Login
Login

Anthony Thiselton

{{Short description|British theologian and priest (1937–2023)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=September 2017}}

{{Infobox academic

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Anthony Thiselton

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FBA|size=100%}}

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Anthony Charles Thiselton

| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|07|13|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|02|07|1937|07|13|df=y}}

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| region =

| nationality =

| period =

| occupation = principal of both St John's College, Nottingham and St John's College, Durham, Emeritus professor of Christian theology and head of department in the University of Nottingham

| title =

| boards =

| known_for =

| spouse =

| children =

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| era =

| language =

| discipline = Theology

| sub_discipline = {{hlist|Biblical studies|Hermeneutics|Christian doctrine}}

| school_tradition = Conservative evangelical

| education = City of London School, King's College London, University of Sheffield, University of Durham

| alma_mater =

| thesis_title =

| thesis_url =

| thesis_year =

| doctoral_advisor =

| doctoral_students =

| notable_students =

| main_interests =

| workplaces = {{plain list|

| notable_works =

| notable_ideas =

| influences =

| influenced =

| awards = Lambeth Doctorate of Divinity
Fellow of the British Academy

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Anthony Charles Thiselton {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FBA}} (13 July 1937 – 7 February 2023) was an English Anglican priest, theologian, and academic. He wrote a number of books and articles on a range of topics in Christian theology, biblical studies, and the philosophy of religion. He served on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, appointed by the Minister of Health.

Biography

Anthony Charles Thiselton was born on 13 July 1937.{{cite web |title=Thiselton, Prof. Rev. Canon Anthony Charles |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/display/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-37332 |website=WHO WAS WHO 2023 |access-date=27 October 2023}} He was educated at City of London School, with degrees from King's College London (BD, MTh) the University of Sheffield (PhD) and the University of Durham (DD). He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Chester;{{cite web|title=Chester University profile|url=http://www.chester.ac.uk/node/12797|access-date=11 April 2016|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305182447/http://chester.ac.uk/node/12797|url-status=dead}} in March 2012. Thiselton was an Honorary Fellow of Cranmer Hall, Durham;{{cite web|title=Cranmer Hall - Honorary Fellows|url=http://www.dur.ac.uk/st-johns.college/cranmer/cranmer_staff/honorary-fellows/|access-date=11 April 2016}} fellow of King's College London and fellow of the British Academy.

Thiselton was head of theology at the University of Nottingham and was also principal of both St John's College, Nottingham (1986 to 1988) and St John's College, Durham (1988 to 1992).{{Crockford| surname = Thiselton | forenames = Anthony Charles | id = 19906 | accessed = 18 June 2016}} He was a priest and canon in the Church of England, in which he represented the Diocese of Southwell on the church's General Synod. He was an associate priest in the parish of St Mary the Virgin, Attenborough, Nottingham. On 25 June 2002, he was presented with a Lambeth Degree of Doctorate of Divinity by the then Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey.

Thiselton was visiting Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena; Calvin College, Grand Rapids; Regent College, Vancouver; North Park, Seminary, Chicago; the University of Utrecht, Netherlands; several seminaries in South Korea; Senior Lecturer in the University of Sheffield; and Professor of Theology in the University of Chester. Thiselton retired from Nottingham in 2001; then served as Professor of Christian Theology at the University of Chester from 2001 to 2006. He returned to Nottingham as professor, from 2006, and his retirement in 2011 marked his final retirement from academic posts.{{cite web|title=Cermony [sic] One: Professor Anthony Thiselton|url=http://www.chester.ac.uk/node/12797|access-date=11 February 2021|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305182447/http://chester.ac.uk/node/12797|url-status=dead}}

Thiselton served on the Church of England General Synod membership, and its Commissions and Committees: Crown Nominations Commission, (2000-2010); Appointments Committee (2008–13); and Theological Education and Training Committee (1999-2005). Outside Synod he remained on the Doctrine Commission for nearly 30 years: Church of England Doctrine Commission (1976-2006); Acting Chairman (1987); Church of England Faith and Order Group (1979–89); and Theological Education in the Anglican Communion (2003–06).

