St Stephen's House is an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

theological college and one of five permanent private halls of the University of Oxford, England. It will cease to be a permanent private hall in 2023. The college has a very small proportion of undergraduate students (just 4 in the academic year 2019–2020), but has graduate students in a number of fields including theology, Byzantine studies, education, and music. At any time, roughly one quarter of the students are pursuing professional training as classroom teachers, and another quarter professional theological and ministerial training as priests, with the other half following a diverse range of studies and research.

History

St Stephen's House was founded in 1876 by members of the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...

within the Church of England, and was originally located in the very centre of Oxford, on what is today the site of the

New Bodleian Library The Weston Library is part of the Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford, reopened within the former New Bodleian Library building on the corner of Broad Street and Parks Road in central Oxford, England. Hist ...

. Its principal founder was Edward King, Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Oxford and later Bishop of Lincoln. In 1919 the college relocated to new buildings in Norham Gardens, near to the University Parks and

Lady Margaret Hall Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located on the banks of the River Cherwell at Norham Gardens in north Oxford and adjacent to the University Parks. The college is more formall ...

. The college moved again in 1980, having outgrown its earlier buildings, and now occupies the former Anglican Monastery of the

Society of St. John the Evangelist The Society of St John the Evangelist (SSJE) is an Anglican religious order for men. The members live under a rule of life and, at profession, make monastic vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. SSJE was founded in 1866 at Cowley, Oxford, Eng ...

(Cowley Fathers). The college was an "Associated Institution" of the University of Oxford, able to matriculate students in the fields of theology and philosophy, until 2003, when it became a permanent private hall of the university.

Buildings

The college is located in east Oxford, between the Iffley and Cowley Roads (to west and east) and James Street and Marston Street (to north and south), with entrances onto all these roads. Although there are some modern buildings, notably the Moberly Close residential accommodation building, most of the college buildings are older, and have

listed status In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. Grade I listing applies to the Church of St John the Evangelist, which is the principal college chapel, and an arts centre, as well as housing some teaching and research facilities in its sacristies and song school. Constructed in 1894–1896 to a design by George Frederick Bodley (1827–1907), it has held grade I listing since 1968. The castellated west tower was added in 1902. The east, west, and north-east windows contain

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

designed by C. E. Kempe (1837–1907) and made in about 1900. The Church also contains painted Stations of the Cross by the late Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Arthur Fellowes Prynne, created for the Cowley Fathers between 1918 and 1921. Grade II listing was applied to the bulk of the college's other central buildings in 1992. This listing includes the college's main cloister built in 1899 to a design by Bodley, the three lesser cloisters, the Benson Building (residential and teaching accommodation built late nineteenth century, probably designed by Clapton Crabb Rolfe), the King Building (residential, teaching, and administrative accommodation, including the college refectory, the library, and the

common room A common room is a type of shared lounge, most often found in halls of residence or dormitories, at (for example) universities, colleges, military bases, hospitals, rest homes, hostels, and even minimum-security prisons. They are generally con ...

, also designed by Bodley), and the two smaller chapels – the Founders Chapel, and the Ninian Comper designed House Chapel. St John's Church (and sometimes also the college cloisters) has been since 2012 the performance and display venue for SJE Arts Oxford, a society promoting performing arts and music, and which organises an annual summer choral festival at the college site. The Song School, once the music department of

SSJE The Society of St John the Evangelist (SSJE) is an Anglican religious order for men. The members live under a rule of life and, at profession, make monastic vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience. SSJE was founded in 1866 at Cowley, Oxford, Eng ...

, and later the residence of the college's vice principal, has since 2008 housed the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford, an independent body whose senior teaching and research staff are mostly current or former members of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford.

Arms

The current arms of the college ''Per chevron Gules and Sable in chief two Cross crosslets and in base a Celestial Crown Or'' were granted by the College of Arms in 2020. Prior to this the college used the assumed arms ''Gules a Celestial Crown between three Bezants two and one Or, on a chief Sable an Apostolic Eagle between two Crosses crosslet Or''.

Principals and fellows

Principals

The Head of House is known as the " principal." To date, every person to have held the office has been an ordained Anglican priest. *1876–1877 (res.): Robert Moberly *1877–1881: ''?'' *1881–1884 (res.):

John Octavius Johnston John Octavius Johnston (1 November 1852 – 6 November 1923) was a British Anglican priest and theologian. Life Johnston was born in Barnstaple, Devon, and educated at Barnstaple Grammar School, before studying at Keble College, Oxford, from 18 ...

