15]
Oliver is a notable member of the theological sensibility known as radical orthodoxy. [16] He organised the 2013 Centre for Theology and Philosophy conference:The Soul,held at St Anne's College,Oxford. [17]
Oliver is married and has two sons. [13]
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