Union Theological College

Coordinates: 54°35′06″N 5°55′52″W / 54.585°N 5.931°W / 54.585; -5.931

Union Theological College

Established	1853; 168 years ago (1853) (Assembly's College)
Principal	Gordon Campbell
Address	108 Botanic Avenue Belfast BT7 1JT , Belfast , Northern Ireland
Affiliations	Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Website	www.union.ac.uk

Union Theological College is the theological college for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and is situated in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The College offers a range of distance learning postgraduate courses in Theology through BibleMesh^[1] rather than UCAS but accredited by the Presbyterian Theological Faculty Ireland (PTFI). The professors of the College constitute the PTFI which was granted a Royal Charter in 1881 to confer academic degrees.^[2] A Supplemental Charter was sought in 2020 to amend many of its outdated provisions.^[3] Until 2021, the College had provided teaching and assessment for undergraduate and postgraduate awards offered through the Institute of Theology of the Queen's University of Belfast.^[4]

History[]

The Assembly's College[]

The College was founded in 1853 as the Assembly's College. The Renaissance Revival style building with its grand Doric porch and Baroque attic was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, the architect of the main building at Queen's and built with Scrabo stone at a cost of £5,000.^[5] Merle d'Aubigné of Geneva participated in the opening ceremony on 5 December 1853 alongside Henry Cooke, President of the Faculty (the five other professors in the new college were John Edgar, Robert Wilson, William Killen, James G. Murphy and William Gibson).

There was a large influx of students in the wake of the 1859 Revival and the south wing with its dining hall and student accommodation ('Chambers') was added in 1869.^[6] Princeton seminary had an important influence in the shaping of the ethos of the College during this period: the Rev Roberts Watts who was appointed Professor of Systematic Theology in 1866 hoped to make 'Belfast another Princeton'.^[7] The north wing with its wood-panelled chapel was designed by John Lanyon, son of original architect, and completed in 1881.^[8] The first degrees under the Royal Charter were conferred in 1883.^[9] However, the death of Watts in 1895 marked the beginning of the end of the Princetonian influence.^[10] A partial union took place between the faculties in Belfast and Magee in 1922.

The newly formed Parliament of Northern Ireland met in the Assembly's College from 1921 until 1932 while Stormont was being built: the Commons met in the Gamble Library and the Senate in the College chapel. During this period the College conducted classes in a house and provided library resources in a house on University Square. In 1926 the College became a Recognised College of Queen's University.^[11] During this period the College came under criticism for its embrace of theological liberalism. This culminated in a charge of heresy being brought against Professor J Ernest Davey in 1926-27. The College officially reopened in October 1932 and the inaugural lecture was delivered by the Scottish Historian Robert Rait.^[12]

Between 1941 and 1948 the city police used the College as its own headquarters were bombed in the Belfast Blitz. In 1953, to mark the College's centenary year, Prof Davey was elected Moderator of the General Assembly.^[13]

The Union Theological College[]

In 1976 theological teaching at Magee College in Derry ceased and the two colleges amalgamated in 1978. The new college, constituted by an Act of Parliament, was named The Union Theological College.^[14] John M Barkley was Professor of Church History from 1954 until his retirement in 1981 (Principal 1976-1981) and was succeeded by Finlay Holmes (Principal 1987-1992). Laurence Kirkpatrick was subsequently appointed Professor of Church history in 1996 (Principal 2008-2010).

In 2003 the College celebrated its 150th anniversary by completing a £2.8million pound refurbishment in which individual study bedrooms with ensuite facilities were added. Alister E McGrath, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford gave a public lecture entitled 'Renewing our vision for the future of Protestant Christianity in Northern Ireland'. Bill Addley retired as Professor of Practical Theology in 2006 and the vacated chair was filled by Drew Gibson. Cecil McCullough, Professor of New Testament, who served as Principal from 1998-2002, retired in 2007 and was succeeded in the chair by Gordon Campbell.