His main published work was in the areas of hermeneutics (especially hermeneutical theory and its relationship to biblical interpretation), Christian doctrine (including eschatology and pneumatology), and biblical studies, in particular with two substantial commentaries on 1 Corinthians. He is unusual in academic theology for publishing research-level works across such a broad range of topics.

Thiselton received a Festschrift, edited by Stanley Porter and Matthew Malcolm, entitled Horizons in Hermeneutics (Eerdmans) in April 2013. In June 2012 he was also the subject of a one-day conference in his honour, at the University of Nottingham, at which he presented a response paper to several contributors who spoke in light of his work. Proceedings from this conference were published by Paternoster (in the UK) and IVP (in the US) as The Future of Biblical Interpretation (2013). St John's College, Nottingham, inaugurated a series of "Thiselton lectures" in 2013 to honour his work in hermeneutics. He gave the first of these himself, in June 2013.

Thiselton died on 7 February 2023, at the age of 85.{{Cite web |last=University |first=Durham |title=Death of Rev Professor Anthony Thiselton FBA - Durham University |url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/colleges/st-johns/about/news/death-of-rev-professor-anthony-thiselton-fba/ |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=www.durham.ac.uk |language=en-gb}}

=Views=

Thiselton was described in 2002, during the selection of the next Archbishop of Canterbury, as belonging to the conservative evangelical wing of the Church of England.{{cite news |title=The 13 voting members of the commission |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1381726/The-13-voting-members-of-the-commission.html |access-date=3 June 2021 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=17 January 2002 |quote=Canon Prof Anthony Thiselton, a theologian at the University of Nottingham. He is from a conservative, evangelical background.}}

