Hedley Sparks: Difference between revisions

| honorific-prefix = [[The Reverend]] [[Professor (highest academic rank)|Prof]]

| honorific-suffix = [[Doctor of Divinity{{post-nominals|DD]] [[Fellow of the British Academycountry=GBR|FBA]]|size=100%}}

| title = [[Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture]], [[University of Oxford]]

| churchimage = [[Church= ofHedley England]]Sparks.png

| ordination = 1933 (deacon) <br /> 1934 (priest)

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1908|11|14|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Stoke Newington]], [[County of London]],<!--as it was then--> United EnglandKingdom

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1996|11|22|1908|11|14|df=y}}

| death_place = [[Canterbury]], Kent, EnglandUK

'''Hedley Frederick Davis Sparks''', [[Fellow of the British Academy{{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FBA]]}} (14 November 1908 – 22 November 1996) was a British [[Biblical studies|biblical scholar]], and [[Church of England]] priest, and academic. From 1946 to 1952, he was [[Cadbury Professor of Theology]] at the [[University of Birmingham]]. From 1952 to 1976, he was [[Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture]] at the [[University of Oxford]].

Sparks was born on 14 November 1908 in [[Stoke Newington]], London,[[County Englandof London]].<ref name="obit - PBA">{{cite journal|last1=Brock|first1=Sebastian P.|title=Hedley Frederick Davis Sparks, 1908–1996|journal=Proceedings of the British Academy|dateyear=1998|volume=101|pages=513-536513–536|url=http://www.britac.ac.uk/pubs/proc/files/101p513.pdf|format=pdf}}</ref> He was the only child of the Revd Frederick Sparks (1847–1908) and his second wife, Blanche Barnes.<ref name="Oxford DNB">{{cite webODNB|last1=Livingstone|first1=Elizabeth A.|title=Sparks, Hedley Frederick Davis (1908–1996)|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/64018|website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|accessdate=24 August 2015|dateyear=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/64018 }}</ref> His father died 5 weeks before his son's birth, at the age of 61.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> He was educated at [[St Edmund's School]], then an all-boys [[IndependentPrivate schoolschools in the (United Kingdom)|independentprivate school]] in [[Canterbury]], Kent. TheHis school fees and living costs were paid for by the [[Clergy Orphan Corporation]].<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> In February 1927, he successfully underwent an exam and interview to win a [[scholarship]] to [[Brasenose College, Oxford]]: he was the only candidate that year.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> He [[matriculated]] into Brasenose College in October 1927, and studied [[theology]] and music for the next three years.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> In 1930, he graduated from the [[University of Oxford]] with a [[first class honours]] [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA) degree in theology; he did not sit the [[final exams]] for music.<ref name="obit - Times">{{cite news|title=The Rev Professor Hedley Sparks|work=The Times|issue=65748|date=29 November 1996|page=23}}</ref><ref name="Crockford entrycrockford">{{Crockford| surname =Sparks | initialsforenames =HHedley FFrederick DDavis | id =19993 | accessed = 245 AugustDecember 2015}}</ref>

His high class bachelor's degree won him the Senior Hulme Scholarship. This funded three further years of study and was usually used to fund a second degree.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> However, he chose to train for [[ordination]] and entered [[Ripon Hall]], an [[Anglican]] [[theological college]] in 1930.<ref name="Crockford entrycrockford" /> He additionally studied [[Hebrew]] and [[Aramaic]] under [[G. A. Cooke]], the [[Regius Professor of Hebrew (Oxford)|Regius Professor of Hebrew]], and [[Assyriology]] under [[Stephen Herbert Langdon|Stephen Langdon]]. In 1932, he spent the [[summer term]] at [[Marburg University]] in Germany where he studied under [[Rudolf Bultmann]] and [[Karl Budde]].<ref name="obit - PBA" />

Sparks was [[ordained]] in the [[Church of England]] as a [[Deacon#Anglicanism|deacon]] on 24 September 1933 by [[Thomas Strong (bishop)|Thomas Strong]], the [[Bishop of Oxford]],<ref name="obit - PBA" /> and as a [[Priest#Anglican or Episcopalian|priest]] in 1934.<ref name="Crockford entrycrockford" /> From 1933 to 1936, he combined his [[curacy]] at [[All Saints Church, Oxford]], and a position as an honorary [[chaplain]] of [[Ripon Hall]].<ref name="obit - Times" /> Additionally, he assisted [[Henry Julian White (priest)|H. J. White]] with the production of a new version of the [[Vulgate]] New Testament between 1933 and White's death in July 1934.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> He resigned from Ripon Hall in 1936 because of the increasing influence of the [[Modern Churchmen's Union]] on the [[theological college]].<ref name="Oxford DNB" />

In 1936, Sparks left [[Oxford]] and moved to [[Durham, England|Durham]] in the north of England. He was a [[lecturer]] in the [[theology]] at [[Durham University]] between 1936 and 1946.<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> He specialised in teaching [[Christian doctrine]] and [[Patristics]], and later also taught Hebrew.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> During [[World War II]], he was additionally [[censor]] of [[Hatfield College, Durham|Hatfield College]] and [[University College, Durham|University College]]: the two colleges had been combined for the duration of the war.<ref name="obit - Times" />

