O'Donovan, Oliver 1945- (Oliver Michael Timothy O'Donovan)

PERSONAL:

Born June 28, 1945, in London, England; married Joan Lockwood, 1978; children: Matthew Augustine and Paul Jeremiah. Education: Earned Ph.D., D.Phil. Hobbies and other interests: Music and walking.

ADDRESSES:

Office—New College, Mound Place, Edinburgh EH1 2LX, Scotland. E-mail—Oliver.Odonovan@ed.ac.uk.

CAREER:

Priest, theologian, educator, and writer. Ordained as a deacon, 1972, and as a priest, 1973; Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, England, tutor, 1972-77; St. Helen's Church, Abingdon, England, assistant curate, 1972-76; Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, Toronto School of Theology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assistant professor of systematic theology, 1977-1981, associate professor, 1981-82; University of Oxford, Oxford, England, regius professor of moral and pastoral theology and canon of Christ Church, 1982-2006, director of graduate studies, Faculty of Theology, 1995-99, librarian, Christ Church, 2002-06; University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, professor of Christian ethics and practical theology, 2006—. Also member of Church of England Board for Social Responsibility, 1976-77 and 1982-85; examining chaplain to Bishop of Toronto and member of Candidates Committee of Diocese of Toronto, 1978-1982; McCarthy visiting professor at Gregorian University in Rome, 2001; president of Society for Study of Christian Ethics, 1997-2000; and chairman of the board of the Faculty of Theology, University of Oxford, 1990-92. Work-related activities include serving as member of Canadian Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue, 1979-1982; Joint Orthodox-Anglican Doctrinal Discussions, 1982-85; Archbishop of Canterbury's Group on the Law of Affinity, 1982-84; Working Party on Human Fertilization and Embryology of the Church of England Board for Social Responsibility, 1982-85; Management Committee of Ian Ramsey Centre, St. Cross College, Oxford, 1983-89, Anglican Roman Catholic International Committee, 1985-90, council, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, 1985-1995; House of Bishops' Working Group on Marriage in Church after Divorce, 1996-98; Church of England Doctrine Committee, 1996-97; Faith and Order Advisory Group for Archbishops' Council, 2004—. Lecturing appointments include Chevasse lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, 1985; Church of Ireland Theological lecturer at Queen's University, Belfast, 1986 and 2006; pastoral theology lecturer at the University of Durham, 1987; select preacher at the University of Oxford, 1982, 1987, 1988, and 1993; Assize preacher at Birmingham Cathedral, 1988; Hulsean preacher at University of Cambridge, 1989; visiting lecturer at St Patrick's College, Maynooth Ireland, 1989; Payton lecturer at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, 1989; Paddock lecturer at General Theological Seminary, NY, 1990—; Hulsean lecturer at University of Cambridge, 1994; Hooker lecturer at McMaster University, Ontario, 1996; Cheung Siu Kwai lecturer at St. John's College, Hong Kong, 2002; and Bampton lecturer at University of Oxford, 2003.

MEMBER:

British Academy (fellow).

WRITINGS:

In Pursuit of a Christian View of War, Grove Books (Bramcote, England), 1977.

Measure for Measure: Justice in Punishment and the Sentence of Death, Grove Books (Bramcote, England), 1977.

The Problem of Self-Love in St. Augustine, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT), 1980.

Begotten or Made?, Clarendon Press (Oxford, Oxfordshire, England), 1984.

Principles in the Public Realm: The Dilemma of Christian Moral Witness, Clarendon Press (Oxford, Oxfordshire, England), 1984.

On the Thirty-Nine Articles: A Conversation with Tudor Christianity, Paternoster Press (Exeter, England), 1986.

Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, Inter-Varsity Press (Leicester, England), 1986.

Peace and Certainty: A Theological Essay on Deterrence, W.B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI), 1989.

(Consulting editor, with Arthur F. Holmes) New Dictionary of Christian Ethics & Pastoral Theology, edited by David J. Atkinson and David H. Field, InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 1995.

The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1996.

(Editor, with wife, Joan Lockwood O'Donovan) From Irenaeus to Grotius: A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought, 100-1625, William B. Eerdmans Publishing (Grand Rapids, MI), 1999.

Common Objects of Love: Moral Reflection and the Shaping of Community: The 2001 Stob Lectures, William B. Eerdmans Publishing (Grand Rapids, MI), 2002.

The Just War Revisited, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Joan Lockwood O'Donovan) Bonds of Imperfection: Christian Politics, Past and Present, William B. Eerdmans Publishing (Grand Rapids, MI), 2004.

The Ways of Judgment: The Bampton Lectures, 2003, William B. Eerdmans Publishing (Grand Rapids, MI), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS:

Oliver O'Donovan is an Anglican priest, theologian, and educator whose primary interests are in the fields of Christian ethics, both contemporary and historical; moral philosophy in relation to Christian theology; Christian political thought, both past and present; theology and law; the idea of "just war" and international order; and Augustines' political and moral thought. O'Donovan has written and edited numerous books on these topics.

