Ridley Hall is a
theological college
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
located on the corner of
Sidgwick Avenue
Sidgwick Avenue is a road located in western Cambridge, England. The avenue runs east-west and links Grange Road to the west with Queen's Road to the east. The line of the road continues northeast into central Cambridge as Silver Street. Sidg ...
and Ridley Hall Road in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a 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. Cambridge bec ...
(
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
), which trains men and women intending to take
Holy Orders as deacon or priest of the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
, and members of the laity working with children and young people as lay pioneers and within a pastoral capacity such as lay chaplaincy.
History
Ridley Hall was founded in 1881 and named in memory of
Nicholas Ridley, a leading Anglican theologian and
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
of the sixteenth century. The college's first principal was the theologian
Handley Moule
Handley Carr Glyn Moule (23 December 18418 May 1920) was an evangelical Anglican theologian, writer, poet, and Bishop of Durham from 1901 to 1920.
Biography
Moule was schooled at home before entering Trinity College, Cambridge in 1860, where ...
, 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 ...
. It was founded under the same Deed of Trust as its sister college
Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
Wycliffe Hall is a Church of England theological college and a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is named after the Bible translator and reformer John Wycliffe, who was master of Balliol College, Oxf ...
and to this day both colleges have the ability to nominate two members to the Hall Council of the other.
Present day
Ridley Hall offers several
Common Award qualifications, validated by
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 ...
. Although not a constituent college of the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, the school has ties with the university's Faculty of Divinity. Some students who are also in a constituent college of the university can be awarded qualifications by Cambridge. Ridley Hall forms part of the
Cambridge Theological Federation
The Cambridge Theological Federation (CTF) is an association of theological colleges, courses and houses based in Cambridge, England and founded in 1972. The federation offers several joint theological programmes of study open to students in membe ...
, along with
Westcott House,
Westminster College, the
Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies
The Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies (IOCS) is a theological college in Cambridge, England. It works in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is a public university ...
, and others.
Ridley Hall's teaching leans towards an
evangelical theology Evangelical theology is the teaching and doctrine that relates to spiritual matters in evangelical Christianity and a Christian theology. The main points concern the place of the Bible, the Trinity, worship, Salvation, sanctification, charity, evan ...
. It is one of three Church of England theological colleges that self-identify as "
Open Evangelical An open evangelical attempts to uphold evangelical doctrines, morality, and spirituality, while also being inclusive of others. It is a term which is commonly used in the United Kingdom in reference to both individuals and institutions.
Uses
Open ...
", the others being
Trinity College in Bristol, and
Cranmer Hall in Durham.
The current principal of Ridley Hall is
Michael Volland. Volland succeeded
Andrew Norman
Andrew Norman (born October 31, 1979) is an American composer of contemporary classical music whose texturally complex music is influenced by architecture and the visual arts. His string trio '' The Companion Guide to Rome'' (2010), was a runne ...
, who moved on to become Director of Ministry and Mission in the
Diocese of Leeds.
It publishes an academic journal, ''Anvil''.
Notable staff and alumni
*
Jonathan Bailey
Jonathan Stuart Bailey (born 25 April 1988) is an English actor. Known for his comedic, dramatic, and musical roles on stage and screen, he is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award and a nomination for a Evening Standard Theatre Award.
Ba ...
*
Richard Bauckham
Richard John Bauckham (born 22 September 1946) is an English Anglican scholar in theology, historical theology and New Testament studies, specialising in New Testament Christology and the Gospel of John. He is a senior scholar at Ridley Hall, ...
*
Jeremy Begbie
Jeremy Sutherland Begbie, BA, BD, PhD, LRAM, ARCM, (born 1957) is Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School, Duke University, where he directs Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts. He is a systema ...
*
Edward Armstrong Bennett
*
Andrew Briggs
*
Arthur Buxton["Buxton, Arthur", in ''Crockford's Clerical Directory'' (1930), p. 190]
*
Christopher John Cocksworth
*
Timothy Dudley-Smith
Timothy Dudley-Smith (born 26 December 1926) is a retired bishop of the Church of England and a noted English hymnwriter. He has written around 400 hymns, including " Tell Out, my Soul".
Life, education and ministry
Dudley-Smith was born on 26 ...
*
Dick Lucas
*
Michael Nazir-Ali
Michael James Nazir-Ali ( ur, ; born 19 August 1949) is a Pakistani-born British Roman Catholic priest and former Anglican bishop who served as the 106th Bishop of Rochester from 1994 to 2009 and, before that, as Bishop of Raiwind in Pakistan ...