*1884–1885 (res.):

Berkeley Randolph Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California *George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer t ...

*1885–1888 (res.): Charles Myers *1888–1895 (res.): Hugh Currie *1895–1903 (res.): Charles Plumb *1903–1917 (res.):

George Bown George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

*1917–1919: ''?'' *1919–1936 (res.): Gilbert Mitchell *1936–1962 (res.):

Arthur Couratin Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

*1962–1974 (res.):

Derek Allen Derek Fortrose Allen (29 May 1910 – 13 June 1975) was Secretary of the British Academy from 1969 to 1973 and Treasurer of that organisation from 1973 until his death. Born in Epsom, Surrey, Allen joined the British Museum staff in 1935 as ...

*1974–1982 (res.): David Hope *1982–1987 (res.): David Thomas *1987–1995 (res.): Edwin Barnes *1996–2006 (res.):

Jeremy Sheehy Jeremy Patrick Sheehy (born 31 October 1956) is British Anglican priest and academic. Since 2006, he has served as Rector of St Peter's Church, Swinton and Pendlebury in the Diocese of Manchester. He was previously a parish priest in the Dioc ...

*2006–present: Robin Ward

Honorary research fellows

Notable honorary research fellows have included: * Andrew Linzey, theologian, author and prominent figure in the Christian vegetarianism movement * James Whitbourn, conductor and composer *

Luke Miller Luke Jonathan Miller (born 27 June 1966) is a Church of England priest. Since January 2016, he has been Archdeacon of London. From 2010 until 2015, he was Archdeacon of Hampstead in the Diocese of London. He is an executive officer of the Societ ...

, Archdeacon of London *

Norman Russell Norman Atkinson Russell (born 7 August 1942) is a British clergyman who was the Archdeacon of Berkshire until Easter 2013. His retirement service was Sunday 12 May 2013 Biography Russell was born in 1942 and educated at the Royal Belfast Aca ...

, former Archdeacon of Berkshire

Alumni

Many former students, in the tradition of the college, go on to minister in urban priority areas and parishes which suffer poverty and deprivation. The following are amongst the notable former students: * Jonathan Baker –

Bishop of Fulham The Bishop of Fulham is a suffragan bishop in the Diocese of London in the Church of England. The bishopric is named after Fulham, an area of south-west London; the see was erected under the Suffragans Nomination Act 1888 by Order in Council dated ...

and the former

Bishop of Ebbsfleet The Bishop of Ebbsfleet is a suffragan bishop who fulfils the role of a provincial episcopal visitor in the Church of England. From its creation in 1994 to 2022, the Bishop of Ebbsfleet served traditionist Anglo-Catholic parishes that could not ac ...

* Norman Banks – Honorary Chaplain to the Queen and Bishop of Richborough *

J. W. B. Barns John Wintour Baldwin Barns (12 May 1912 – 23 February 1974) was a British Egyptologist, papyrologist, Anglican priest, and academic. From 1965 to 1974, he was Professor of Egyptology at the University of Oxford. Early life and education Barn ...

– Professor of Egyptology at the University of Oxford * Mark Bonney — Dean of Ely * Andrew Burnham – former

and former vice principal * Anthony Caesar – composer *

Alan Chesters Alan David Chesters CBE (born 26 August 1937) was the Bishop of Blackburn from 1989 to 2003. Early life and education Chesters is the son of Herbert and Catherine Chesters, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. He was educated at Elland Grammar Scho ...

– former Bishop of Blackburn * David Conner – Dean of Windsor (since 1998) *

Stephen Cottrell Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell (born 31 August 1958) is a Church of England bishop. Since 9 July 2020, he has been the Archbishop of York and Primate of England; the second-most senior bishop of the church and the most senior in northern England. He ...

– Archbishop of York (since 2020) *

Ivor Gordon Davies Ivor Gordon Davies (21 July 1917 – 27 June 1992) was an Anglican priest who was the Archdeacon of Lewisham between 1972 and 1985. Educated at the University of Wales, where he took a Second in Greats in 1939; and at the University of London ...

– Archdeacon of Lewisham from 1972 to 1985. * Roy Davies – Bishop of Llandaff from 1985 to 1999 *

Hovnan Derderian Hovnan Derderian (born 1 December 1957) is the youngest Armenian cleric to have been elevated to the rank of archbishop. Life Born Vahram Derderian in Beirut, he studied at the Antelias Seminary and the Seminary of the Holy See in Etchmiadzin, ...

– Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America * Mark Elvins – Roman Catholic priest and Warden of Greyfriars, Oxford * Walter Hooper – literary advisor to the estate of CS Lewis *

William Howard, 8th Earl of Wicklow William Cecil James Philip John Paul Howard, 8th Earl of Wicklow (30 October 1902 – 8 February 1978), styled Lord Clonmore until 1946, was an Anglo-Irish peer. He was the only child of Ralph Howard, 7th Earl of Wicklow and the Countess of ...

– Irish peer *

David Jasper David Jasper (born 1 August 1951) is a theologian, Professor Emeritus of Literature and Theology at the University of Glasgow. Jasper collected multiple degrees from Oxford in both English and Theology. He graduated in English from Jesus Colleg ...

– Professor of Literature and Theology at the University of Glasgow * Jeffrey John –

Dean of St Albans The Dean of St Albans is the head of the Chapter of St Albans Cathedral in the city of St Albans, England in the Diocese of St Albans. As the Dean of St Albans is also the Rector of St Albans, with parochial responsibilities for the largest paris ...

Eric Kemp Eric Waldram Kemp (27 April 1915 – 28 November 2009) was a Church of England bishop. He was the Bishop of Chichester from 1974 to 2001. He was one of the leading Anglo-Catholics of his generation and one of the most influential figures in the ...

– former Bishop of Chichester *

Peter Laister Peter Laister (May 12, 1927 – October 24, 2002) was a prominent Anglo-Catholic priest in the twentieth century. He was born and died in London. Laister trained for ordination at Saint David's Theological College, Lampeter, Wales and at St. Ste ...

– Rector of

Saint Clement's Church, Philadelphia Saint Clement's Church is an historic Anglo-Catholic parish in Logan Square, Center City, Philadelphia. It is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. The church, designed by architect John Notman, was built in 1856. It originally incorpo ...

, from 1986 to 1993 *

Kenneth Leech Kenneth Leech (15 June 1939 – 12 September 2015), also known as Ken Leech, was an English Anglican priest and Christian socialist in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Life and career Leech was born into a secular working-class family in Ashton-unde ...

– priest and Christian socialist * Trevor Mwamba –

Bishop of Botswana The Diocese of Botswana is one of 15 dioceses of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa, a Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, province of the Anglican Communion. It is a member of the Botswana Council of Churches. List of B ...

, appears as himself in '' The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'' * Philip North – Bishop of Burnley *

Mark Oakley Mark David Oakley (born 28 September 1968) is a British Church of England priest. He is Dean of St John's College, Cambridge, and a former Canon Residentiary, residentiary canon of St Paul's Cathedral (London). It was announced on 30 ...

– Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, London * Gordon Roe – former Bishop of Huntingdon * John Saward – theologian, fellow of Greyfriars, OxfordFr John Saward.
Retrieved 2008-02-11 * David Silk – former Bishop of Ballarat in the Anglican Church of Australia * Glyn Simon – former Archbishop of Wales *

Michael Spence Andrew Michael Spence (born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American economist and Nobel laureate. Spence is the William R. Berkley Professor in Economics and Business at the Stern School of Business at New York University, and the Philip H. Kn ...

– vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney * Tim Thornton – Bishop of Truro *

Stephen Venner Stephen Venner (born 19 June 1944) was Bishop of Dover (the bishop with delegated responsibility for the Diocese of Canterbury) from 1999 until 2009. He was also Bishop for the Falkland Islands from 2007 and Bishop to the Forces from 2009 until ...

– Bishop to the Forces and

Bishop for the Falkland Islands The Bishop of the Falkland Islands was historically a bishopric in the Church of England; as the ordinary of the Diocese of the Falkland Islands, the bishop had responsibility for chaplaincies across South America, before national metropolitical pr ...

* Martin Warner – Bishop of Chichester * William Gordon Wheeler – former Roman Catholic Bishop of Leeds * Colin Williams – General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches *

A. N. Wilson Andrew Norman Wilson (born 27 October 1950)"A. N. Wilson"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''.

– writer and newspaper columnist, left after his first year

References

External links

St Stephen's House website

St John the Evangelist church website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Stephen's House, Oxford 1876 establishments in England Permanent private halls of the University of Oxford Anglo-Catholic educational establishments Anglican seminaries and theological colleges Bible colleges, seminaries and theological colleges in England Buildings and structures of the University of Oxford Anglican buildings and structures in Europe