Hedley Sparks: Difference between revisions

| honorific-prefix = [[The Reverend]] [[Professor]]

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DD|FBA|size=100%}}

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

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

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

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

'''Hedley Frederick Davis Sparks''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|DD|FBA|size=100%|sep=,FBA}} (14 November 1908 – 22 November 1996) was a British [[Biblical studies|biblical scholar]] and [[Church of England]] priest. 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]], [[County of 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=513–536|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. His 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">{{Crockford| surname =Sparks | forenames =Hedley Frederick Davis | id =19993 | accessed = 5 December 2015}}</ref>

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" /> 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]]{{disambiguation needed|date=September 2015}} 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 [[University of Oxford]]: the DD is the most senior degree awarded by the Universityuniversity.<ref name="crockford" />

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" />

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" />

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" /> 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" />

==External Linkslinks==

- [https://web.archive.org/web/20161007061958/http://www.filbluz.ca/resources/____The-Apocryphal-Old-Testament_SPARKS.pdf The Apocryphal Old Testament], H. F. D. Sparks 1984

[[Category:British Latinists]]

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