Nicholas Thomas Wright
Curriculum Vitae – Web Version
Personal Details
Born 1st December 1948 in Morpeth,
Northumberland, England.
Married (1971) to Margaret Elizabeth
Anne Fiske; 2 sons, 2 daughters, 3 grandchildren. British citizenship.
Leisure interests: music, the classical
world, golf, hill walking, poetry, pastoral psychology.
Clubs: Athenaeum, Bishop Auckland Golf
Club
Website: www.ntwrightpage.com
Academic and Professional Record
Full-Time Positions Held
2003— Bishop
of Durham
2000–3 Canon
of Westminster (‘Lector Theologiae’, i.e. Canon Theologian)
SPCK
Research Fellow
1994–99 Dean
of Lichfield
1986–93 Lecturer
in New Testament Studies, Oxford University; Fellow, Tutor and Chaplain of
Worcester College, Oxford
1981–86 Assistant
Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, McGill University,
Montreal; also Honorary Professor, Montreal Diocesan Theological College
1978–81 Fellow
and Chaplain, Downing College, Cambridge; College Tutor in Theology
1975–78 Junior
Research Fellow, Merton College, Oxford, and College Tutor in Theology; from
1976, also Junior Chaplain; from 1977, Acting Lecturer in Theology
Honours
2009 Honorary
Doctor of Divinity, St Andrews University
2008 Honorary
Doctor of Divinity, John Leland Center for Theological Studies, Washington DC
2007 Honorary
Doctor of Divinity, Durham University
2006 Honorary
Doctor of Divinity, Wycliffe College, Toronto
2006 Honorary
Doctor of Divinity, Nashotah House
2004 Honorary
Fellow, Merton College, Oxford
2003 Honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters, Gordon College, Massachusetts
2003 Honorary
Fellow, Downing College, Cambridge
2001 Honorary
Doctor of Divinity, Aberdeen University
Visiting Lectureships, &c. (last twenty
years plus earlier highlights)
2009 Visiting
Professor, Cranmer Hall, Durham, Masters’ course (January and April); Visiting
Professor, Fuller Theological Seminary D Min
course (February); visiting lecturer, two church conferences in greater
LA area; visiting lecturer, Conference on ‘Freedom and Responsibility’, Alba
Iulia (Romania) (May); visiting preacher/lecturer, Diocese of Mauritius
(August); William Sheide Fellow and Senior Member, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton
(September–December); Visiting Lecturer, Cardinal Archbishop’s Colloquim in
Memory of Carsten Peter Thiede, Vienna (November)
2008 Yale
Divinity School (conference on Worship and the Spirit), February; St Mary’s
Seminary and University, Baltimore (February); National Pastors’ Conference,
San Diego (February); London School of Economics (February); Conservative
Christian Fellowship, London (March); St Andrew’s, Holborn (March). ‘Fulcrum’
conference, London (April), ‘Socrates in the City’, New York (April), and
similar lectures in Nashville and Atlanta; Göttingen conference on Paul and
Israel (May), Moule Memorial Lecture, Cambridge (June); Pauline Symposium, the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, Istanbul (October); Synod of Bishops, Rome (October);
City Church, San Francisco (October); Squance Lecture, Sedbergh (November);
Diocese of Carlow (November); Harvard University (November); Gordon-Conwell
Seminary (November); Inter-Varsity Graduate Conference, Chicago (December)
2007 January
Series, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan (January); Center for Religion
and Society, Roanoke College, Virginia (March); Spencer Edmunds Lecture, Second
Presbyterian Church, Roanoke, Virginia (March); The Cecile and Gene Usdin
Judaeo-Christian Lecture at Flagler College, St Augustine, Florida (March); The
Albert Cardinal Meyer Lectures, Mundelein Seminary, Illinois (March); Asbury
Seminary, Kentucky (November); the Bishop Elliott Society, San Antonio
(November); Laity Lodge, San Antonio (November); the James Gregory Lecture, St Andrews (December)