On 14 November 2009 a fire caused serious damage to the rear of the college during the refurbishment of the Principal's House (a £2.2million project).^[15][16] The extension known as the Training Resource Centre provided further lecture and seminar rooms was subsequently opened in September 2011.^[17]

Stafford Carson was appointed as a new executive principal in 2013. At this time a major stonework restoration and conservation project took place (2013-2017).^[18] Patton Taylor retired as Professor of Old Testament in 2016 (Principal 2002-2008 and 2010-2013). The Welsh Presbyterian theologian Stephen N Williams, who had held the Chair of Systematic Theology from 1994, was succeeded in 2017 by .

In 2017 the College marked the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by participating in a 'Luther 500' conference and by hosting an autumn seminar series entitled 'The Unfinished Reformation'.^[19]

In 2019 Queen's University Belfast announced that it would end its relationship with the College.^[20]

In 2020 Union Theological College unilaterally announced it would partner with the Catholic St Mary's University, Twickenham for the awarding of undergraduate degrees.^[21]

Faculty[]

The faculty comprises three Professors (one of whom is described as ^[22]), a Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies, a Lecturer in Historical Theology, a Lecturer in New Testament and a Lecturer in Practical Theology. J Stafford Carson became principal of the College in 2013^[23] but retired in December 2020^[24] and was then succeeded in this role by Prof W Gordon Campbell.^[25] According to the report of a QAA monitoring visit in May 2021, “the College reports that it has had no relevant staff vacancies”,^[26] yet three such vacancies were advertised shortly thereafter with just over a week’s notice of the associated application deadline^[27][28][29].  The new faculty appointments were then announced in August 2021.^[22]

Biblical Studies[]

• Prof W Gordon Campbell (Principal and Professor of New Testament)
• (Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies)
• Dr Robbie Booth (Lecturer in New Testament)

Systematic Theology and Church History[]

• Prof (Professor of Systematic Theology)
• Dr Martyn C Cowan (Lecturer in Historical Theology)

Practical Theology and Ministry[]

• Dr Olwyn Mark (Lecturer in Practical Theology)
• Rev Dave Leach (“non-academic” Professor of Ministry and Director of a postulated new Institute for Ministry)

Notable Former Faculty[]

• Prof John Barkley (d. 1997)
• Prof Henry Cooke (d. 1868)
• Prof J Ernest Davey (d. 1960)
• Prof Finlay Holmes (d. 2008)
• Prof Robert Watts (d. 1895)
• Prof Stephen N Williams (Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology)
• Prof Laurence Kirkpatrick (Professor of Church History, sacked pursuant to public engagement with the media)
• Principal J Stafford Carson (former Principal and Professor of Ministry)

Library[]

Founded in 1873 by Mrs Caroline Gamble in memory of her late husband, the Rev Henry Gamble, the College Library is the largest theological library in Northern Ireland. The Gamble Library stocks over 65,000 books, 20,000 pamphlets and taking over 50 journals and periodicals. The domed library served as the Chamber of the House of Commons for the Northern Ireland Parliament from 1921 to 1932. The foundation of the collection predates the College and was formed in 1845.^[30] A significant collection was acquired from the estate of the Presbyterian historian Rev James Seaton Reid (d. 1851). Much of the Magee College pamphlet collection was added in 1977.

Culture & Community[]

Union College is the center for ministerial training in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and has previously been an important local hub for the provision of theological education, along with Belfast Bible College, Irish Baptist College and Edgehill Theological College. Union College has never been far from the critical discussions and, at times, controversies so prevalent in the context of changing social, historical and cultural circumstances in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. One of the college professors, J. Ernest Davey, was the subject of a heresy trial in 1927 because of his teaching in the College.^[31] Although cleared by the Church's courts a small number of Presbyterians broke away unhappy with the decision and founded what later became the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Arguably greater public controversy was generated latterly when the former Professor of Church History was sacked after 22 years of service, ostensibly as his participation in a radio interview was construed as “gross misconduct”.^{[32][33][34][35][36][37][38]}

See also[]

• Category:Academics of Union Theological College, Belfast

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Union Theological College, Belfast.

• Official website
• Presbyterian College Celebrates 150 Years, 2003 press release describing the college and its history.
• Queens University Belfast Theology Official site

Preceded by Belfast City Hall

Home of the Parliament of Northern Ireland 1921 – 1932

Succeeded by Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)