Gunton to Zizioulas: Theology at King's College London, 1988-2003

With the news that John Zizioulas has died aged 92, there is a passing of a generation of theologians associated with King's College London in the 1990s and early 2000s. They were friends and colleagues. They shaped a way of doing theology for many.

Colin Gunton, who was the linchpin that connected the others, died in 2003. Dan Hardy in 2007. John Webster in 2016. Robert Jenson in 2017. Christoph Schwöbel in 2021. Andrew Walker in 2021. John Zizioulas in 2023. This was an ecumenical grouping — Gunton was a Congregationalist, Hardy and Webster were Anglicans, Jenson and Schwöbel were Lutherans, and Walker and Zizioulas was Eastern Orthodox. (A junior member from the late 1990s Steve Holmes, was a Baptist.)

The conferences of the Research Institute in Systematic Theology (RSIT), regularly featured these theologians, amongst others.* (The significant other is Brian Horne, a lecturer in theology at King's until 2001. Horne is retired, but still semi-active. He has chapter in every volume of the RIST) 

Persons, Divine and Human — Gunton, Zizioulas, Schwöbel 

Trinitarian Theology Today — Jenson, Zzioulas, Gunton, Schwöbel

God and Freedom — Schwöbel, Gunton

The Doctrine of Creation — Jenson, Gunton, Hardy, Schwöbel 

The Theology of Reconciliation — Schwöbel, Webster, Jenson, Gunton

The Doctrine of Christ — Schwöbel, Webster, Jenson

Gunton and Hardy co-edited the Cambridge Studies in Christian Doctrine and edited together On Being the Church, which featured chapters by them and Schwöbel.

Schwöbel was the co-founder of the RIST, and member of the faculty until 1993.

Gunton and Webster were the founding editors of the International Journal of Systematic Theology in 1999. Webster's involvement at King's came during his time at Oxford, 1996-2003. 

Zizioulas was a Visiting Professor at King's and during the 1990s and early 2000s made semi-regular visits. 

Jenson was Gunton's first doctoral supervisor, and their friendship and collaboration continued throughout their lives, including, in the year of Colin's death, a co-written piece on the Logos Ensarkos. 

Walker was part of the British Council of Churches group on the Trinity in the 1980s with Gunton and Zizioulas, and Gunton would contribute to the Walker edited, Different Gospels. Walker wrote a beautiful foreword to The T & T Clark Companion to Colin Gunton.

* E.g. Alan Torrance, Douglas Farrow, Francis Watson

 

Comments

[Terry]

I hadn't heard this news, Andy. I'm surprised my Facebook wall isn't swamped with this news.

You mention Brian Horne. Do you have any idea what he's doing now?