For example, in his 1996 book, The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, the author examines Christian political thought using Biblical interpretation along with historical discussion of Western political and theological tradition and a critical analysis of contemporary theological-political views. Gilbert Meilaender, writing in First Things, called The Desire of the Nations "as significant a work of theology as I can recall reading in the last twenty years." Meilaender went on to write in the same review: "What makes it important? Chiefly, I believe, two things. The book is, first, a reading of Scripture as a coherent whole and continuous narrative. This reading is genuinely historical in the sense that it makes place for change and development within the biblical narrative." Meilaender then noted that the second thing that makes the book important in his mind is that it "is a powerful defense of Christendom—not as a present reality, of course, since O'Donovan knows that we no longer live in such times, but as a necessary feature of the Church's mission."

Other reviewers also had high praise for The Desire of the Nations. Wendy Dackson wrote in the Journal of Church and State: "The book is a well-written scholarly volume, researched over a broad cross-section of thought on the topic of political theology from the origins of Christianity through the present; the main argument is supplemented by copious inter-textual footnotes which clarify and elaborate why the author claims the things he does." In a review in the Journal of Theological Studies, Duncan B. Forrester wrote that the author provides "a powerful and illuminating exposition of the political significance of the biblical witness."

O'Donovan is the editor, with his wife, Joan Lockwood O'Donovan, of From Irenaeus to Grotius: A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought, 100-1625. In their book, the O'Donovans present "a remarkable collection of documents that illustrates the way in which Christian theology informed political ideas and practice for more than a millennium and a half," according to Journal of Church and State contributor Derek H. Davis. Davis added: "These primary sources give a comprehensive overview of the history of Christian political thought, from the patristic age to the Reformation, in all of its intensity and diversity."

The book features a collection of readings from the work of more than sixty-five authors, from Miraneus of Lyons, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas to Martin Luther, Richard Hooker, and Hugo Grotius. Each of the readings includes an introductory essay that provides historical details about each of the writers and a discussion of how their philosophies contributed to the tradition of Christian political thought.

In The Just War Revisited, O'Donovan examines the ethical questions surrounding the morality of war with a focus on Christian ethical issues. Based on four lectures given at the University of Aberdeen in December of 2001, the book "present[s] a longstanding tradition of thinking about war that has deep roots in historic Christian theology," according Books & Culture contributor J. Daryl Charles. In his examination of the idea of a just war, the author delves into modern concepts of warfare, such as counterinsurgency warfare, and other aspects of war, such as weapons of mass destruction. He also examines whether or not war crimes trials can be satisfying morally.

Writing in the Contemporary Review, J.D. Kernohan noted that "the book's substance stands apart from recent events and from the justice or otherwise of any particular war." Kernohan went on to write: "It rejects pacifism in the now colloquial sense," adding that the author presents his belief "that modern theology must draw at least as much on Grotius and Locke as on Augustine and Aquinas and must relate to the realities of politics and technology, among which are the fearful potential … of biological and chemical weapons."

For his next book, Bonds of Imperfection: Christian Politics, Past and Present, the author collaborates once again with his wife, Joan Lockwood O'Donovan, to present a series of mostly previously published essays that examine the writings and beliefs of key Christian voices concerning political action, institutions, and society, from Bonaventure and Thomas to Luther and Grotius. In the process, the authors examine such aspects of modern society as economics, personal freedom, the nature of statehood, and liberal democracy. The book's first section focuses on historical moments in theological-political thought and tradition while the second part examines contemporary themes in Christian political thought, such as the modern idea of the nation state in comparison with theological ideas about the idea of the nation.

"With this collection of essays, there can be no doubt that Joan and Oliver O'Donovan have established themselves as leading thinkers in the growing field of both historical and contemporary political theology," wrote Todd V. Cioffi in the Journal of Ecclesiastical History. Catholic Historical Review contributor Francis Oakley commented that "these are learned essays. They rest on the foundation of an erudition at once both broad-ranging and specialized. They are also, almost invariably, deeply thoughtful pieces."

In his 2005 book The Ways of Judgment: The Bampton Lectures, 2003, the author presents in book form a series of sixteen lectures that he presented at St. Mary's Church in Oxford. In these lectures, the author examines Christian political ethics with a focus on theology from a political viewpoint. In the process, the author writes about contemporary social and political realities that he deems to be obscure and elusive, especially in comparison to gospel proclamations. Drawing on traditional Christian political thought and the writings of contemporary theologians, the author first looks at the act of political judgment and then examines the formation of political institutions. He completes his analysis by exploring the opposition between the church and political institutions, especially within the realm of Jesus' teaching of not judging.

