As my cv shows, I have been an academic virtually all my working life, teaching philosophy,
theology, and religious studies at various times. So I am an academic, with all the
shortcomings that implies. I am interested in intellectual problems, in arguments and
theories, and I depend on other people for finding out facts.
I am, by nature and conviction, an Idealist philosopher, somebody who believes in the
supremacy of Spirit or Mind, and who thinks that the material universe is an expression or
creation of a Supreme Mind. I see religions as very ambiguous but probably necessary ways
of giving humans some awareness of this Supreme Mind. And I adopted one liberal version
of Christianity, and became a priest of the Church of England in 1972. What ‘liberal’ means
is a good question, but for me it means, negatively, that I do not accept the inerrancy of the
Bible or of any system of dogmas, and positively, that I welcome constructive disagreement
and diversity of belief, and also that I believe in a ‘liberal’ God, one who desires the
flourishing of all sentient life so far as is possible, and who will not condemn anyone who
shares that desire.
That gives an idea of who I am, and explains why my books fall into three main classes –
philosophy, religion, and Christian theology. Virtually all my books have been, rather
selfishly, ways of working out what I believe, but they have also responded to particular
situations which have in my view shown misunderstandings of the sort of philosophy and
religion I adhere to – and those misunderstandings are legion, and growing (which is why I
have written so many books)!
Interests:
Concepts of God; the idea of revelation; method in theology; doctrines of Incarnation and
Trinity; religion and science; inter-religious dialogue; Christianity in the context of world
religions.
Publications: Religion and Revelation (1994, Clarendon Press, Oxford)
Religion and Creation (1996, Clarendon Press, Oxford)
Religion and Human Nature (1998, Clarendon Press, Oxford)
Religion and Community (2000, Clarendon Press, Oxford)
The God Conclusion (2009, Darton, Longman, Todd)
More than Matter? (2010, Lion/Hudson)
The Philosopher and the Gospels (2011, Lion/Hudson)