Charles Francis Digby "Charlie" Moule (; 3 December 1908 – 30 September 2007), known professionally as C. F. D. Moule, was an English
Anglican priest and theologian. He was a leading scholar of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
and was
Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity
The Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity is the oldest professorship at the University of Cambridge. It was founded initially as a readership by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, in 1502. Since its re-endowment at the end o ...
at the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
for 25 years, from 1951 to 1976.
Early life and education
Moule was born on 3 December 1908 in
Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...
, China, near
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
, where his father, H. W. Moule, and mother were
missionaries.
He was their third son.
His family were Anglican clerics from
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...
. His paternal grandfather
George Evans Moule was
bishop of mid-China, and his great-uncle,
Handley Moule, was the first Principal at
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall is a theological college located on the corner of Sidgwick Avenue and Ridley Hall Road in Cambridge (United Kingdom), which trains men and women intending to take Holy Orders as deacon or priest of the Church of England, and membe ...
and later
Bishop of Durham
The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...
. He was a nephew of the noted Cambridge sinologist
Arthur Christopher Moule. His family returned to England after the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
He was educated at
Weymouth College
Weymouth College is a further education college located in Weymouth, England. The college has over 4,000 students, studying on a wide range of practical and academic courses in many subjects. The college is part of The University of Plymouth C ...
in Dorset, and won a scholarship to read
classics at
Emmanuel College, Cambridge, graduating with first-class honours in both parts and winning the Jeremie Septuagint prize, the Evans prize, and the Crosse scholarship. He studied theology at
Ridley Hall, and was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...
as a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
in 1933 and as a priest in 1934.
Ecclesiastical and academic career
He served as
curate at St Mark's Church,
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
, from 1933 to 1934, during which time he was also a tutor at
Ridley Hall, Cambridge
Ridley Hall is a theological college located on the corner of Sidgwick Avenue and Ridley Hall Road in Cambridge (United Kingdom), which trains men and women intending to take Holy Orders as deacon or priest of the Church of England, and membe ...
. He moved to Rugby in 1934, became curate of
St Andrew's Church, Rugby
The Church of St Andrew is a Church of England parish church in the centre of Rugby, in Warwickshire, England. It is a grade II* listed building. It is unique in having two peals of bells hung in separate towers and is part of the Major Churches N ...
, before moving back to Cambridge in 1936 to become curate at
Great St Mary's, Cambridge, the University Church of the
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
, where he remained until 1940. He was also Vice-Principal of Ridley Hall from 1936 to 1944.
He became a
Fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
at
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refound ...
, in 1944, serving as Dean from 1944 to 1951. He remained a Fellow at Clare until his death, and was secretary of the Clare Association for many years. He was also a Faculty Assistant Lecturer in divinity at Cambridge University from 1944 to 1947, and a University Lecturer from 1947 to 1951, when he was appointed Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity, succeeding
F. S. Marsh. Founded as a readership by
Lady Margaret Beaufort in 1502, it is the oldest chair in the University of Cambridge, and is traditionally held by a New Testament scholar. He was also a non-residentiary
Canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
Theologian at
Leicester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Martin, Leicester, commonly known as Leicester Cathedral, is a Church of England cathedral in Leicester, England and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester. The church was elevated to a collegiate church in 192 ...
from 1955 to 1976, and was elected a
Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) in 1966. He was a President of the
Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas in 1967, and became an honorary Fellow at Emmanuel in 1972. He delivered the
Ethel M. Wood lecture in 1964, on "Man and Nature in the New Testament".
He produced two main written works: ''The Birth of the New Testament'', first published in 1962, which explores the context in which the New Testament was written, and ''The Origin of Christology'', published in 1977, which proposed that the church's understanding of Jesus had not evolved but rather developed and matured over the centuries. He also contributed to the translations of the
Apocrypha
Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...
and New Testament in the ''
New English Bible
The New English Bible (NEB) is an English translation of the Bible. The New Testament was published in 1961 and the Old Testament (with the Apocrypha) was published on 16 March 1970. In 1989, it was significantly revised and republished as the R ...
'', although he preferred the
Revised Version. His other published works include ''An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek'' (1953, 2nd ed. 1959), ''The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon'' (1957), ''The Phenomenon of the New Testament'' (1967), ''The Holy Spirit'' (1978), and ''Essays in New Testament Interpretation'' (1982) and ''Forgiveness and Reconciliation, and other New Testament Themes'' (1998).
He influenced many students who now hold chairs of divinity – including his successor as Lady Margaret's Professor,
Graham Stanton – or who rose high within the Anglican hierarchy, including future
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bish ...
(Moule officiated at his wedding) and
Archbishop of York
The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
John Sentamu. His first doctoral student was
Margaret Thrall (PhD, 1960), who herself became a New Testament scholar. A humble, prayerful man, of slim build and small stature, he held a profound faith. A friend,
Joachim Jeremias
Joachim Jeremias (20 September 1900 – 6 September 1979) was a German Lutheran theologian, scholar of Near Eastern Studies and university professor for New Testament studies. He was abbot of Bursfelde, 1968–1971.
He was born in Dresden and sp ...
, said, "In him could be seen no trace of
original sin." Like his great-uncle, he became known affectionately as "Holy Mouley".
He was a leading advocate for the Ridley Hall in the early 1970s, when it was threatened with closure. He retired in 1976 and lived at Ridley Hall until 1980, acting as New Testament tutor. He moved to
Pevensey
Pevensey ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located north-east of Eastbourne, one mile (1.6 km) inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part ...
in Sussex in 1981, close to his friend, Bishop
Stanley Betts. He continued to preach into his 90s.
He became an honorary
Doctorate of Divinity
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...
at
St Andrew's University
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
in 1958, and won the
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...
's
Burkitt Medal The Burkitt Medal is awarded annually by the British Academy "in recognition of special service to Biblical Studies". Awards alternate between Hebrew Bible studies (odd years) and New Testament studies (even years). It was established in 1923 and h ...
for Biblical Studies in 1970. He was appointed
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
in 1985
for his services to New Testament studies and became an honorary Doctor of Divinity at Cambridge in 1988, in celebration of his 80th birthday.
He moved to a nursing home in
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...
in 2003, to be near his family. He died on 30 September 2007 in
Leigh
Leigh may refer to:
Places In England
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan
** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
* Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Dorset
* Leigh, Gloucestershire
* Leigh, Kent
* Leigh, Staf ...
, Dorset, aged 98. He never married.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Bibliography at theologicalstudies.org.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moule, C. F. D.
1908 births
2007 deaths
British biblical scholars
20th-century English Anglican priests
English Anglican theologians
New Testament scholars
Writers from Hangzhou
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Fellows of the British Academy
Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Fellows of Clare College, Cambridge
Translators of the Bible into English
Educators from Hangzhou
People educated at Weymouth College (public school)
20th-century translators
Anglican biblical scholars
Lady Margaret's Professors of Divinity
20th-century Christian biblical scholars
People from Pevensey