2006 F.
D. Maurice Lectures, Kings College, London (Feb/March); visiting lecturer,
Macquarie University, Sydney; Moore College, Sydney; St Mark’s College,
Canberra; various other institutions in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, &
Brisbane (March/April); Wycliffe College, Toronto; Nashotah House, Wisconsin (May);
Manchester Cathedral (September); William Belden Noble Lecturer 2006–7, Harvard
University (October); Lecture to Capitol Hill Staff, Washington DC (October);
‘Socrates in the City’, New York (October); Hayward Lecturer, Acadia Divinity
College, Nova Scotia (November); Evangelical Philosophical Society, Washington
DC (November); Society of Biblical Literature, Washington DC (November);
Trinity College, Dublin (December)
2005 Visiting
Lecturer, Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church, Monroe, Louisiana; St Andrew’s
Church, Charleston, S Carolina; Pepperdine University (January); Queen’s
University, Belfast (February); Firth Lectures, Nottingham University (March);
New Orleans Theological Seminary (March); Seattle Pacific University (May);
Anglican Consultative Council, Nottingham (June); Didsbury Lectures, Nazarene
Theological College, Manchester (October); Ehrhardt Seminar, Manchester
University (October); ‘Second Thought’, Sheffield (November); Davidson College,
North Carolina (November); Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars,
Philadelphia (November); Society of Biblical Literature, Philadelphia
(November)
2004 Hulsean
Lectures, Cambridge University; Schaff Lectures, Pittsburgh Theological
Seminary; Hoon-Bullock Lectures, San Antonio; main presentation at British SNTS
conference (Edinburgh) and Christians for Biblical Equality conference
(Durham); presentation at Annual Meeting of SBL (San Antonio)
2003 Stephenson
Lectures, Sheffield University; also lectured at Calvin College, Grand Rapids;
Kanuga Conference Centre, North Carolina; University of Iowa; Gordon College,
Massachusetts; various other locations in the USA, including public review of
John A. T. Robinson’s Honest to God 40 years on at the Annual Meeting of
the Society of Biblical Literature, and lectures for the Evangelical
Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society
2002 (Feb/March)
McCarthy Visiting Professor, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; lecturer,
C.S. Lewis Institute, Washington DC; Lecture to White House Bible Study Group,
Washington DC (September); Visiting Lecturer, Baylor University
2001 Commencement
address at Trinity School, Bloomington, Minnesota (June); Parchman Lectures at
George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University (October); Lecturer,
C.S. Lewis Institute, Washington DC (November)
2000 Sprunt
Lectures, Union Seminary, Virginia (January); Manson Memorial Lecture,
Manchester (October); Charles Gore Lecture, Westminster Abbey (November); St
Michael’s Seminary, Baltimore (November)
1999 (Fall
Term) Visiting Professor, Harvard Divinity School
1999 (January-March)
Visiting Research Fellow, Merton College, Oxford; Regent College, Vancouver
(May); St Andrews (June); McMaster Divinity College (June); various locations
in New Zealand (July/August); various locations in USA
1998 The
Kenneth W. Clark Lectures, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC (Feb.); Westminster
Abbey (March); York Minster (May); Wycliffe Hall, Oxford (June, August); The
Harrell F. Beck Lectures, Massachusetts (Oct.); The Lund Lectures, North Park
Seminary (Oct.); Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton (November)
1997 The
Francis B. Denio Lectures, Bangor Theological Seminary, Maine (Feb.); Guest
Lectures, Church of the Messiah, St Paul, Minnesota, & St Stephen’s Church,
Minneapolis (Feb.); Covenant Church Mid-Winter conference, Chicago (Feb.);
Bishop’s Lectures, Winchester (Feb.); Regent College, Vancouver (May); The
Hoon-Bullock Lectures, Trinity University/First Presbyterian Church, San
Antonio, Texas (Oct.); the DuBose Lectures, Sewanee Theological Seminary
(Oct.); Association of Theological Booksellers, San Francisco (Nov.); series of
one-day seminars in various locations in U.S.A. (Feb., April, Oct., Nov.).
1996 Prideaux
Lectures, Exeter University (February); Baylor University Seminar on Isaiah 53
in early Christianity (February); American Church Leaders’ Conference, Dallas
(February); Asbury Theological Seminary (April); Burns Lectures, Otago
University NZ (September); other lectures/seminars in Wellington, Auckland, and
elsewhere in NZ (Sept/Oct); Shaffer Lectures, Yale University (October);
Drumwright Lectures, South Western Theological Seminary, Texas (October);
series of one-day seminars in various locations in U.S.A. & Canada (Feb,
April, October, November)
1995 Visiting
Lecturer, University of East Anglia (Feb.); Regent College, Vancouver/Vancouver
School of Theology (Feb.); Methodist Sacramental Fellowship (Mar.); Lincoln
Theological College (April); Duke University, Durham NC (and preacher in
Chapel) (March); Gheens Lectures, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,
Louisville, KY (April); Canterbury Diocesan Study Day (May); Christian
Resources Exhibition (May); Ridley Hall, Cambridge (June); Oxford University
External Studies Dept. (June); the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship (June);
Paulinus Lecture, Dewsbury (Oct.); Bishop’s Lecturer, Wakefield (Nov.); series
of one-day seminars in various locations in U.S.A. (Feb., April, Sept., Nov.).
