Douglas James Davies, (born 11 February 1947) is a Welsh Anglican theologian,

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and v ...

, and academic, specialising in the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

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 ...

, and

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation and ...

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

. He is

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

in the Study of Religion at the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...

. His fields of expertise also include anthropology, the study of religion, the rituals and beliefs surrounding

funerary rite A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...

s and cremation around the globe,

Mormonism Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of ...

and

Mormon studies Mormon studies is the interdisciplinary academic study of the beliefs, practices, history and culture of individuals and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement, a religious movement associated with the Book of Mormon, though not ...

. His research interests cover identity and belief, and Anglican leadership.

Early life and education

Davies was born on 11 February 1947 in

Llwynypia Llwynypia ( cy, Llwynypia ) is a village and community (Wales), community (and electoral ward) in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Tonypandy in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. Before 1850 a lightly populated rural farming area, Llwynypia experienced a popu ...

, the

Rhondda Valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ( ...

, but was brought up in

Bedlinog Bedlinog is a small village (and larger community) located in The Taff Bargoed valley (Cwm Bargoed), north of Pontypridd, north west of Caerphilly and south east of Merthyr Tydfil in south-east Wales. It is currently in the south of Merthyr Tydf ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2 ...

. He was educated at

Lewis School, Pengam Lewis School, Pengam is a comprehensive school, founded in 1729 in the parish and village of Gelligaer and, later, moved to the nearby village of Gilfach, in the Rhymney Valley in South Wales. It was founded and funded by a legacy of Sir Edwar ...

, an old Grammar school in South Wales. He studied anthropology at

St John's College, Durham St John's College is a college of the University of Durham, United Kingdom. It is one of only two "recognised colleges" of the university, the other being St Chad's. This means that it is financially and constitutionally independent of the unive ...

, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1969. He studied for a

Master of Letters The Master of Letters degree (MLitt or LittM; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. Ireland Trinity College Dublin and Maynooth University offer MLitt degrees. Trinity has offered them the longest, owing largely to its tradition as Ireland ...

(MLitt) research degree in Mormonism at

St Peter's College, Oxford St Peter's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and is located in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom. It occupies the site of two of the university's medieval halls, dating back to at least the 14th ...

and the Oxford Institute of Social Anthropology under the supervision of Bryan R. Wilson; he completed the degree in 1972. In 1971, he joined Cranmer Hall, an Anglican theological college attached to St John's College, Durham, to train for ordained ministry. During this time he also studied theology, graduating from Durham with a further BA degree in 1973. Davies continued his studies post-ordination. He undertook research in meaning and salvation at the

University of Nottingham , mottoeng = A city is built on wisdom , established = 1798 – teacher training college1881 – University College Nottingham1948 – university status , type = Public , chancellor ...

, completing his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1980. His

doctoral thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...

was titled "The notion of meaning and salvation in religious studies". In 2004, he was awarded a

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...

(DLitt) degree by 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 ...

; this is a

higher doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

awarded for research.

Career

Academic career

In 1974, Davies joined the

as a lecturer in theology. He was promoted to

senior lecturer Senior lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and Israel senior lecturer is a faculty position at a university or similar institution. The position is tenured (in systems with this conce ...

in 1990, and appointed

of Religious Studies in 1993. In 1997, he moved to

Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...

, where he had been appointed Principal of the

College of St Hild and St Bede A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a University system, constituent part of one. A college may be a academic degree, degree-awarding Tertiary education, tertiary educational institution, a part of a coll ...

and Professor of Theology. In 2000, he stepped down as Principal and was appointed Professor in the Study of Religion. He was Head of the Department of Theology from 2002 to 2005, and has served as Director of the Centre for Death and Life Studies since 2007. His current projects include writings on 'The Encyclopedia of Cremation', 'The Clergy and British Society: 1940–2000', 'A Brief History of Death', 'Inner-speech and prayer' and 'Ritual purity'. He has also published a large number of articles on death, and contemporary Christianity. Davies has been involved with various editorial boards and conferences, including the 'Editorial Board of Mortality' and the 'British Sociological; Association Religion Group' (Chairman: 2000–2003). He was also guest speaker at both the Scandinavian Sociological Society Conference in 2004 and the International Cremation Federation Conference in Barcelona, 2003. Within the

he teaches the undergraduate modules: 'Study of Religion', 'Death, Ritual and Belief', 'Sects, Prophets and Gurus' and 'Theology and Anthropology'. He also teaches 'Ritual, Symbolism and Belief' to those studying a taught master's degree in Theology. He is a member of the Senior Common Room of

St Chad's College , motto_English = Not what you have, but who you are , scarf = , established = 1904 , principal = Margaret Masson , senior_tutor = Eleanor Spencer-Regan , undergraduates = 409 , postgraduates = 150 , website = , coordinates = , location_map ...

