Focus on Honesty
As we’ve developed the Oxford Character Project over the past three years, we’ve discovered many fascinating new fields of research. One of the most challenging and fruitful has been research demonstrating the ways in which diverse institutions (universities, companies, clubs), with their different goals, biases and incentives, work to shape us (members or employees) into forms that suit their institutional purposes but, perhaps, are not suited to our flourishing or our imaging of Jesus Christ to the world.
Postgraduate students, working within an academic institution where there is huge competition for a place on the next rung of the career-ladder, face very particular pressures with respect to the way they spend their time and the way they present themselves and their research. It can be hard to excuse yourself from work on a thesis, even for a moment, if you are made to feel that your peers, who will be applying for the same scholarships, funding, and jobs as you, have read more papers, conducted a wider literature review, or run more iterations of an experiment. Even when you’ve done the work, there is great temptation to dishonestly exaggerate your achievements on your CV, or embroider your data to overstate its importance.
In this edition of the Oxford Pastorate newsletter, Dr Carl Hildebrand offers a fascinating reflection on the way in which the ancient rhythms, structures and patterns of Oxford days, terms, and seasons can help us to escape the tyranny of time and find a better way to inhabit our institutions.
Ed Brooks introduces the important work of Professor Robert C. Roberts on honesty. Work which highlights the value of honesty, digs deep into what honesty actually is, and hints towards strategies for resisting the temptation to be less than 100% candid in the ways we present ourselves and our work.
Finally, we report on two facets of mission and ministry that are at the heart of our role as Chaplains to the postgraduate student community of the University of Oxford. Kate Phillips describes the impact of the International Student Welcome programme, and I introduce a lecture by psychologist, theologian and expert on Christian formation, Revd Dr Joanna Collicutt.
As ever, we are immensely grateful for your interest in and support of our mission and ministry. We hope you find something in this newsletter that encourages, inspires or challenges you.