Church universities: historical legacy or current reality?

The term ‘Church university’ in England is normally limited to the group of fifteen new universities evolving out of the teacher training colleges established by the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.

However four of the earliest universities, Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and King’s College London are also ecclesiastical foundations. Internationally there are federations of Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant universities.  But are the Church connections largely historical legacies having little or no impact on the contemporary academic and social lives of the universities?

The Revd Dr John Gay is an honorary research fellow at the University of Oxford Department of Education and a visiting professor at the University of Winchester.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

In 2019, the University of Oxford’s Department of Education celebrates the 100th year since the passing of a statute creating what was known in 1919 as the University Department for the Training of Teachers. To celebrate our centenary a year-long series of activities will be delivered to address some of the department’s top initiatives for 2019, answer some of the big questions facing education today and to reveal the advancements the department has made to the study of and research in the field of education. Join us as we mark our 100th year and discover more about our anniversary here.

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