New College Bulletin 2010 THEN & NOW This has been a time of much remembering, with one anniversary following another. New College has been involved along with others in marking: 450 years since the 1560 Scottish Reformation; the centenary of the 1910 World Missionary Conference; the birth of the founder of the savings bank movement, Henry Duncan 200 years ago; and the tercentenary of the birth of two of Scotland’s greatest philosophers: Thomas Reid on 26 April 1710 and David Hume on 7 May 1711. At a time when present problems and future fears monopolise minds, is not past history an unhelpful and unmanageable distraction? Not if it shapes present existence, as it does, contributing greatly both to our circumstances A strictly temporary role for the New College courtyard - a favour to a film-maker and to our capacity or incapacity to respond creatively to them. repeat it’, the importance of paying attention Some of the activities reported in this Whatever exactly was meant by George to history is worth asserting at a time issue could be seen as embodiments of Santayana’s famous dictum: ‘those who when some holders of political power are that necessary attention. cannot remember the past are condemned to questioning its place in higher education. Inside Bulletin: News in brief 02 | 1560 Reformation 05 | A tale of two conferences: 1910 & 2010 06 Latest from PRAXIS 07 | A minister banker 08 | Enlightening Scotland: Hume & Reid 11 What’s the use of a theological education? 12 | Theology and therapy 13 | Giving to New College 16 News in brief BEING LITERATE IN KING JAMES THE HERE AND BIBLE: 400TH A DIGITAL AGE HEREAFTER The group of staff working with our IT and ANNIVERSARY E-learning Advisor, Dr Jessie Paterson, continues to develop a variety of forms of Lovers of anniversaries need not fear IN ISLAMIC e-learning. that the present series of them has come to and end, for 2011 brings one more. TRADITIONS They have been sharing the fruits of Although English versions of the Bible their pioneering work not only through already existed, James VI of Scotland Dr roadshows within the School itself and and I of England, almost immediately Christian papers given to the University as a whole in after his inheritance of the English its Teaching and Learning Forum, but also throne in 1603, decided to seek unity of Lange, through presentations to wider conferences, practice within his now enlarged realm Lecturer including in Heriot-Watt University, Oxford by commissioning a new translation in Islamic and Manchester. This has covered their which would carry Studies, experience with such things as ‘peer his authorisation. So monitoring among postgraduate tutors using for seven years a has been a wiki’, ‘examinations written on computers’ team of 54 translators awarded and ‘academic skills for undergraduates’. laboured, and on 2 a major They are major players in professional May 1611 the product organisations devoted to ‘Effective Practice of their collaboration European in a Digital Age’ and ‘Learning Literacies for was published with Research a Digital Age’. the monarch’s seal of Council Starting Grant of approval for universal They are still piloting the online marking use. Few publications have been more 978,000 Euros for a four- of essays. This session they have given influential. Look out for 400th anniversary year, multi-dimensional, students in one first-year course the choice events. collaborative study of Muslim between hand-writing or typing the final exam. conceptualisations of paradise and hell, in ‘popular’ religion, Most recently they have obtained funding MAKING THE PAST from a joint Informatics/Engineering source theology, mysticism and the to explore computer-aided assessment of AVAILABLE TO arts; he will be assisted by a online collaborative student work. THE PRESENT postdoctoral co-investigator and two doctoral researchers. New College Library has remarkable Special Collections, including much CHAIRS THEN unique material. Thanks to the generos- AND NOW ity of our alumnus, Robert Funk, through his gift of a million dollars, major work It could be argued that the best kind of new has been undertaken to secure, con- SCIENCE AND thing is an old thing renewed. This seems serve, enhance, catalogue and make THEOLOGY to be a belief held in New College Library, available the collections, including the which recently received a Small Projects 12,000-item collection of pamphlets, Through teaching programmes and Grant enabling it to refurbish the chairs which many of them pre-1850. The most visi- individual research the College has date from 1936, when the Library moved ble sign of this work is the newly opened continued to foster engagement with issues from the Martin Hall to its present fine site. Funk Reading Room for Special Collec- of the relationship between science and No significance other than aesthetic should tion readers, located in the Library Hall. theology. The first