Durham.

Ordained ministry

Davies 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 vari ...

in the Church of England 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 Chu ...

in 1975 and as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

in 1976. From 1975 to 1997, he served a number of honorary

curacies A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

in the

Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York, headed by the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham. It covers all the English county of Nottinghamshire and a few parishes in South Yorkshire. It is ...

: St Mary's Church, Attenborough (1975 to 1983); St Mary's Church,

East Leake East Leake () is a large village and civil parish in the Rushcliffe district of Nottinghamshire, England, although its closest town and postal address is Loughborough in Leicestershire. It has a population of around 7,000, measured in the 201 ...

(1983 to 1985); and St Paul's Church, Daybrook (1991 to 1997). Since 2013, he has held

permission to officiate A permission to officiate (PTO), also known as a licence to officiate, is a concessionary ministry licence granted by an Anglican bishop. It is most commonly issued to a retired deacon, priest, or lay reader over the age of 70 years. It allows the ...

in the

Diocese of Durham The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic county of Durham (and therefore including the part of Tyne and Wear south of the River Tyne, and excluding southern Teesdale). It was created in A ...

Honours

In 2009, Davies was elected an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences (ACSS): the academicians were renamed as Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) in 2014. In 2012, he was elected a

Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales The Learned Society of Wales (Welsh: Cymdeithas Ddysgedig Cymru) is a learned society and charity that exists to "celebrate, recognise, preserve, protect and encourage excellence in all of the scholarly disciplines", and to serve the Welsh nation ...

(FLSW), the

national academy A national academy is an organizational body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates scholarly research activities and standards for academic disciplines, most frequently in the sciences but also the humanit ...

of Wales. In July 2017, Davies was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # ...

(FBA), the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and social sciences. In 1998, he was awarded an honorary

Doctor of Theology Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religiou ...

(DTheol) degree by the Faculty of Theology at

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. The university rose to significance during ...

, Sweden. His book, '' Reusing Old Graves: A Report on Popular British Attitudes'', co-written with Alastair Shaw, won the 1995

Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year The ''Bookseller''/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, originally known as the Diagram Group Prize for the Oddest Title and commonly known as the Diagram Prize, is a humorous literary award that is given annually to a book with an unusua ...

Selected works

His list of books include: *''Mors Britannica: Lifestyle and Death-style in Britain Today'', 2015. *''Emotions and Religious Dynamics'', with Nathaniel Warne, 2013 *''Natural Burial; Traditional-Secular Spiritualities and Funeral Innovation'', with Hannah Rumble, 2012. *''Emotion, Identity and Death: Mortality across Disciplines'', with Chang-Won Park, 2012. *''Emotion, Identity, and Religion: Hope, Reciprocity, and Otherness'', 2011. *''Joseph Smith, Jesus, and satanic Opposition: Atonement, Evil and the Mormon Vision'', 2010. *''A Theology of Death'', 2008. *''Bishops, Wives and Children, Spiritual capital across the Generations'', with Mathew Guest, 2007. *''A Brief History of Death'', 2005 *''Encyclopedia of Cremation'', editor, 2005 *''An Introduction to Mormonism'', 2003 *''Anthropology and Theology'', 2002 *''Death, Ritual and Belief'', 2002, 1997, 2017. *''Modern Christianity: Reviewing its Place in Britain Today'', 2000 *''The Mormon Culture of Salvation'', 2000 *''Private Passions: Betraying Discipleship on the Journey to Jerusalem'', 2000 *''Themes and Issues in Christianity'', 1997 *''Mormon Identities in Transition'', editor, 1996 *''British Crematoria in Public Profile'', 1995 *''Reusing Old Graves: A Report on Popular British Attitudes'', 1995 *''Church and Religion in Rural England'', 1991 *''Frank Byron Jevons: An Evolutionary Realist'', 1991 *''Cremation Today and Tomorrow'', 1990 *''Studies in Pastoral Theology and Social Anthropology'', 1990 *''A Study of the Deployment and Work of the Rural Clergy in Five English Dioceses'', 1990 *''Mormon Spirituality'', 1987 *''Meaning and Salvation in Religious Studies'', 1984

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Douglas 1947 births 20th-century Anglican theologians 20th-century anthropologists 20th-century Welsh Anglican priests 21st-century Anglican theologians 21st-century anthropologists 21st-century Welsh Anglican priests British Anglican theologians British religion academics Academics of Durham University Academics of the University of Nottingham Alumni of Cranmer Hall, Durham Alumni of St John's College, Durham Alumni of St Peter's College, Oxford Church of England priests Fellows of the Academy of Social Sciences Fellows of the British Academy Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales Living people Mormon studies scholars People educated at Lewis School, Pengam Welsh anthropologists