Highlights from 2021

Locked down in Hilary, gradually re-opening in Trinity, and fully back in Michaelmas – 2021 has seen the College adapt to new challenges and even benefit from new initiatives!

At the end of the 2020/2021 academic year, the College bid farewell to Dr Rob Ellis, who stepped down as Principal after fourteen years in the role. He was honoured with a volume of essays, Being Attentive: Explorations in Practical Theology, in recognition of his important contributions to the training of Baptist ministers and in bringing together theology with his interests in film and sport.

Principal Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow Paul Fiddes enjoyed an extremely fruitful year, publishing two books, More Things in Heaven and Earth: Shakespeare Theology and the Interplay of Texts (2021: UVA) and Iris Murdoch and the Others: A Writer in Dialogue with Theology (2021: T&T Clark), and an edited volume, Love as Common Ground: Essays on Love in Religion (2021: Rowman & Littlefield), which includes numerous contributions from members of the Regent’s community.

Jonathan Honnor (English Language and Literature, 2020) was awarded the Faculty of English Chancellor’s English Essay Prize for his entry ‘‘The Loneliness One dare not sound’: When alienation becomes cliché’. Thanks to how enthusiastically the Regent’s and Greyfriars community rallied together, the College’s first Giving Day was a massive success! Read all about it on page 3.

The Oxford Prospects and Global Development Institute launched the Oxford-BNU Award in Creative Writing, one of many initiatives dedicated to crossglobal intellectual dialogue with their partner Beijing Normal University. The Award is offered in parallel competitions held simultaneously in Oxford and Beijing. Read more on page 9.

Dr Kate Kirkpatrick, Fellow in Philosophy and Christian Ethics and Director of Studies in Philosophy, was awarded a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship. She will use the fellowship to complete a philosophical commentary on Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex.

Keiko Ikeuchi It was a thrill to welcome back 2020 Leavers for a special graduand event in College after their 2020 Valedictory and Graduation Ceremonies were cancelled due to the pandemic.

Ginny Gough (Theology and Religion, 2019) was selected for the Oxford University Football Club Women’s Varsity Match 2021. Go Dark Blues!

Two members of the Regent’s community were appointed to the Oxford University Race Equality Task Force: Dr Anthony Reddie, Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture, was nominated as Race & Diversity Researcher and Activist; while Dr Roger Nascimento, ministerial student and Assistant Dean, was selected as a Researcher representative. The College was honoured to welcome Dr Francis Gurry, international lawyer and former Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation as Visiting Fellow (see page 12).

Senior tutor Anthony Clarke welcomed the publication of his book Forming Ministers or Training Leaders? An Exploration of Practice in Theological Colleges (2021: Wipf and Stock).

After spending the past two birthdays in lock down, Emmanuelle was able to celebrate her 119th Birthday (or thereabouts) surrounded by students and staff!

Alan Deng