1994 Visiting
Lecturer, Oxford University External Studies Dept. (Jan.); Birmingham
University External Studies Dept. (Mar.); Lonergan Workshop, Boston College,
Massachusetts (April); Guildford Diocese Clergy Conference (April); Cambridge
Federation of Theological Colleges (May); Southwark Diocese Clergy Day (May);
Tyndale Fellowship Annual Conference (The Tyndale Biblical Theology Lecture
1994) (July); International Society of Biblical Literature Meeting, Leuven
(August); Durham Seminar on Paul and the Law (Sept.); Canadian Theological
Seminary (Sept); Chester Literary Festival (Oct.); Society of Biblical
Literature Annual Meeting, Chicago (November)
1993 Visiting
Lecturer, Anglican Fellowship of Prayer Annual Institute, Orlando, Florida
(January); Covenant Church Annual Convention, Chicago (February); Senior NT
Seminar, Durham University (March); ‘In the Steps of St Paul’ (Greece and
Turkey), April; Schloss Mittersill, Austria (June); Wycliffe College, Toronto
(July); Regent College, Vancouver (July); St Louis, MO (August); Greenbelt Arts
Festival (August); Chichester Theological College (September); British Society
for New Testament Studies Annual Meeting (September); King’s College, London (October);
Spurgeon’s College, London (‘The Drew Lecture on Immortality’) (November);
Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars, Washington (November); SBL,
Washington (November)
1992 Visiting
Lecturer, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas,
Texas (February); Senior Seminar, Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University
(February); Seminar in Faculty of Religious Studies, University of Kent at
Canterbury (March); Greenbelt Arts Festival (August); Society of Biblical
Literature, San Francisco (November)
1991 Visiting
Lecturer, St Mary’s College, St Andrews (February); Beeson Divinity School,
Birmingham, Alabama (April); Exeter University/Cathedral (May); Diocese of
Montreal (July); Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto (July); Regent
College, Vancouver (July); North Park Seminary, Chicago (October); Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois (October); Institute for
Biblical Research, Kansas City (November)
1990 Visiting
Lecturer, Birmingham University School for Continuing Studies; Greenbelt Arts
Festival
1989 Visiting
Lecturer, Senior Seminar in Biblical Studies, Sheffield University; McMaster
University, Hamilton, Ontario (Seminar in Honour of Ben F. Meyer);Visiting
Professor, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and St. George’s College,
Jerusalem
1989, 1990 Lecturer, North American Summer School, Mansfield College, Oxford
1989— Lecturer,
Oxford Summer School in Religious Studies, Lincoln College/ University College/
Wadham College, Oxford
1988 Visiting
Lecturer, Vacation Term for Biblical Studies, Oxford
1988, ‘89, ‘91 Visiting Lecturer, Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto
1986, ‘88, ‘91, ‘93, ‘95, ‘97 Visiting Professor, Regent College, Vancouver
1982 Visiting
Lecturer, Yale Divinity School (Conference on Evangelism)
Other Responsibilities
2004 Member
of Lambeth Commission (‘Eames 2’), responsible for the Windsor Report
2003– Visitor,
University of Durham
2003– Member
of the House of Lords
2003– Chairman,
Auckland Castle Trust
2003–2006 Chairman, Auckland Castle Enterprises
2001– Member
of International Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission
2000–3 Member
of Governing Body, Greycoat Hospital School, Westminster
1998–2001 Chair, Historical Jesus section, Society of Biblical Literature
1998–9 Chairman
of the Board, Cannock Chase District Council Single Regeneration Budget
application for Norton Canes
1997–9 Member
of Board of Governors, University of Staffordshire
1994–9 Honorary
Chaplain, Staffordshire Regiment
1994–9 Assessor,
Police Mutual Society
1992–9 Canon
Theologian, Coventry Cathedral
1991— Fellow,
Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto
1991–6 Assistant
Editor, Journal for the Study of the New Testament
1991 Member,
International Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Consultation
1990–93 Parent
Governor, New College School, Oxford
1989–95 Member,
Doctrine Commission of the General Synod of the Church of England
1989–92 Trustee,
G.B. Caird Memorial Trust
1989–94 Member
of College Council, St John’s College, Durham (Advisor on Appointments
Committee, 1989)
1989 Chairman
for final session of Pauline Theology Seminar, Society of Biblical Literature,
Anaheim
1988–91 Member,
Board of the Faculty of Theology, Oxford (and various ancillary committees)
1988–90 Secretary,
Theology Faculty, Oxford
1986–93 (and
1975–8) Member, Oxford-Bonn Joint
Theological Seminar
1986–93 Senior
Member, O.U. Rugby Fives Club, Canadian Society, Christian Union
1985–6 Member,
Canadian Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation
1984 McGill
Representative, North American Association of Theological Schools Consultation
1983/4 McGill
Representative, Council for Graduate Studies in Religion
1983–6 Chairman,
McGill F.R.S. Committee on Computer Policy
1982–5 Chairman,
McGill F.R.S. Chapel Committee
1981–5 Member,
McGill F.R.S. Faculty Council (and various ancillary committees)
1982 Observer,
Canadian Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation
1978–81 Member,
Church of England Archbishops’ Commission on Christian Doctrine
1976 Member,
Consultation on Hermeneutics (World Council of Churches/World Evangelical Fellowship),
Montreux, Switzerland
1975 Church
of England Delegate, World Council of Churches 5th Assembly, Nairobi, Kenya
1973–5 Lay
member of PCC, St Ebbe’s Church, Oxford
Scholarly Society Involvement
I am a member of the Society for New
Testament Studies, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Institute for
Biblical Research, the Tyndale Fellowship for Biblical Research, and the
Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars.
