Dean of King's College gives Lord Dearing Lecture on role of religion in HE

Dr Burridge gives Lord Dearing Lecture

The Revd Canon Professor Richard A Burridge, Dean of King's College London, explored a variety of themes around the role of faith in the UK's higher education landscape during the seventh Lord Dearing Annual Lecture at Church House Conference Centre in London on Thursday 12 November.

Speaking to an audience of invited guests, the speech - titled 'Church foundation, pluralist present, uncertain future? The role of faith-based institutions in Higher Education today' - examined how various HE institutions portray their religious foundations and traditional heritage today; ways in which explicit statements about faith in many founding charters can be translated into multi-faith aspirations; and whether contemporary statements about ethical principles, social justice and the public good are adequate updates for the 21st century or more a dilution of their founders' intentions.

Professor Peter Lutzeier, Vice Chancellor of Newman University and Chair of the Cathedrals Group of faith-based universities, said: "We were delighted that Professor Burridge agreed to give this year's Lord Dearing Lecture. Clearly much has changed, both in society and the university sector, since many of our member institutions were founded. The challenge facing us all is how best to continue providing an excellent, formative education for our students while maintaining our principles and the foundations on which our institutions have been built.

"In an increasingly secular age, the Cathedrals Group provides a truly distinctive higher education offer - one that is celebrated by both our students and the wider academic community - but that offer is one that can be easily misunderstood or distorted in the wider debate around the value and role of higher education in society.

"I'd like to thank Professor Burridge for giving his time to share his thoughts and insights on these matters and I'm sure our guests enjoyed the challenges and newideas his lecture provoked."

Revd Canon Professor Richard A Burridge has been Dean of King's College London since 1993, where he is also Professor of Biblical Interpretation. He has written on Jesus and the gospels, ethics, the purposes of universities and higher education. He is presently working on a biblical methodology to illustrate approaches to ethical dilemmas and common human experiences. He was one of two recipients of the 2013 Ratzinger Prize for Theology. OR He is the only non-Roman Catholic to receive the Ratzinger Prize, in 2013.