John Williams
Senior Lecturer in Theology &
Ministry
Contact Details
T: 01904 876548
E: j.williams@yorksj.ac.uk
Information
I came to York St John in September 2008 after 22 years in ordained
ministry in the Church of England, including three parish posts and
several diocesan roles: Continuing Professional Development for the
clergy, the training of Ordained Local Ministers and parish-based
Adult Education and Lay Training. As an ordained minister I have
always sought to hold together a commitment to practical ministry,
theological ministerial formation and robust academic theology. I
have a passion for adult theological education and ministerial
training, seeking to build people’s confidence in their gifts and
to stimulate the appetite for theology among laity and clergy
alike. I am a Bishops’ Adviser for Selection for Ordained Ministry
and a panel member of the House of Bishops’ Inspectorate for
Theological Colleges, Courses and Schemes.
I studied theology at Durham and completed my doctorate in 1986,
which explored the interface between Christian theology and
sociological secularization theory in the 1960s. My ongoing
research interests are in the churches’ theology and practice of
ministry and mission as these relate to the sociological context
and surrounding culture. I am currently working on the changing
patterns of theological education for ministry, and especially the
role played by HE validated academic programmes in these, and the
theological implications of innovations in church life such as
‘fresh expressions’. I am also interested in the strategies for
ministry being developed by Church of England dioceses in the light
of the falling numbers of full-time paid clergy.
My teaching is mostly on the Foundation Degree and BA in Theology
& Ministry, but I also contribute to the BA in Theology &
Religious Studies and supervise students on all programmes
including at postgraduate level. I serve as External Examiner for
another Theology and Ministry programme and have also acted as
External Examiner for doctoral theses.
Selected Publications
Since 1985 I have published over 20 articles in a variety of
theological journals, chiefly on issues of contemporary ministry,
mission and theological education with a particular reference to
the Church of England context. The most recent are as follows:
Williams, J.A. (2011) ‘From Habitus to Critique: Teaching Christian
Spirituality to Christians in an Academic Programme’, Journal for
the Study of Spirituality, Vol. 1, no. 1, 94-111
Williams, J.A. (2011) ‘The Mirror of Learning: Towards a Theology
of Reflection in Christian Education’, Journal of Education and
Christian Belief, Vol. 15, no. 1, 53-64
Williams, J.A. (2011) ‘Twenty-first Century Shapes of the Church?’
Theology Vol. 114, no. 2, 108-119
Williams, J.A. (2011) ‘Dispersed Teaching and Learning through a
Foundation Degree in Theology and Ministry: Towards the Creation of
a Community of Scholarship’, Discourse, Vol. 10, no. 2,
159-173
Williams, J.A. (2010) ‘Perceptions of Lay Ministerial Training
in the Church of England as an “Academic” Activity: Implications
for Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategies’, Journal of Adult
Theological Education, Vol. 7, no. 1, 78-94
Williams, J.A. (2010) ‘Ministry and Praxis: towards integrated
education and formation for ministry’, Discourse, Vol. 9, no. 2,
183-191
Williams, J.A. (2009) ‘Congregational Studies as Resource and
Critique for a Mission Shaped Church’, Anvil, Vol. 26, no. 3,
243-254
Williams, J.A. (2007) ‘Experiential Learning in Local Ministry
Training: insights from a “four villages” framework’, Journal of
Adult Theological Education, Vol. 4 No. 1, 63-73.
Professional Membership
Higher Education Academy, 2009
Society for the Study of Theology