Church-Related Responsibilities (other than
those involved in current employment in each case)
2008 Spring
Harvest main speaker, April ; Oxford University Sermon, June
2006 Consultant,
Camp Allen (Texas) meeting of ‘Windsor Bishops’, September
2004 Main
Speaker, ‘Emerging Church’ conference, July
2003 Member
of Christian-Muslim Dialogue, Qatar
2000— Visiting
preacher/lecturer at various churches, diocesan conferences, etc. Feature interview
in Church of England Newspaper, February 01; in The Times,
February 22 2003
1999 Lecture
tour in USA jointly with Marcus J. Borg. Various lectures, sermons, conferences
in New Zealand, Canada and USA (including Chautauqua)
1994—9 Various
sermons, lectures and conferences in the dioceses of Lichfield, Coventry and
elsewhere. Visiting lecturer at various diocesan conferences, etc. Public
debate with A. N. Wilson in St James’, Piccadilly, on Paul and Christian
Origins (May 1997)
1993 Visiting
speaker at various conferences and meetings around the U.K. in connection with
the question ‘Who Was Jesus?’; visiting preacher, various churches etc.
including Downing College, Cambridge (April); New College, Oxford (November);
Feature interview in the Church Times, November.
1992 Visiting
lecturer/preacher, Perkins School of Theology (February); St Paul’s Church,
Cambridge (February); Southwark Diocese Training Day (March); Anglican Diocese
of Armagh (November); Newcastle Diocesan Conference, Swanwick (November).
1991 Visiting
Speaker, Church of England General Synod
1990 Visiting
Lecturer, Middle East Clergy conference, Cyprus; Leader/speaker, Chapter
retreat, Carlisle diocese; Visiting Lecturer, Leadership Development Group
(Diocese of Oxford)
1989 Anglican Assessor, Ecumenical Chaplaincy
Review, Keele University
1986–93 Visiting
Preacher, various churches in Oxford area (and 1972–8)
1986 Visiting
Professor, Ontario Theological Seminary (and 1982); Visiting Preacher, St.
John’s Church, Vancouver: First Baptist Church, Vancouver: Knox Presbyterian
Church, Toronto: Little Trinity Church, Toronto
1985 Visiting
Lecturer, Canadian House of Bishops Annual Meeting, Pierrefonds, Quebec;
Visiting Lecturer, Montreal Bible Society Annual Meeting; Guest Speaker, C.B.C.
‘Thought for the Day’; Guest Lecturer, Canadian Evangelical Theological Society
Annual Meeting, Montreal (also 1984, Toronto); Lecturer, ‘Focus’ conference,
Yale (also 1982)
1984 Main
Speaker, Montreal Diocesan Clergy Conference; Retreat Conductor, Montreal
Bishops’ Pre-Consecration Retreat
Visiting Lecturer, Knox Summer
Fellowship, Toronto (also 1983, 1982); Visiting Lecturer, Presbyterian College
Extension Course, Montreal (also 1982): also several similar events in Montreal
churches and colleges, 1982–6; Visiting Lecturer/Participant, Consultation on
‘The Jesus of History’, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Madison, Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
1978–81 Visiting
Preacher, various churches in Cambridge area
Education
(i) University of Oxford: Exeter College
(from 1975, Merton College):
