Alister McGrath

Alister McGrath was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 23 January 1953. He studied at the Methodist College, Belfast, majoring in mathematics, physics and chemistry. He was elected to an open major scholarship at Wadham College, Oxford University, to study chemistry from October 1971. He gained first class honours in chemistry in June 1975, and began research in molecular biophysics in the Oxford University Department of Biochemistry under the supervision of Professor G. K. Radda, FRS. He was elected to an E.P.A. Cephalosporin Research Studentship at Linacre College, Oxford, for the academic year 1975-6, and to a Domus Senior Scholarship at Merton College, Oxford, for the period 1976-8. During these three years, he carried out scientific research alongside studying for the Oxford University Final Honour School of Theology. In December 1977, he was awarded an Oxford D.Phil. for his research in the natural sciences, and gained first class honours in Theology in June 1978.

McGrath then left Oxford to work at Cambridge University, where he held the Naden Studentship in Divinity at St John's College, Cambridge (1978-80). He also studied for ordination into the Church of England at Westcott House, Cambridge. In September 1980, he was ordained deacon, and began work as a curate at St Leonard's Parish Church, Wollaton, Nottingham, in the English east midlands. In 1983, he was appointed lecturer in Christian doctrine and ethics at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and a member of the Oxford University Faculty of Theology. McGrath spent the fall semester of 1990 as the Ezra Squire Tipple Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at the Divinity School, Drew University, Madison, New Jersey.

McGrath was elected University Research Lecturer in Theology at Oxford University in 1993, and also served as research professor of theology at Regent College, Vancouver, from 1993-9. In 1995, he was elected Principal of Wycliffe Hall, and in 1999, was awarded a personal chair in theology at Oxford University, with the title of "Professor of Historical Theology". He was awarded an Oxford Doctorate of Divinity in 2001 for his research on historical and systematic theology.

Key Science and Religion Publications:

• T.F.Torrence: An Intellectual Biography. T&T Clark, 1999.

• A Scientific Theology. vol 1 - Nature. Grand Rapids: Erdmans, 2001.

• A Scientific Theology. vol 2 - Reality. Grand Rapids: Erdmans, 2002.

• (A third volume is expected to be published in November 2003)