half of 2010 saw this be attached to the chairs’ change of colour specially highlighted by conferences which from green to rose pink. Thanks also to the Cheyne Bequest, were hosted by the University. the papers of three eminent 20th cen- One other very recent improvement has tury church leaders, Professor Alec In March, Christians in Science met in New been an upgrading of the postgraduate Cheyne (historian), Professor James College and in April the European Society and library facilities in the Semple’s Close Whyte (practical theologian), and for the Study of Science and Theology section of the College, which is reached by Rev Tom Allan (of ‘Tell Scotland’), held its conference in the Pollock Halls of the mysterious ‘other’ door in the Rainy Hall have been made ready for reading. Residence. (ie. not the kitchen one). 02 | New College Bulletin 2010 The Head of School’s Message Professor Brian Stanley (Professor of World I should also mention the professionally- Christianity and Director of our Centre produced video about New College, for the Study of World Christianity) was which you can view online by visiting the recipient of an Award of Merit for his our website (follow links to ‘Video book, The World Missionary Conference: Tour’ from the home page of the Edinburgh 1910 (Eerdmans, 2009) in the website). Special thanks to Dr. Christian 2010 Christianity Today Book Awards. Lange for overseeing this project that we hope will help us continue Professor Stanley was also closely to present Divinity to the world. involved in preparations for the Edinburgh LARRY HURTADO 2010 conference (2-6 June) which both Four members of our academic staff commemorated the famous Edinburgh received well-deserved promotion 1910 missionary conferences and explored to Senior Lecturer: Drs. Ewan Kelly, With both pride and a certain the future of Christianity worldwide, and Elizabeth Koepping, Sara Parvis, wistfulness, I write my final which drew some three hundred people and Stephen Sutcliffe. Academic comments as Head of the School of from all over the world. The School was promotions are judged by a University Divinity for this year’s Bulletin. official host of the event, indicative of committee applying demanding our historic and continuing commitment standards, and we congratulate to the study of ‘World Christianity’. those colleagues on their success. I can say this year, as I did last year, that the School of Divinity (New College) We are not only one of the largest centres Dr. Jeanne Openshaw opted for early has continued to be a centre of bustling for PhD studies in Theology/Religion, retirement, concluding her salaried activity in research, teaching/learning, but also attract some of the finest PhD service at th end of June. She has been and a host of other contributions students internationally. Two recent PhD a great asset in her unique expertise to the University and wider circles. graduates received major recognition in on religion in India, her commitment to international competitions for books arising students, and her research productivity. As I wind up my three-year term of office from their PhD theses completed here. But we are all pleased that she has as Head of School, I am proud of my offered to continue contributions to the colleagues, our students and alumni, and Dr. Chris Keith, PhD 2008, now Assistant School in teaching and helping with the respected stature that Divinity has both Professor of New Testament in Lincoln supervision of students as an Honorary within the University and around the world. Christian University, USA, received a John Fellow. Indeed, we benefit greatly from all Templeton Award for Theological Promise our Honorary Fellows, whose expertise It has always been an honour and a pleasure for an innovative study of the account of the and generosity enrich the School. to represent Divinity, as I benefited from adulterous woman in the Gospel of John. Dr. the work of present and former colleagues William Atkinson, PhD 2007, received a 2010 This year marks another retirement of a (including previous Deans and Heads of Award of Excellence from the Foundation colleague whose selfless work on behalf School) who collectively have made us a highly for Pentecostal Scholarship for his ground- of Divinity (New College) will be hard to regarded centre for the study of Theology breaking book examining modern teachings replace: Dr. Andrew Morton. Andrew has and Religious Studies. I mention briefly of ‘The Spiritual Death of Jesus’. These served as Alumni Officer for many years some selected highlights of the past year. are only two of the many published books now, overseeing the production of this based on recent theses of our PhD students. Bulletin each year, and in more recent Illustrative of the research contributions of years maintaining contact with alumni the School, my immediate predecessor, Many more student publications, and a lot through email notices.