Works

=Books=

  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |title=The Two Horizons: New Testament Hermeneutics and Philosophical Description with special reference to Heidegger, Bultmann, Gadamer, and Wittgenstein |location=Exeter; Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Paternoster; Eerdmans |date=1980 |isbn=978-0-802-83520-8 |oclc=4907859 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/twohorizonsnewte00this_0 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |author2-last=Lundin |author2-first=Roger |author3-last=Walhout |author3-first=Clarence |title=The Responsibility of Hermeneutics |location=Carlisle; Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Paternoster; Eerdmans |date=1985 |isbn=978-0-802-80029-9 |oclc=12371404 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=New Horizons in Hermeneutics: The Theory and Practice of Transforming Biblical Reading |location=London; Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=HarperCollins; Zondervan |date=1992 |isbn=978-0-310-51590-6 |oclc=24699360 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Interpreting God and the Postmodern Self: on meaning, manipulation, and promise |location=Edinburgh; Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=T & T Clark; Eerdmans |date=1995 |isbn=978-0-802-84128-5 |oclc=33078178 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |author2-last=Lundin |author2-first=Roger |author3-last=Walhout |author3-first=Clarence |title=The Promise of Hermeneutics |location=Carlisle; Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Paternoster; Eerdmans |date=1999 |isbn=978-0-802-84635-8 |oclc=40848460 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on the Greek Text |series=New International Greek Testament Commentary |location=Carlisle; Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Paternoster; Eerdmans |date=2000 |isbn=978-0-802-82449-3 |oclc=44926923 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=A Concise Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Religion |location=Oxford |publisher=Oneworld |date=2001 |edition=1st }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=A Concise Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Religion |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Baker Academic |date=2005 |isbn=978-0-801-03120-5 |oclc=488237726 |edition=North American }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Thiselton on Hermeneutics: Collected Works and New Essays |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2006 |isbn=978-0-802-83236-8 |oclc=66392781 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=1 Corinthians: A Shorter Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date= 2006 |isbn=978-0-802-82682-4 |oclc=71275476 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=The Hermeneutics of Doctrine |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2007 |isbn=9780802826817 |oclc=154683042 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Hermeneutics: An Introduction |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2009 |isbn=978-0-802-86410-9 |oclc=368048466 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=The Living Paul: An Introduction to the Apostle and this Thought |location=Downers Grove, IL |publisher=IVP Academic |date=2009 |isbn=978-0-830-83881-3 |oclc=456729547 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=1 and 2 Thessalonians: Through the Centuries |series=Blackwell Bible commentaries |location=Malden, MA |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |date=2011 |isbn=978-0-830-83881-3 |oclc=456729547 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Life after Death: a New Approach to the Last Things |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2011 |isbn=978-0-802-86665-3 |oclc=723142256 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=The Holy Spirit: In Biblical Teaching Through the Centuries and Today |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2013 |isbn=978-0-802-86875-6 |oclc=806521937 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=The Thiselton Companion to Christian Theology |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2015 |isbn=978-0-802-87232-6 |oclc=887852055 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Systematic Theology |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2015 |isbn=978-0-802-87272-2 |oclc=907976292 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=A Lifetime in the Church and the University |location=Eugene, OR |publisher=Cascade Books |date=2015 |isbn=978-1-4982-0219-0 |oclc=920850428 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Discovering Romans |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2016 |isbn=978-0-8028-7409-2 }} - forthcoming 4 July 2016
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=A Shorter Guide to the Holy Spirit |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2016 |isbn=978-0802873491 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Doubt, Faith and Certainty |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2017 |isbn=978-0802873538 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Approaching Philosophy of Religion |location=London |publisher=SPCK |date=2017 |isbn=978-0281076765 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Puzzling Passages in Paul, Forty Conundrums Calmly Considered |location=Eugene, OR |publisher=Wipf and Stock |date=2018 |isbn=978-1-5326-5054-3 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=2 Corinthians: A Short Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary |location=Eugene, OR |publisher=Wipf and Stock |date=2019 |isbn=978-1-5326-7270-5 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Colossians: A Short Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary |location=Eugene, OR |publisher=Wipf and Stock |date=2020 |isbn=978-1-7252-5852-5 }}
  • {{cite book |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Promise and Prayer: The Biblical Writings in the Light of Speech-Act Theory |location=Eugene, OR |publisher=Wipf and Stock |date=2020 |isbn=978-1-7252-5360-5 }}

=Articles and chapters=

{{cite journal |author1-last=Thiselton |author1-first=Anthony C. |author-mask=3 |title=Parables as Speech-Events |journal=Scottish Journal of Theology |volume=23 |date=1970 |page=466 }}

Bibliography

  • {{cite journal |author1-last=Bartholomew |author1-first=Craig G. |author1-link=Craig Bartholomew |title=Three Horizons: Hermeneutics from the Other End―An Evaluation of Anthony Thiselton's Hermeneutic Proposals |journal=European Journal of Theology |volume=5 |issue=2 |date=1996 |pages=121–135 }}
  • {{cite journal |title=Who's Who (2012 edition, p.1272) }}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{cite web|url=http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Theology/People/anthony.thiselton |title=Nottingham University profile |access-date=2013-10-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305122719/http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Theology/People/anthony.thiselton |archive-date=2010-03-05 }}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thiselton}}

Category:1937 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:People educated at the City of London School

Category:Alumni of King's College London

Category:Academics of the University of Nottingham

Category:Academics of the University of Chester

Category:Anglican philosophers

Category:British philosophers of religion

Category:Religious studies scholars

Category:English Anglican theologians

Category:Hermeneutists

Category:Principals of St John's College, Durham

Category:Fellows of the British Academy

Category:Staff of St John's College, Nottingham

Category:Fellows of King's College London

Category:Evangelical Anglican clergy

Category:Alumni of the University of Sheffield