The Divinity School is a medieval building and room in the

Perpendicular In elementary geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at a right angle (90 degrees or π/2 radians). The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the ''perpendicular symbol'', ⟂. It ca ...

style in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, part of the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Built between 1427 and 1483, it is the oldest surviving purpose-built building for university use, specifically for lectures, oral exams and discussions on

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. It is no longer used for this purpose, although Oxford does offer degrees in Theology and Religion taught by its Faculty of Theology and Religion. The ceiling consists of very elaborate lierne vaulting with bosses (455 of them), designed by William Orchard in the 1480s. The building is physically attached to the Bodleian Library (with

Duke Humfrey's Library Duke Humfrey's Library is the oldest reading room in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. It is named after Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, who donated 281 books after his death in 1447. Sections of the libraries w ...

on the first floor above it), and is opposite the

Sheldonian Theatre Sheldonian Theatre, located in Oxford, England, was built from 1664 to 1669 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the University at the time and the project's ...

where students matriculate and graduate. At the far end from the Bodleian Library entrance, a door leads to Convocation House (built 1634–7). Image:external door north face oxford divinity school.jpg, The external door, added by Christopher Wren in 1669 for access to the

, mounted with the University coat of arms. Image:north face of oxford divinity school.jpg, View of the north face of the Divinity School, Oxford, facing the

. File:OxfordDivinitySchoolCeiling.jpg, Divinity School ceiling with lierne vaulting in the

style. File:Divinity School Interior 2, Bodleian Library, Oxford, UK - Diliff.jpg, Looking east from the doorway of Convocation House towards the entrance to the courtyard.

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* Buildings and structures completed in 1483 Buildings and structures of the University of Oxford History of Oxford Christianity in Oxford Tourist attractions in Oxford Individual rooms Educational institutions established in the 15th century {{Oxfordshire-struct-stub