2000 D.D.
(published work submitted, principally The New Testament and the People of
God, The Climax of the Covenant and Jesus and the Victory of God)
1981 D.Phil.
(Thesis topic: ‘The Messiah and the People of God: A Study in Pauline Theology
with Particular Reference to the Argument of the Epistle to the Romans’;
supervisor: Prof. G.B. Caird)
1975 M.A.
1973 B.A.
(1st class Honours), Theology; Denyer and Johnson Prize (shared) for top first
class of year; College Prize
1971 B.A.
(1st class Honours), Literae Humaniores; College Prize
Half-blue
in Rugby Fives
(ii) Sedbergh School, Yorkshire,
1962–68: specialised in Classics. School colours for cricket, rugby, music and
athletics
Rugby:
Northumberland County Under-19 XV
(iii) Professional Training and
Ordination:
2003 Consecrated
Bishop
1976 Ordained
Priest
1975 Ordained
Deacon
1971–3 Wycliffe
Hall, Oxford
(iv)
Other early employment
1969 Site
labourer, local building site (constructing chemical factory)
1968, May-July Dry chain labourer, Northwood Lumber Camp, Upper Fraser,
British Columbia
1968, March-April Freight loading, Canadian Pacific Railway,
King St Depot, Toronto
Reviews
During
the past 32 years (1974–06) I have reviewed some 70 books for Journal of Theological Studies, Scottish Journal of Theology, Journal of Religion, The Tablet, Reviews in Religion and
Theology, Evangelical Quarterly, Churchman,
Themelios, and other journals.
Poetry
The Easter Oratorio by Paul Spicer is a
setting of John’s Gospel chs. 20–21, interspersed with my meditations on Jesus’
resurrection. It received its first two performances at the Lichfield Festival
on July 15 2000 and at the Ely Festival on September 16 2000, conducted by the
composer. Parts of it were broadcast by BBC radio in April 2001. It has also
been performed in the United States, Truro Cathedral, and (performed by the
Birmingham Bach Choir, conducted by the composer) in Birmingham and Durham in
April 2005. A full CD recording has now appeared (as well as a CD of the
abridged broadcast performance in April 2001), with enthusiastic reviews
including ‘Editor’s Choice’ in The
Gramophone, April 2006.
The Advent Oratorio by Paul Spicer is a
setting of various Advent scriptural passages from both OT and NT, interspersed
with my meditations on the whole theme. It received its first performance, sung
by the Lichfield Special Choir accompanied by the St Chad’s Camerata, conducted
by Philip Scriven, on December 5 2009, and received enthusiastic reviews in the
Birmingham Post and elsewhere. A CD
of the first performance is available.
Current Research
I have four major pieces of work on hand at the moment, the
first a multi-volume project, the second a large-scale commentary, and the
third a multi-volume popular-level commentary on the New Testament.
1. Christian Origins and the Question of God
I am under contract with SPCK and Fortress
to write a six-volume work under this general title. The individual volumes,
and their dates due at the publishers, are as follows:
1. The
New Testament and the People of God. Published 1992.
2. Jesus
and the Victory of God. Published 1996.
3. The
Resurrection of the Son of God. Published March 2003.
4. Paul
and the Justice of God. A full-dress study of Paul, currently in progress,
due in 2010.
5. The
Gospels and the Story of God. The four gospels as theologians in their own
right. Due in 2012/14.
6. The
Early Christians and the Purpose of God. The practical, hermeneutical and
theological implications of all the above. Due . . . .
2. A Critical and
Exegetical Commentary on The Epistle to the Philippians, in The
International Critical Commentary, new series (T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh).
3. Galatians, for the ‘Two Horizons’
commentary series (Eerdmans)
4. The New Testament for Everyone. Separate
volumes on each NT book, at a popular level, including new translation and
glossary of key terms. First eleven vols. now published (Mark, Luke,
Galatians/Thessalonians, Matthew, Prison Letters, John, 1 Corinthians, 2
Corinthians, Hebrews, Pastorals, Romans, Acts); last two, plus translation
volume, in progress.
The
following are either smaller projects or further off in time-scale:
4. The Message of Malachi, for IVP. Given
as lectures in England (1976), in Montreal (1985), and in Lichfield (1997).
5. Romans in a Week, for SPCK/Eerdmans.
Based on lectures in Regent College, Vancouver, 1993.
6. A Jesus Reader, for SPCK.
N. T.
Wright
Auckland
Castle
Bishop
Auckland
Co.
Durham DL14 7NR