Professor David Catchpole has announced his intention to retire at the end of this academic year as director of the hugely popular Theology Quest and Questions course (TQQ).
A New Testament specialist, David has also lectured on Biblical Study Breaks and has been a scholar in residence at Sarum College since 1998.
David established the precursor to Sarum’s TQQ course while at Exeter University, where he is Emeritus Professor of Theology. Over the years, hundreds of people have gathered in the Cavell Room on Tuesday evenings to explore the gospels and Christian doctrine, some travelling a great distance to do so. One former TQQ student was so devoted to the course she flew from Guernsey for an overnight stay each week during term time throughout the two-year course.
‘Working with those who have come to study at Sarum College, whether on TQQ or Biblical Study Breaks, has been a great delight’, said David Catchpole. ‘I am extremely grateful for the happy years that are now coming to an end, and especially for the many friendships that have enriched my life.’
‘This whole community salutes David as he steps down from TQQ’, said The Revd Canon Professor James Woodward, Principal of Sarum College. ‘We offer him our deep gratitude for all that he has done to contribute to nourishing our learning at Sarum College.
‘David’s diligence, intellectual integrity and skill as a teacher have enriched us all. Many are indebted to his commitment to rigour and the search for truth in the study of Scripture.
We are glad that he will keep in touch with Sarum and look forward to seeing him in College in the future.’
TQQ and Biblical Study Breaks will continue to occupy a significant place in Sarum’s educational programme, which is committed to offering a diverse range of academic and experiential courses on matters of faith in an environment of open exploration.
Professor David Catchpole is a prolific author, including the following books: The Trial of Jesus (1971), The Quest for Q (1993), Resurrection People (2000), Jesus People (2006). Upon his retirement as Saint Luke’s Foundation Professor of Theological Studies at the University of Exeter, colleagues published Christology, Controversy, and Community: New Testament Essays in Honour of David R. Catchpole (2000).
The collection by an international team of prominent New Testament scholars represents a range of approaches and topics, connected by a focus on Christological claims and their link to the controversial formation of the early Christian community. The collection includes a profile by the late Graham Stanton which includes a full account of his many professional accomplishments.
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