George Dunbar Kilpatrick (15 September 1910 – 14 January 1989) was an Anglican priest and theologian. He was

Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture The position of Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture was established at the University of Oxford in 1847. This professorship in the Biblical criticism, critical interpretation or explanation of Bible, biblical texts, a field ...

at 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 ...

from 1949 to 1977.

Life

Kilpatrick was born in

Coal Creek, British Columbia Coal Creek is a ghost town near Fernie, British Columbia, Canada. During the 1950s, residents left the town due to the closure of a mine. Some parts of the town remain, but most have been overtaken by forest. On May 22, 1902, an explosion in a mi ...

, Canada.

Education

He studied at

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

(obtaining a first-class degree in classics in 1932) and

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

(obtaining a second-class degree in Literae Humaniores (classics) in 1934 and a second-class degree in theology in 1936, as well as a

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

degree in 1944). In 1948 he obtained his

Doctor 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 ...

degree.

Academic work

He was ordained deacon in 1936 and priest in 1937, serving as a curate in

Horsell Horsell is a village in the borough of Woking in Surrey, England, less than a mile north-west of Woking town centre. In November 2012, its population was 9,384. Horsell is integral to H. G. Wells' classic science fiction novel ''The War of the Wor ...

, Surrey, and in

Selly Oak Selly Oak is an industrial and residential area in south-west Birmingham, England. The area gives its name to Selly Oak ward and includes the neighbourhoods of: Bournbrook, Selly Park, and Ten Acres. The adjoining wards of Edgbaston and Harborne ...

, Birmingham. After tutoring at

Queen's College, Edgbaston The Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education (also called the Queen's Foundation, Birmingham and formerly the Queen's College, Birmingham) is an ecumenical theological college which, with the West Midlands Ministerial Training Cou ...

, and serving as Acting Warden of the College of the Ascension, Selly Oak, Kilpatrick became

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

Wishaw, Warwickshire Wishaw is a village and civil parish in the north-west of Warwickshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 125. It is located within the district of North Warwickshire and is the home of The Belfry golf resort, whi ...

, and a lecturer at

Lichfield Theological College Lichfield Theological College was founded in 1857 to train Anglican clergy to serve in the Church of England. It was located on the south side of the Cathedral Close in Lichfield, Staffordshire and closed in 1972. Notable staff * Cecil Cherrin ...

in 1942. He became head of the Department of Theology and

Reader A reader is a person who reads. It may also refer to: Computing and technology * Adobe Reader (now Adobe Acrobat), a PDF reader * Bible Reader for Palm, a discontinued PDA application * A card reader, for extracting data from various forms of ...

in Christian Theology at

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

in 1946. He was

Grinfield Lecturer Edward William Grinfield (1785–1864) was an English biblical scholar. Life He was the son of Thomas Grinfield and Anna Joanna, daughter of Joseph Foster Barham of Bedford, and brother of Thomas Grinfield. He was a schoolfellow of Thomas de ...

on the

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond th ...

at 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 ...

from 1945 to 1949, and obtained his DDiv degree in 1948. He was appointed

in 1949, a position that carried with it a

Fellowship 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 ...

The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its pred ...

. He held the professorship and fellowship until 1977. He was appointed a Fellow of University College, London in 1967. He has been described as "one of the outstanding textual critics of the twentieth century". His publications included ''The Origins of the Gospel according to St Matthew'' (1946), ''The Trial of Jesus'' (1953) and ''The Eucharist in Bible and Liturgy'' (1984), as well as various articles in journals and periodicals. He died on 14 January 1989.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kilpatrick, George 1910 births 1989 deaths Canadian Anglican priests 20th-century Church of England clergy Alumni of University College London Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Academics of the University of Nottingham Fellows of The Queen's College, Oxford English Anglican theologians Dean Ireland's Professors of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture Staff of Lichfield Theological College