University announces new Portland Chair in New Testament Studies
The University of Gloucestershire has announced the appointment of the eminent theologian, author and academic, Professor Philip Esler, to one of its most distinguished posts - the Portland Chair in New Testament Studies.
The Portland Chair is an important part of the University’s theological tradition, which dates back to its foundation in the 1840s. The Chair is supported by an endowment from the Kirby Laing Foundation, which has also endowed chairs at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Aberdeen.
The Chair leads the University of Gloucestershire International Centre for Biblical Interpretation, and the position must be filled by a distinguished scholar who has an interest in the theological interpretation of the Bible.
Professor Esler has been appointed to the Portland Chair in succession to Professor Andrew Lincoln. Professor Esler was born in Australia, and trained as a lawyer. He attended Magdalen College, Oxford in 1981 to study a D. Phil in the New Testament. He became the first Chief Executive of the Arts and Humanities Research Council in 2005, and in 2010 became Principal and Professor of Biblical Interpretation at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham. He is a member of the Council of the Society of Biblical Literature.
His new role will include undertaking research and writing for publication, supervision of research degrees, mentoring staff, contributing to teaching programmes in theology and religious studies, and acting as an ambassador for the University and School of Humanities . . . .More at the link above. Great news for the University of Gloucestershire and its students!