Christians In Academia
Christians In Academia
Christians in Academia offers a cohort of around twelve postgraduates and postdocs the opportunity to participate in a formation group with a particular focus on vocation, virtue and character in academic life.
We offer a year-round in-depth programme of readings, discussions, retreats, dinners with academics, personal mentoring (from an academic in the mentee’s field of research), and one-to-one support. Participants are also encouraged to serve the wider postgraduate community in various ways throughout their time at Oxford.
The 2025 cohort will begin after the Developing a Christian Mind 2025 conferences and run from Trinity term 2025 - Hilary term 2026.
To express interest in being part of the cohort, please fill out this form.
DPhils and postdocs will be prioritised although those undertaking masters degrees with a view to research careers are also very welcome to apply.
The course will be led by Dr Bethan Willis and Professor Lorna Smith.
If you have any questions, email Dr Bethan Willis.
Christians in Academia offers a cohort of around twelve postgraduates and postdocs the opportunity to participate in a formation group with a particular focus on vocation, virtue and character in academic life.
We offer a year-round in-depth programme of readings, discussions, retreats, dinners with academics, personal mentoring (from an academic in the mentee’s field of research), and one-to-one support. Participants are also encouraged to serve the wider postgraduate community in various ways throughout their time at Oxford.
The 2025 cohort will begin after the Developing a Christian Mind 2025 conferences and run from Trinity term 2025 - Hilary term 2026.
To express interest in being part of the cohort, please fill out this form.
DPhils and postdocs will be prioritised although those undertaking masters degrees with a view to research careers are also very welcome to apply.
The course will be led by Dr Bethan Willis and Professor Lorna Smith.
If you have any questions, email Dr Bethan Willis.
Sample Termly Programme
- Humility & Truth-seeking – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, T S Eliot and James Hunter Davison readings - Lunch
- Ambition & Academia - Miroslav Volf, Augustine and Michael Lewis readings – Lunch
- Sharing stories: Scholarship & Faith - Dinner
- Time & Attention - Simone Weil, John Donne and A G Sertillanges readings – Lunch
- Discussion with academic guests Andrew and Catherine Dilnot - Dinner
- Humility & Truth-seeking – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, T S Eliot and James Hunter Davison readings - Lunch
- Ambition & Academia - Miroslav Volf, Augustine and Michael Lewis readings – Lunch
- Sharing stories: Scholarship & Faith - Dinner
- Time & Attention - Simone Weil, John Donne and A G Sertillanges readings – Lunch
- Discussion with academic guests Andrew and Catherine Dilnot - Dinner
Selected Readings
Selected readings used in past cohorts
- Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together, in Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works vol. 5. Edited by Geffrey B. Kelly, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, and Albrecht Schönherr. Translated by Daniel W. Bloesch and James H. Burtness. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works 5. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996. 93-102.
- Brooks, David. “The Moral Bucket List.” The New York Times, April 11, 2015.
- Excerpts from: Augustine. The Confessions. Translated by Maria Boulding OSB. Hyde Park, N.Y.: New City Press, 1997.
- Lewis, Michael. “Occupational Hazards of Working on Wall Street.” BloombergView, September 24, 2014.
- Schwartz, Barry, and Kenneth Sharpe. “Demoralizing Institutions.” In Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing, 197–228. New York: Riverhead Books, 2010.
- Noll, Mark. Ch. 1, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1994.
- Gary Badcock, The way of life: a theology of Christian vocation (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1998). Ch. 1, “Vocation and Christian theology,” pp. 1-13.
- Annie Dillard, ‘Living like Weasels’, from Teaching a stone to talk (New York: Harper & Row, 1992).
- Paul J. Griffiths, ‘Curiositas’, ch. 2 of Intellectual appetite (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2009)
- Andy Gosler, ‘Surprise and the value of life’, in R. J. Berry, ed., True scientists, true faith (Oxford: Monarch Books, 2014)
- Miroslav Volf, Work in the Spirit, Wipf and Stock, 1991.
- Barry Schwartz, ‘Rethinking Work’, New York Times, 25th August 2015.
- Berry, Wendell. “Higher Education and Home Defence.” In Home Economics: Fourteen Essays, 49–53. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1987.
- Tagore, Rabindranath. “Rabindrath Tagore’s Protest: Against the Enormity of Government Measures in the Punjab: Request to Be Relieved of Knighthood.” Modern Review, July 1919
Selected readings used in past cohorts
- Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together, in Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works vol. 5. Edited by Geffrey B. Kelly, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, and Albrecht Schönherr. Translated by Daniel W. Bloesch and James H. Burtness. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works 5. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996. 93-102.
- Brooks, David. “The Moral Bucket List.” The New York Times, April 11, 2015.
- Excerpts from: Augustine. The Confessions. Translated by Maria Boulding OSB. Hyde Park, N.Y.: New City Press, 1997.
- Lewis, Michael. “Occupational Hazards of Working on Wall Street.” BloombergView, September 24, 2014.
- Schwartz, Barry, and Kenneth Sharpe. “Demoralizing Institutions.” In Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing, 197–228. New York: Riverhead Books, 2010.
- Noll, Mark. Ch. 1, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1994.
- Gary Badcock, The way of life: a theology of Christian vocation (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1998). Ch. 1, “Vocation and Christian theology,” pp. 1-13.
- Annie Dillard, ‘Living like Weasels’, from Teaching a stone to talk (New York: Harper & Row, 1992).
- Paul J. Griffiths, ‘Curiositas’, ch. 2 of Intellectual appetite (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2009)
- Andy Gosler, ‘Surprise and the value of life’, in R. J. Berry, ed., True scientists, true faith (Oxford: Monarch Books, 2014)
- Miroslav Volf, Work in the Spirit, Wipf and Stock, 1991.
- Barry Schwartz, ‘Rethinking Work’, New York Times, 25th August 2015.
- Berry, Wendell. “Higher Education and Home Defence.” In Home Economics: Fourteen Essays, 49–53. San Francisco: North Point Press, 1987.
- Tagore, Rabindranath. “Rabindrath Tagore’s Protest: Against the Enormity of Government Measures in the Punjab: Request to Be Relieved of Knighthood.” Modern Review, July 1919