St Stephen's House, Oxford

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St Stephen’s House, Oxford (popularly known as 'Staggers'), is an Anglican theological college and a Hall of the University of Oxford, England. The House offers formation, education, and training for a variety of qualifications and ministries.

1 History
2 Culture
3 Notable former students
4 Academics/Teachers=
- 4.1 External links

[edit] History

The college was founded in 1876 by members of the Tractarian movement and has stood ever since in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England. For most of its life, the House’s central role has been to train candidates for ordination in the Church of England and other provinces of the Anglican Communion. Indeed by the 1950's it was a seminary on a very catholic model, training very professional priests in the use of the confessional and the practice of Ignatian meditation. Life was quasimonastic with periods of greater and lesser silence, and prescribed times for prayer. Presiding over it was Fr Couratin, described by some as "a Roman Catholic who uses the Prayer Book" and by others as "Noel Coward in a clerical collar". His relaxed drawl and quick wit concealed a formidable intellect and with him as Principal the House maintained high standards of liturgy, scholarship and morality. The conferral of Permanent Private Hall status by the University of Oxford in 2003, along with recent developments in the Church, have meant that the House now sees its remit more widely as providing formation, education and training for the whole people of God. Within this overall understanding, the formation of candidates for the diaconate and the priesthood continues to have a prominent role. It officially became part of the University in 2003.

The House was located originally on the site which is now the New Bodleian Library in a house opposite the King's Arms public House. It was soon to move into buildings in Norham Gardens, in North Oxford. These buildings were developed, a chapel being built to the side of one of the houses, and in later years, accommodation being provided for married students. The buildings, whilst the college's home for many, were never ideal. In 1980 the Society of St. John the Evangelist decided to move from its mother house, Cowley St John. These monastic buildings were the ideal setting for a theological college. It was decided to buy the site and move the college to East Oxford. The current buildings contain the church of St John, Iffley Road, by G F Bodley, a masterpiece of his work, cloisters, the main buildings, the House Chapel, and the old mission house. The house chapel, extended by Ninian Comper is the old monastic chapel, and is used for morning and evening prayer. The daily Mass is celebrated in St Johns. Good accommodation in flats and house on site is provided for married students.

[edit] Culture

The house has aways been located in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England. As such great emphasis has always been placed on the formation of the person in their journey toward priesthood. At the heart of the colleges culture is prayer. Morning Prayer is recited daily, and Evening Prayer sung in the evening. Ordinands are expected to attend both. The daily Low Mass also provides a critical point of spiritual nourishment. Theological training appropriate to the person is provided, as is time for ministerial preparation. Ordinands are expected to take an active part in the life and work of the house, serving at dinner, keeping up the gardens, and cleaning the church and chapels. Sports are often popular and teams are fielded for a variety of university games, although it does somewhat depend on the enthusiasm of the students.

The college has, at times, had a reputation for being quite camp and attracting a number of gay ordinands, especially in the late 1970s. David Hope, later Archbishop of York, was recruited as principal in the 1970s to rein in excesses and to ensure the college remained on track in its mission.[1]. Richard Kirker of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, quoted in A Church at War: Anglicans and Homosexuality, claims its proportion of gay students has been as high as ninety percent, although this would seem significantly overstated . Prominent gay cleric Jeffrey John is an alumnus. A.N. Wilson writes that in his time there students were given opposite-sex "names in religion". [2].

[edit] Notable former students

The Rt Revd Andrew Burnham - Bishop of Ebbsfleet [3]
The Rt Revd Alan Chesters
Revd Canon A H Couratin, Liturgiologist and former Principal
The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Lord Hope - former Archbishop of York
William Cecil James Philip John Paul Howard, 8th Earl of Wicklow
The Very Revd Jeffrey John - Dean of St Albans
The Rt Revd Eric Kemp - former Bishop of Chichester
The Rt Revd W Gordon Roe, former Bishop of Huntingdon
The Rt Revd Glyn Simon, former Archbishop of Wales
The Rt Revd Gordon Wheeler, former Roman Catholic Bishop of Leeds
The Venerable Colin Williams - General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches
A. N. Wilson - journalist