Vernon Philip White (born 1953) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

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 ...

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 ...

and theological scholar.

Biography

White was born in

south-east London Greater London is divided into five sub-regions for the purposes of the London Plan. The boundaries of these areas were amended in 2008 and 2011 and their role in the implementation of the London Plan has varied with each iteration. Purpose Sub- ...

in 1953 and attended

Eltham College Eltham College is an independent day school situated in Mottingham, southeast London. Eltham and Mottingham once formed part of the same parish, hence its name. It is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC). Early hi ...

. After leaving school he spent a year undertaking

Voluntary Service Overseas Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is a not-for-profit international development organization charity with a vision for "a fair world for everyone" and a mission to "create lasting change through volunteering". VSO delivers development impact throug ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. He was educated at

Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

(graduating BA in English and Theology 1975, MA 1979) 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 ...

(

MLitt 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 ...

1980). He prepared for ordination at

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 ...

. He was ordained deacon in 1977 and priest in 1978 in 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 ...

. He was a tutor in doctrine and ethics at Wycliffe Hall from 1977 to 1983, then Chaplain and Lecturer at the

University of Exeter The University of Exeter is a public university , public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Min ...

from 1983 to 1987. He then became jointly Director of Ordinands for the

Diocese of Guildford __NOTOC__ The Diocese of Guildford is a Church of England diocese covering eight and half of the eleven districts in Surrey, much of north-east Hampshire and a parish in Greater London. The cathedral is Guildford Cathedral and the bishop is the ...

and Rector of Wotton and

Holmbury St Mary Holmbury St Mary is a village in Surrey, England centered on shallow upper slopes of the Greensand Ridge. Its developed area is a clustered town southwest of Dorking and southeast of Guildford. Most of the village is in the borough of Guildfor ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

(1987–93). From 1993 until 2001 he was

Canon Chancellor According to both canon law (Catholic Church), Catholic and canon law (Anglican Communion), Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a College (canon law), college of clerics (chapter (religion), chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the cas ...

Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Minster, or the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln and sometimes St Mary's Cathedral, in Lincoln, England, is a Grade I listed cathedral and is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Lincoln. Constructio ...

and also a special lecturer at the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

, becoming Principal of the

Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme STETS (Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme) was a ministerial training scheme for church ministers in southern England, based in Salisbury. Its functions were absorbed by Sarum College, also in Salisbury, in 2015. History STETS ...

in 2001 and Canon Theologian of

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

in 2006. In 2011 he was appointed Canon Theologian at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

and Visiting Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King G ...

. In March 2018 it was announced that White was to step down from his role in the Abbey to focus more on writing.

Impact

White's book ''Atonement and Incarnation: an essay in universalism and particularity'' was studied in

Eamonn Mulcahy Eamonn or Éamon or Eamon may refer to: *Eamonn (given name), an Irish male given name *Eamon (singer) (born 1983), American R&B singer-songwriter and harmonicist * ''Eamon'' (video game), a 1980 computer role-playing game for the Apple II *" Éamo ...

's ''The Cause of Our Salvation: Soteriological Causality according to some Modern British Theologians, 1988-98'' (Tesi Gregoriana Serie Teologia 140, Rome: Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 2007), alongside

Paul Fiddes Paul Stuart Fiddes (born 30 April 1947) is an English Baptist theologian and novelist. Fiddes is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology in the University of Oxford, Principal Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow of Regent's Park College, ...

, ''The Creative Suffering of God'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988),

Colin Gunton Colin Ewart Gunton (19 January 1941 – 6 May 2003) was an English Reformed systematic theologian. He made contributions to the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of the Trinity. He was Professor of Christian Doctrine at King's College, Lond ...

, ''The Actuality of Atonement: a Study of Metaphor, Rationality and the Christian Tradition '' (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1988), and John McIntyre, ''The Shape of Soteriology: Studies in the Doctrine of the Death of Christ'' (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1992).

Publications

*1981: ''Honest to Goodness: moral experience and the existence of God'' (Grove booklet on ethics 40). Bramcote: Grove Books *1985: ''The Fall of a Sparrow: a concept of special divine action''. Exeter: Paternoster Press *1991: ''Atonement and Incarnation: an essay in universalism and particularity''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press *1996: ''Paying Attention to People: an essay on individualism and Christian belief''. London: SPCK *2000:
Re-enchanting the World: a fresh look at the God of mystical theology
" ''

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 ...

'' *2000: 'The Future of Theology' in ''Calling Time. Religion and Change at the turn of the Millennium'', ed. M.Percy, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press *2002: ''Identity (Society and Church)'' London: SC

*2005: ''Counterpoints: believing Christian faith in a difficult world''. Salisbury: Sarum College Press *2006: ''Life Beyond Death: threads of hope in faith, life and theology'' (

Sarum Theological Lectures Sarum College is a centre of theological learning in Salisbury, England. The college was established in 1995 and sits within the cathedral close on the north side of Salisbury Cathedral. The Sarum College education programme ranges from sho ...

.) London: Darton, Longman and Todd *2010:
Providence, Irony and Belief
. ''

'' *2015: ''Purpose and Providence. Taking Soundings in Western Thought, Literature and Theology'', London: Bloomsbury/T&T Clark *2017: 'Idealism and Compromise' & 'Stability' in ''The Moral Heart of Public Service'' ed. Foster-Gilbert, London: Jessica Kingsley *2019: 'Integrity and the Individual' in ''Integrity in Public Life'' ed. Foster-Gilbert, London: Haus *2020: 'Truth Pursued' in ''Truth in Public Life'' ed. Foster-Gilbert, London: Haus

Sources

*'' Crockford's Clerical Directory'', s.v. 'White, Vernon Philip' *Oxford University library catalogue
Homepage at STETS
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Vernon 1953 births 20th-century Anglican theologians Academics of the University of Exeter Academics of the University of Nottingham Academics of the University of Oxford Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Alumni of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Anglican philosophers English Anglican theologians 20th-century English Anglican priests 21st-century English Anglican priests Fellows of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford Living people Philosophers of religion People from Cambridge People from Guildford Writers from London People from Oxford