Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood
Encyclopedia
Stewart Ross Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, (born 25 February 1941) is a British academic and public servant and one of the UK's most distinguished philosophers of religion.
He was educated at Robert Gordon's College
. In 1963 he graduated from the University of Aberdeen
with a first-class Master of Arts
in Philosophy, and received a Master of Arts
in the Philosophy of Religion from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
in 1965. He was then appointed assistant lecturer in Philosophy at the University College of North Wales, and three years later returned to Scotland as a lecturer at the University of Stirling
. In Stirling, he established the Religious Studies department and recruited John Drane
and the late Glyn Richards to work alongside him in this enterprise. Then in 1977 he became Professor
of the History and Philosophy of Religion at King's College London
, and was subsequently appointed Vice-Principal and Principal there in 1981 and 1985 respectively.
In 1990, Sutherland became Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
, and was appointed Chief Inspector of Schools two years later. He succeeded this post as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh University, in which position he served until 2002. He was the Provost of Gresham College
between 2002 and 2008. In 1992, he was elected to the British Academy
, and in 1995 he became a Fellow
of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
, the same year he was knight
ed and became President in 2002.
Following his involvement in the establishment of the Age Concern
Institute of Gerontology
at King's College London
, he was invited by the incoming Blair government in 1997 to chair a Royal Commission on Long-Term Care of Older People. This recommended that government (including the NHS and local authorities) should be responsible for providing free care in the spirit of the NHS Act to all people even if their illness takes the form of a chronic mental frailty. His recommendations were taken up by the devolved Scottish government, though were never implemented for England and Wales.
pluralist societies without the metaphysical security of traditional (and potentially divisive) systems of belief. Influenced by his intellectual mentor, Donald M. MacKinnon
, Sutherland’s approach has brought the clarity and rigour of the Anglo-American tradition of analytic philosophy into conversation with literary and philosophical thinkers on the European continent.
In Atheism and the Rejection of God: Contemporary Philosophy and "The Brothers Karamazov" (1977) and Faith and Ambiguity (1984), he explored continental thinkers including Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Camus
and Weil
. His Wilde Lectures at Oxford University – published as God, Jesus and Belief: The Legacy of Theism (1984) – explored a range of intellectual, moral and existential issues in contemporary philosophical theology, developing further his argument that Christian ethical and faith traditions continue to have an enduring value at a time when former patterns of belief have broken down. He further promoted his field of study in two influential edited volumes, The Philosophical Frontiers of Christian Theology: Essays Presented to D. M. MacKinnon (with Brian
Hebblethwaite), (1982) and Religion, Reason and the Self (with T A Roberts), (1989).
In two other edited volumes, World Religions (1988), and The Study of Religion: Traditional and New Religions (with Peter Clarke), (1991), he has contributed to the increasingly significant field of religious studies in school and university curricula, while also promoting understanding and mutual respect amongst peoples of different faiths.
In 2001, he was created a life peer
as Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, of Houndwood in the Scottish Borders
, and was the following year elected to the presidency of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
.
He was made a Knight of the Thistle in 2002, is the recipient of a number of honorary degree
s, and continues to serve with various institutions. In 2004 he became a Fellow of Birkbeck, University of London
In 2005 he became a member of the editorial board of the Encyclopædia Britannica
.
He was educated at Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College is a private co-educational day school in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery-S6.-History:...
. In 1963 he graduated from the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
with a first-class Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Philosophy, and received a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in the Philosophy of Religion from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
in 1965. He was then appointed assistant lecturer in Philosophy at the University College of North Wales, and three years later returned to Scotland as a lecturer at the University of Stirling
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
. In Stirling, he established the Religious Studies department and recruited John Drane
John Drane
John William Drane is a theologian who is probably best known for his two best-selling books on the Bible, Introducing the Old Testament and Introducing the New Testament . He studied in the University of Aberdeen where he was a student of I...
and the late Glyn Richards to work alongside him in this enterprise. Then in 1977 he became Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of the History and Philosophy of Religion at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, and was subsequently appointed Vice-Principal and Principal there in 1981 and 1985 respectively.
