Where To Study Theology in the UK? A Suggested List

If I was looking to study theology at undergraduate or graduate level, based on staff line-ups.

1. St. Andrews - N. T. Wright, John Webster*, Alan Torrance, Stephen Holmes, Ivor Davidson, Grant Macaskill, John Perry*, James Davila, Trevor Hart, David Brown (Strengths - Doctrine and New Testament)

2. Durham - John Barclay, Lewis Ayres, Francis Watson, Karen Kilby*, Mike Higton*, Anna Rowlands*, Matthew Guest, Walter Moberly, Mark McIntosh, Paul Murray, Gerald Loughlin (Strengths - New Testament and Catholic Theology)

3. Aberdeen - Bernd Wannenwetsch, John Swinton, Brian Brock, Paul Nimmo*, Tom Greggs, Christopher Brittain, Philip Ziegler (Strengths - Practical Theology and Ethics)

4. Cambridge - David Ford, Sarah Coakley, Janet Martin Soskice, Simon Gathercole, Nathan MacDonald, Katherine Dell, Eamon Duffy, Anna Williams, Judith Lieu (Strengths - Doctrine and Philosophical Theology / InterFaith)

5. Edinburgh - David Fergusson, Paul Nimmo, Michael Northcott, Brian Stanley, David Grumett (In the Emeritus category they have Duncan Forrestor, Larry Hurtado, and now Oliver O'Donovan) (Strengths - Doctrine and Ethics)

6. Oxford - Nigel Biggar, Paul Fiddes, Graham Ward, Markus Bockmuhel, Diarmaid MacCulloch, Christopher Rowland, John Barton, Christopher Hays, Martyn Percy, George Pattison, Sarah Foot (Strengths Doctrine, Ethics and Old and New Testament)

7. King's College London - Ben Quash, Oliver Davies, Edward Adams, Alister McGrath, Pete Ward, Paul Janz, Dominic Erdozain, Susannah Ticciati, Paul Joyce (Strengths - Practical Theology and Doctrine)

8. Nottingham - John Milbank, Connor Cunningham, Simon Oliver, Richard Bell, Philip Goodchild (Strengths - Home of Radical Orthodoxy)

9. Exeter - Timothy Gorringe, David Horrell, Esther Reed, Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Morwenna Ludlow, Christopher Southgate

10. Chester - David Clough, Chris Baker, Ben Fulford, Elaine Graham, Willam Kay, Hannah Bacon, Wayne Morris, Steve Knowles (Strengths - Practical Theology)

* new appointment this summer

Where some theology and biblical studies departments have been under threat in recent years (Sheffield, Gloucester), both St. Andrews and Durham are currently expanding their departments. 

Comments

[Ash]

Andy, a good list!

King's has also been slowly expanding its department, I think they have almost twice the number of teaching staff now as at the time I left in 2010, with new expertise in Patristics and Medieval Christianity (both Doctrine and Church History were almost exclusively 'modern' while I was there). They appear to have finally expanded the religious studies wing beyond Abrahamic faiths, too, and I would note the importance of their staff in the field of social scientific study of religion, which also fits into the TRS department.

I would add the University of Leeds to this list as Dr Rachel Muers is doing increasingly interesting stuff, and the university is a major centre of expertise on inter faith relations.

Karen Kilby ought to be included in the list of key people at Nottingham.

[Ash]

With apologies, I notice that Karen Kilby seems to have moved to Durham!

[Daniel Cooling]

A good, but very incomplete list, and poorer for it. It only lists some universities. See this guide for others left out: http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/uploads/files/our_work/GUCG_2012-2013.pdf.

And no mention of any of the excellent university accredited colleges? London School of Theology (3 Profs. on staff), St Mellitus, St John's?

[Philip]

Good morning Andy -- Just to let you and your readers know that among those moving to take up new posts this summer is Paul Nimmo, who is taking up a Chair in Systematic Theology here at the University of Aberdeen. We're delighted to welcome Paul and to continue to develop our strengths in the field of Christian dogmatics.

[Dawn Llewellyn]

Thanks so much for this list! It's great that Chester is on it! (But I *would* say that)...

[rich]

shouldn't this be titled "where i would study if i wasn't going to Spurgeon's?

[Catalin Croitor]

Is the order within your list intended?
In other words, is that a top 10?

[Tim]

Andy, thanks for this list. I'll be sure to pass it along to interested friends! I would only hasten to add that Aberdeen is also a fantastic school to study modern dogmatic & systematic theology. Phil Ziegler is doing some exciting work at the intersection of Dogmatic theology and Apocalyptic. And while Aberdeen is already an exciting place to study Bonhoeffer with Bernd Wannenwetsch, Phil Ziegler, and Mike Mawson, with the recent addition of Prof. Nimmo to Tom Greggs (who is also published on Bonhoeffer!), and Don Wood, it will be one of the premier programs in the UK for the study of dogmatics in the tradition of Barth, as well.

[Rad_1968]

It's spelled "Duncan Forrester", and sadly he is no longer working.