*
Mike Ovey
Michael John Ovey (9 December 1958 – 7 January 2017), known as Mike Ovey, was a British Anglican clergyman, academic, and former lawyer. From 2007 until his death, he was Principal of Oak Hill College, a conservative evangelical theological co ...
*
Gavin Peacock
Gavin Keith Peacock (born 18 November 1967) is an English former professional footballer and sports television pundit.
As a player he was midfielder and striker from 1984 until 2002, notably playing in the Premier League for Newcastle United ...
*
John Sentamu
*
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool (6 March 1929 – 5 March 2005) was a Church of England Bishop of Liverpool who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth. Sheppard remains the only ordained minister to have played T ...
*
John Stott
John Robert Walmsley Stott (27 April 1921 – 27 July 2011) was an English Anglican cleric and theologian who was noted as a leader of the worldwide evangelical movement. He was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. In ...
*
John Waine
John Waine (20 June 193029 December 2020) was Bishop of Chelmsford from 1986 to 1996; and previously Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich from 1978 to 1986, Bishop of Stafford, 1975–1978. He also served as Clerk of the Closet from 1989 to ...
*
David Watson
*
David Wenham
David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Friar Carl in '' Van Helsing'', Dilios in '' 300'' ...
*
Andrew White
List of principals
Thus far, all the principals have been ordained Anglican clergy.
*1881–1899 (res.):
Handley Moule
Handley Carr Glyn Moule (23 December 18418 May 1920) was an evangelical Anglican theologian, writer, poet, and Bishop of Durham from 1901 to 1920.
Biography
Moule was schooled at home before entering Trinity College, Cambridge in 1860, where ...
*1889–1907 (res.):
Thomas Drury
*1907–1927 (res.):
Arthur Tait
*1927–1945 (res.):
Paul Gibson
*1945–1950 (res.):
Falkner Allison
Sherard Falkner Allison (19 January 1907 – 31 May 1993) was a British Anglican bishop and successively the Bishop of Chelmsford and the Bishop of Winchester.
Early life, family and education
Allison was born in Stafford on 19 January 1907 wh ...
*1951–1963 (res.):
Cyril Bowles
Cyril William Johnston Bowles (9 May 191614 September 1999) was the fourth Bishop of Derby, from 1969 to 1988.
He was educated at Brentwood School and Cambridge University, he was made deacon at Advent 1939 (18 December) and ordained prie ...
*1963–1971 (res.):
Michael Hennell
Professor Michael A. Hennell (born 9 September 1940) is a British computer scientist who has made leading contributions in the field of software testing.
Michael Hennell was a Professor of Mathematical Sciences, University of Liverpool in Engla ...
*1971–1972 (res.):
Francis Palmer
*1973–1978 (res.):
Keith Sutton
*1978–1991 (res.):
Hugo de Waal
Hugo Ferdinand de Waal (16 March 1935 – 6 January 2007) was Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge from 1978 to 1991 and the suffragan Bishop of Thetford from 1992 until 2000.
He was born at Jember on East Java and educated at Tonbridge School an ...
*1992–2001 (res.):
Graham Cray
Graham Alan Cray (born 21 April 1947) is a retired British Anglican bishop. He was the Bishop of Maidstone in the Diocese of Canterbury from 2001 to 2009, and was the Archbishops' Missioner and Team Leader of Fresh Expressions from 2009 to 2014.
...
*2001–2008 (res.):
Christopher Cocksworth
Christopher John Cocksworth (born 12 January 1959) is a Church of England bishop in the open evangelical tradition. He is the current Bishop of Coventry; prior to becoming bishop he was the Principal of Ridley Hall, Cambridge.
Early life and e ...
*2009–2016 (res.):
Andrew Norman
Andrew Norman (born October 31, 1979) is an American composer of contemporary classical music whose texturally complex music is influenced by architecture and the visual arts. His string trio '' The Companion Guide to Rome'' (2010), was a runne ...
*2016–present:
Michael Volland
References
External links
*
Ridley Hall websiteCambridge Theological Federation website
{{Coord, 52.200219, N, 0.110993, E, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Anglican seminaries and theological colleges
Evangelicalism in the Church of England
Institutions of the Cambridge Theological Federation
Anglican buildings and structures in Europe