John Norman Davidson Kelly FBA

British Academy

The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...

 (1909–1997) was a prominent academic within the theological faculty of Oxford University and Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford between 1951 and 1979 during which the Hall transformed into an independent constituent college of the University and later a co-educational establishment.

Early life

John Kelly was born in Bridge of Allan

Bridge of Allan

Bridge of Allan is a town in Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. It was formerly administered by Stirlingshire and Central Regional Council....

, Perthshire on 13 April 1909 and was the fourth of five children to his Scottish schoolmaster father and English mother. John was home-schooled by his father and graduated initially at the University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...

 after which he went up to Queen’s College, Oxford having secured a scholarship. At Queen’s he read classical moderations, Greats, and theology and graduated with first-class honours. Despite an upbringing as a Presbyterian he was confirmed into 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...

 and entered the ministry, attending St Stephen's House, Oxford

St Stephen's House, Oxford

St Stephen’s House, Oxford , is an Anglican theological college and one of six religious Permanent Private Halls of the University of Oxford, England...

 before being made deacon in Northamptonshire.

St Edmund Hall

Before completing his diaconal year he was invited to return to Oxford as chaplain and tutor in theology and philosophy at St Edmund Hall by the then principal, A.B. Emden

Alfred Brotherston Emden

Alfred Brotherston Emden was an Oxford University historian and Principal of St Edmund Hall from 1929 to 1951. He published widely on matters concerning St Edmund Hall and the medieval church...

 beginning a sixty-two year association with the Hall. He was ordained priest in 1935. In 1937, Kelly was made Vice-Principal. During the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he wished to become a military chaplain but Emden would not release him, and he instead undertook linguistic work for the Foreign Office. Emden was forced to retire in 1951 because of illness and Kelly became Principal, a position he held until 1979.
Kelly became Principal of the Hall at an important phase of its 700 year history, namely its independence from Queen’s College, of which it had been part since 1557. The process, started by Emden in 1937, was brought to fruition in 1958 when Kelly secured the co-operation of Queen’s and obtained for the Hall a Charter of Incorporation, presented by the Duke of Edinburgh

Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...

.

During his tenure as Principal, Kelly oversaw a major fund-raising programme which allowed the building of new student accommodation and dining facilities. A period of illness in 1966 cut short his tenure as vice-chancellor of the University. Between 1972 and 1977 he was pro-vice-chancellor of the University. Finally, before he retired as principal, he oversaw the admission of women into the undergraduate body of the Hall, with their first matriculation in 1979.

Academic achievements

John Kelly was prominent in the theology faculty throughout his association with St Edmund Hall. He was speaker’s lecturer in biblical studies from 1945 to 1948 and subsequently held a university lectureship in patristic studies until 1976. He published widely, writing on the development of the early Christian Creeds and doctrines, his Early Christian Creeds and Early Christian Doctrines becoming standard secondary works and seminary textbooks; commentaries on the pastoral epistles; biographical studies, including studies of St Jerome and St John of Chrysostom; and The Oxford Dictionary of Popes. He was working on a companion volume to the Oxford Dictionary about archbishops when he died.

In the ecclesiastical world, he became a canon of Chichester Cathedral

Chichester Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...

 in 1948, a position he held until 1993. He presided over the Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...

’s Commission on Roman Catholic Relations from 1963 until 1968 and accompanied the archbishop, Michael Ramsey

Michael Ramsey

Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury PC was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and was in office from June 1961 to 1974.-Career:...

 on his historic visit to Rome in 1966. He was a founder member of the Academic Council of the Institute for Advanced Theological Studies in Jerusalem.

He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1951 and fellowship of the British Academy

British Academy

The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...

in 1965. He died a bachelor on 31 March 1997 and his cremated remains are interred in the antechapel of St Edmund Hall.

Selected bibliography

• Kelly, J.N.D. [1950] (2006) Early Christian creeds, 3rd ed., London : Continuum, ISBN 0-82649-216-9
• Kelly, J.N.D. (1952) What is Catholicism?, Saffron Walden, Essex : Talbot Press (S.P.C.K.), 39 p.
• Kelly, J.N.D. [1958] (2000) Early Christian doctrines, 5th rev. ed., London : Continuum, ISBN 0-82645-252-3
• Kelly, J.N.D. [1963] (1987) A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles. I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Black's New Testament Commentaries, London : Addison-Wesley, ISBN 0-06-064329-3
• Kelly, J.N.D. (1964) The Athanasian Creed, Paddock lectures ; 1962–1963, London : A. & C. Black, 140 p.
• Kelly, J.N.D. (1969) A commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of Jude, Black's New Testament commentaries, London: Black, ISBN 0-7136-1010-7
• Kelly, J.N.D. [1970] (1985) Aspects of the Passion, The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent book, Mowbray's Christian studies series, London : Mowbray, ISBN 0-264-67035-3
• Kelly, J.N.D. [1975] (1998) Jerome : his life, writings and controversies, London : Duckworth, ISBN 0-7156-1231-X
• Kelly, J.N.D. [1986] (2006) Oxford Dictionary of Popes, Updated Ed. with new material by M. Walsh, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-861433-0
• Kelly, J.N.D. (1989) St. Edmund Hall: Almost Seven Hundred Years, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-951559-X
• Kelly, J.N.D. (1995) Golden Mouth : the story of John Chrysostom – ascetic, preacher, bishop, London : Duckworth, ISBN 0-7156-2643-4