Referring to The Ways of Judgment as "a work of political theory, systematically addressing from a Christian perspective the kinds of questions political theorists tackle," William C. Placher went on to write in his review in the Christian Century that the author "offers challenging conclusions" concerning the relation of political institutions to the church. Paul J. Griffiths wrote in Commonweal that The Ways of Judgment is a companion piece or sequel to the author's highly praised 1996 book, The Desire of the Nations. As such, Griffiths noted: "Taken together, these books provide a theologically substantial and thoroughly Christian analysis of the political order. They are written with the conviction that the political order cannot be understood without theology and that theology requires and entails an account of the political order."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Books & Culture, March-April, 2005, J. Daryl Charles, "Between Pacifism and Jihad: The Just-War Tradition Reconsidered," p. 20.

Catholic Historical Review, July, 2005, Francis Oakley, review of Bonds of Imperfection: Christian Politics, Past and Present, p. 506.

Choice, June, 2000, R.W. Rousseau, review of From Irenaeus to Grotius: A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought, 100-1625, p. 1833; February, 2006, M.S. Power, review of The Ways of Judgment: The Bampton Lectures, 2003, p. 1029.

Christian Century, March 4, 1987, Charles Scriven, review of Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics, p. 227; October 18, 2005, William C. Placher, "Christian Politics," review of The Ways of Judgment, p. 50; May 30, 2006, Robin Lovin, review of The Ways of Judgment, p. 27.

Christianity Today, October 7, 1988, Allen D. Verhey, review of Resurrection and Moral Order, p. 70.

Commonweal, March 10, 2006, Paul J. Griffiths, "Redeeming Politics," review of The Ways of Judgment, p. 27.

Contemporary Review, April, 2004, R.D. Kernohan, "A Realistic View of the Just War," review of The Just War Revisited, p. 250.

Ethics, January, 1988, Alan F. Johnson, review of Resurrection and Moral Order, p. 418.

First Things, November, 1997, Gilbert Meilaender, review of The Desire of the Nations: Rediscovering the Roots of Political Theology, p. 36; March, 1999, Richard Neuhaus, "Their History and Ours," p. 69; October, 2000, review of From Irenaeus to Grotius, p. 79; February, 2003, review of Common Objects of Love: Moral Reflection and the Shaping of Community: The 2001 Stob Lectures, p. 65; June-July, 2004, review of Bonds of Imperfection, p. 63; January, 2006, Gilbert Meilaender, "Judging Politics," review of The Ways of Judgment, p. 42.

Journal of Church and State, autumn, 1997, Wendy Dackson, review of The Desire of the Nations, pp. 800-802; autumn, 2000, Derek H. Davis, review of From Irenaeus to Grotius, p. 850; spring, 2004, J. Daryl Charles, review of The Just War Revisited, p. 408.

Journal of Ecclesiastical History, July, 2005, Todd V. Cioffi, review of Bonds of Imperfection, p. 535.

Journal of Law and Religion, winter, 2004, Jon P. Gunnemann, review of The Just War Revisited, pp. 295-303.

Journal of Religion, January, 1988, James M. Gustafson, review of Resurrection and Moral Order, p. 131; July, 2007, Todd V. Cioffi, review of The Ways of Judgment, p. 454.

Journal of Theological Studies, October, 1997, Duncan B. Forrester, review of The Desire of the Nations, p. 756; April, 2005, John Munsey Turner, review of Bonds of Imperfection, p. 293.

Modern Theology, July, 1998, Bernd Wannenwetsch, review of The Desire of the Nations, p. 463; April, 2005, Daniel M. Bell, review of Bonds of Imperfection.

Reference & Research Book News, May, 2000, review of From Irenaeus to Grotius, p. 14; November, 2005, review of The Ways of Judgment.

Renaissance Quarterly, spring, 2001, review of From Irenaeus to Grotius.

Scottish Journal of Theology, May, 1989, Maurice Reidy, review of Resurrection and Moral Order, p. 131.

Theological Studies, December, 1997, Jean Bethke Elshtain, review of The Desire of the Nations, p. 749; September, 2005, David E. DeCosse, review of The Just War Revisited, p. 691; March, 2006, David Haddorff, review of Bonds of Imperfection, p. 217.

Theology, September-October, 2003, Peter Sedwick, review of Common Objects of Love, p. 372; September 1, 2004, Richard Harries, review of The Just War Revisited, p. 381; May-June, 2005, Michael Northcott, review of Bonds of Imperfection, p. 226; July 1, 2007, Michael Northcott, review of The Ways of Judgment, p. 305.

Theology Today, January, 1998, Glenn Tinder, review of The Desire of the Nations, p. 552; October, 2003, Kimberly A. Bresler, review of Common Objects of Love, p. 448.

Times Literary Supplement, August 13, 2004, John Kenrick, "Violent Judgment," review of The Just War Revisited, p. 24; December 24, 2004, David Marting, "Some Academic Distinctions," review of Bonds of Imperfection, p. 29; April 6, 2007, Christopher J. Insole, "Seek the Wrong," review of The Ways of Judgment, p. 9.

ONLINE

Mises Review,http://dev.mises.org/ (February 23, 2008), David Gordon, "The Myth of Altruistic War," review of The Just War Revisited.

University of Edinburgh School of Divinity Web site,http://www.div.ed.ac.uk/ (February 23, 2008), faculty profile of author.