At the end of the war, Sparks was looking to move again. He was interviewed for the [[Samuel Davidson Professorship of Old Testament Studies]] at the [[University of London]], but was not successful. He then applied for the appointment of [[Cadbury Professor of Theology]] at the [[University of Birmingham]]. HavingHe beenwas successful, heand took up the [[Professor (highest academic rank)|chair]] in October 1946.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> He developed the theology [[syllabus]] and expanded the department's academics to create aan [[ecumenical]] faculty;<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> this included the first Roman Catholic, H. Francis Davis (Vice-Principal of [[St Mary's College, Oscott|Oscott College]]) as a [[visiting lecturer]].<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> From 1947 to 1952, he was [[Dean (education)#United Kingdom|Dean]] of the [[Faculty (division)|Faculty]] of Arts.<ref name="obit - Times" /> In 1949, he was awarded a [[Doctor of Divinity]] (DD) degree by his ''[[alma mater]]'', the [[BrasenoseUniversity College,of Oxford]]: the DD is the most senior degree wardedawarded by the [[University of Oxford]]university.<ref name="Crockford entrycrockford" />

In November 1951, Sparks was elected [[Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture]] at the University of Oxford. He took up the appointment on 1 October 1952.<ref>{{cite news|title=University News|work=The Times|issue=52158|date=14 November 1951|page=8}}</ref> The chair had been linked with a [[canonry]] at [[Rochester Cathedral]] but this was separated before the 1951 election.<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> The chair remained linked with [[Oriel College, Oxford]] and he was duly elected a [[Fellow#Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin|fellow]] of the college.<ref name="obit - Times" /> He gave a number of lecture series through the [[Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford|Faculty of Theology and Religion]]. In addition, though he was not required to, he provided [[Tutorial system|tutorials]] to [[undergraduate]] theology students at his college.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> From 1953 to 1977, he was [[Editor]] of the ''[[Journal of Theological Studies]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chadwick|first1=Henry|title=Hedley Sparks|journal=Journal of Theological Studies|date=1 April 1997|volume=48|page=i}}</ref> In 1957, [[George Norman Clark|G. N. Clarke]] retired as [[Master (college)|Provost]] of Oriel College. Sparks was encouraged to apply to replace him, but upon learning that it would mean giving up his chair, chose not to.<ref name="obit - PBA" /> In 1962, Sparks was the president of the [[Society for Old Testament Study]]. From 1961 to 1968, he was [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|Rector]] of All Saints Church, [[Wytham]], in addition to his academic positions.<ref name="Crockford entrycrockford" />

HavingOn retiredhis retirement, Sparks moved to [[Canterbury]], Kent.<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> He was granted [[Permission to Officiate]] in the [[Diocese of Canterbury]] which he held until his death.<ref name="Crockford entrycrockford" />

Sparks died on 22 November 1996 at the Nunnery Fields Hospital, Canterbury. On 28 November, his funeral service was held at [[Canterbury Cathedral]] and he was buried in churchyard in [[New Romney]], Kent.<ref name="Oxford DNB" />

Sparks lived with his mother until her death in 1951. On 25 August 1953, he married Margaret Joan Davy. Having been born in 1930, she was almostmore threethan two decades younger than her husband.<ref name="Oxford DNB" /> Together they had three children: two sons and one daughter.<ref name="obit - Times" />

In 1959, Sparks was elected a [[Fellow of the British Academy]] (FBA).<ref name="bio - British Academy">{{cite web|title=SPARKS, Revd Dr Hedley (14/11/1908-25/11/1996) |url=http://www.britac.ac.uk/fellowship/directory/dec.cfm?member=2404 |website=British Academy Fellows |publisher=British Academy |accessdate=26 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208103351/http://www.britac.ac.uk/fellowship/directory/dec.cfm?member=2404 |archivedate=8 December 2015 }}</ref> He was awarded two [[Honorary degree|honorary]] [[Doctor of Divinity]] (DD) degrees: he was awarded an honorary DD by the [[University of St Andrews]] in 1963 and an honorary DD by the [[University of Birmingham]] in 1983.<ref name="Crockford entrycrockford" /> In 1980, he was honoured by [[Oriel College, Oxford]] by being elected to an [[Fellow#Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin|honorary fellowship]] by [[Oriel College, Oxford|Oriel College]].<ref name="obit - PBA" />

*{{cite book |last1=Sparks |first1=H. F. D. |title=The Old Testament in the Christian church |date=1944 |publisher=SCM Press |location=London}}

*{{cite book |last1=Sparks |first1=H. F. D. |title=The Formation of the New Testament |date=1952 |publisher=SCM Press |location=London}}

*{{cite book |last1=Sparks |first1=H. F. D. |title=A synopsis of the Gospels: Volume 1 -– The Synoptic Gospels with the Johannine parallels |date=1964 |publisher=A & C Black |location=Oxford}}

*{{cite book |last1=Sparks |first1=H. F. D. |title=A synopsis of the Gospels: Volume 2 -– The Gospel according to St John with the Synoptic parallels |date=1974 |publisher=A & C Black |location=Oxford}}

*{{cite book |editor1-last=Sparks |editor1-first=H. F. D. |title=The Apocryphal Old Testament |date=1984 |publisher=Clarendon Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0198261773}}

{{s-ttl|title=[[Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture]] ,<br /> [[University of Oxford]] |years=1952 to 19761952–1976}}

[[Category:British Latinists]]

[[Category:People educated at St Edmund's School, Canterbury]]