In 1990, Sutherland became Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and was appointed Chief Inspector of Schools two years later. He succeeded this post as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh University, in which position he served until 2002. He was the Provost of Gresham College
Gresham College
Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in central London, England. It was founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham and today it hosts over 140 free public lectures every year within the City of London.-History:Sir Thomas Gresham,...
between 2002 and 2008. In 1992, he was elected to 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...
, and in 1995 he became a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
, the same year he was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed and became President in 2002.
Following his involvement in the establishment of the Age Concern
Age Concern
Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
Institute of Gerontology
Gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging...
at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, he was invited by the incoming Blair government in 1997 to chair a Royal Commission on Long-Term Care of Older People. This recommended that government (including the NHS and local authorities) should be responsible for providing free care in the spirit of the NHS Act to all people even if their illness takes the form of a chronic mental frailty. His recommendations were taken up by the devolved Scottish government, though were never implemented for England and Wales.
Philosophy
As a philosopher of religion, Sutherland has focused on how we continue to be morally responsible human beings inpluralist societies without the metaphysical security of traditional (and potentially divisive) systems of belief. Influenced by his intellectual mentor, Donald M. MacKinnon
Donald M. MacKinnon
Donald Mackenzie MacKinnon was a Scottish philosopher and theologian. He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, and held academic appointments in Oxbridge and Scotland - including Regius Professor of Moral Philosophy at Aberdeen University and Norris-Hulse Professor of...
, Sutherland’s approach has brought the clarity and rigour of the Anglo-American tradition of analytic philosophy into conversation with literary and philosophical thinkers on the European continent.
In Atheism and the Rejection of God: Contemporary Philosophy and "The Brothers Karamazov" (1977) and Faith and Ambiguity (1984), he explored continental thinkers including Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Camus
Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
and Weil
Simone Weil
Simone Weil , was a French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist.-Biography:Weil was born in Paris to Alsatian agnostic Jewish parents who fled the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. She grew up in comfortable circumstances, and her father was a doctor. Her only sibling was...
. His Wilde Lectures at Oxford University – published as God, Jesus and Belief: The Legacy of Theism (1984) – explored a range of intellectual, moral and existential issues in contemporary philosophical theology, developing further his argument that Christian ethical and faith traditions continue to have an enduring value at a time when former patterns of belief have broken down. He further promoted his field of study in two influential edited volumes, The Philosophical Frontiers of Christian Theology: Essays Presented to D. M. MacKinnon (with Brian
Hebblethwaite), (1982) and Religion, Reason and the Self (with T A Roberts), (1989).
In two other edited volumes, World Religions (1988), and The Study of Religion: Traditional and New Religions (with Peter Clarke), (1991), he has contributed to the increasingly significant field of religious studies in school and university curricula, while also promoting understanding and mutual respect amongst peoples of different faiths.
Achievements and honours
Sutherland was made a Knight Bachelor in 1995.In 2001, he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, of Houndwood in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
, and was the following year elected to the presidency of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
.
He was made a Knight of the Thistle in 2002, is the recipient of a number of honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s, and continues to serve with various institutions. In 2004 he became a Fellow of Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
In 2005 he became a member of the editorial board of the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
.
External links
- Encyclopaedia Britannica Lord Sutherland of Houndwood page.
- School of Advanced Study, University of London Lord Sutherland of Houndwood page.
- 'Two Paintings and a Sceptic', lecture by Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, on the question of religious faith in paintings by El Greco and Picasso, given at Gresham CollegeGresham CollegeGresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in central London, England. It was founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham and today it hosts over 140 free public lectures every year within the City of London.-History:Sir Thomas Gresham,...
, 26 February 2008 (available in text, audio and video formats).