David Edward Jenkins
Encyclopedia
David Edward Jenkins is a Church of England
cleric and former Bishop of Durham, a position he held from 1984 until 1994.
Jenkins was born in Bromley
, Kent
and educated at St Dunstan's College
, Catford. He had been a lecturer in theology at the University of Oxford
, Chaplain and Fellow of Queen's College, Oxford and worked for the World Council of Churches
and the William Temple
Foundation before his controversial appointment. He had written numerous books on Christian theology
, given Bampton Lectures
on the Incarnation at Oxford and been a professor at the University of Leeds
from 1979 until 1984.
His selection as Bishop of Durham was controversial due to allegations that he held heterodox beliefs. His "conjuring trick with bones" comment was criticised in particular, though some have argued that he was misquoted. The original line appears to have been "[the Resurrection] is real. That's the point. All I said was 'literally physical'. I was very careful in the use of language. After all, a conjuring trick with bones proves only that somebody's very clever at a conjuring trick with bones." He had stated on other occasions his view that the resurrected Christ lacked a physical body, but the paraphrase of his quote as "just a conjuring trick with bones", while common, is unfair.
Three days after his consecration as bishop on 6 July 1984, York Minster
was struck by lightning, resulting in a disastrous fire which some interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure at Jenkins's appointment.
As a bishop, Jenkins was known for his willingness to speak his mind. After leaving office in 1994 he continued to voice his opinions, such as in a BBC interview in 2003. In 2005, he became one of the first clerics in the Church of England
to publicly bless a civil partnership between two homosexual men, one of whom was a vicar
.
In 2006, Jenkins was banned from preaching in some of his local churches after reportedly "swearing" in a sermon. (The words used were "bloody" and "damn".)
His daughter Rebecca is an author of crime novels set in 19th-century Durham
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
cleric and former Bishop of Durham, a position he held from 1984 until 1994.
Jenkins was born in Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and educated at St Dunstan's College
St Dunstan's College
St Dunstan's College is a co-educational independent school in London, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and was an all-boys establishment until 1994...
, Catford. He had been a lecturer in theology at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, Chaplain and Fellow of Queen's College, Oxford and worked for the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
and the William Temple
William Temple (archbishop)
William Temple was a priest in the Church of England. He served as Bishop of Manchester , Archbishop of York , and Archbishop of Canterbury ....
Foundation before his controversial appointment. He had written numerous books on Christian theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, given Bampton Lectures
Bampton Lectures
The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton,. They have taken place since 1780.They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial. They continue to concentrate on Christian theological...
on the Incarnation at Oxford and been a professor at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
from 1979 until 1984.
His selection as Bishop of Durham was controversial due to allegations that he held heterodox beliefs. His "conjuring trick with bones" comment was criticised in particular, though some have argued that he was misquoted. The original line appears to have been "[the Resurrection] is real. That's the point. All I said was 'literally physical'. I was very careful in the use of language. After all, a conjuring trick with bones proves only that somebody's very clever at a conjuring trick with bones." He had stated on other occasions his view that the resurrected Christ lacked a physical body, but the paraphrase of his quote as "just a conjuring trick with bones", while common, is unfair.
Three days after his consecration as bishop on 6 July 1984, York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
was struck by lightning, resulting in a disastrous fire which some interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure at Jenkins's appointment.
As a bishop, Jenkins was known for his willingness to speak his mind. After leaving office in 1994 he continued to voice his opinions, such as in a BBC interview in 2003. In 2005, he became one of the first clerics in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
to publicly bless a civil partnership between two homosexual men, one of whom was a vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
.
In 2006, Jenkins was banned from preaching in some of his local churches after reportedly "swearing" in a sermon. (The words used were "bloody" and "damn".)
His daughter Rebecca is an author of crime novels set in 19th-century Durham