Prof. Martyn Percy, BA (Hons.), M.Ed., MA, PhD, FKC

• General:  The study of Christianity in contemporary culture, especially in relation to secularisation and consumerism. Religious fundamentalism and extremism, sects and cults, and also resurgent effervescent Christian movements. Sociological and anthropological readings of faith, including congregational studies.
• As an Adjunct Research Professor at Bern, he specialises in Ecclesiology, especially on power, authority, coherence, and institutional integrity in denominations. He also specialises in Anglican studies, particularly on the challenges posed by issues arising from post-colonial, gender, sexuality, financial, and governance crises. He currently works on faith communities and their responses to climate crises.
• Special concern: to support, promote, and contribute to the international research and profile of the Institute and Faculty, especially through conferences and publications that are concerned with ecclesiology, culture, Christianity, and modern theology.  To develop work in the fields of ecology, environment, ecclesiology and theology, both from Christian and inter-religious perspectives.

Publications (selection)

Authored Books:

• The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Slavery, Revolt and Empire and the Church of England, Hurst Books [hb], 2024. 
• The Precarious Church: Redeeming the Body of Christ, Canterbury-SCM [pb], 2023.   
• Others: A Very Short Book About Beliefs, John Hunt Publications [pb], 2022.
• The Humble Church: Renewing the Body of Christ, Canterbury-SCM [pb]. 2021.
• The Future Shapes of Anglicanism: Charts, Currents, Contours, Routledge,[hb & pb].  2017.
• Anglicanism: Confidence, Commitment, Communion, Ashgate [hb & pb]; 2012, (re-published by Routledge, 2016).
• The Ecclesial Canopy: Faith, Hope, Charity, Ashgate [hb & pb], 2012.
• Shaping the Church: The Promise of Implicit Theology, Ashgate [hb & pb], 2010.
• Clergy: The Origin of Species, Bloomsbury & T&T Clark International [hb &pb], 2006.
• Engaging with Contemporary Culture: Christianity, Theology and the Concrete Church, Ashgate, [hb & pb], 2005 *(Reprint Routledge, 2016).
• Salt of the Earth: Religious Resilience in a Secular Age, Sheffield Academic Press and Edinburgh: T&T Clark [hb & pb], 2002 (*Reissued in Bloomsbury Academic Collection, 2016).
• Power and the Church: Ecclesiology in an Age of Transition, London: Cassell, [hb & pb]. 1998.
• Words, Wonders and Power: Understanding Contemporary Christian Fundamentalism and Revivalism, London: SPCK [pb], 1996.

Co-Authored and Edited Books:

• The Blackwell Companion to Religion and Peace (eds. M. Percy, J. Mitchell, F. Po), 2000.
• The SPCK Handbook of the Study of Ministry, (eds. with I. Markham & E. Percy), SPCK, 2019.
• The Oxford Handbook of Anglican Studies, (with Mark Chapman), OUP (pb ed. 2018), 2015.
• Christ and Culture: Essays After Lambeth, (with I. Markham et al), Canterbury Press, 2010.
• Evaluating Fresh Expressions, (with L. Nelstrop), SCM Press, 2008.
• Why Liberal Churches Are Growing, (with I. Markham), T&T Clark, 2005.
• Fundamentalism, Church and Society, (with I. Jones), SPCK, 2002.
• Restoring the Image: Essays in Honour of David Martin (with A. Walker), Sheffield Academic Press/T&T Clark International, 2001.
• Managing the Church? Order and Organisation in a Secular Age, (with G.R. Evans), Sheffield Academic Press/T&T Clark International, 2000.
• Calling Time: Religion, Society and Change at the Turn of the Millennium, Sheffield Academic Press/T&T Clark, 2000 (*Reissued in Bloomsbury Academic Collection, 2016).
• Previous Convictions: Studies in Religious Conversion, London: SPCK, 2000.

Prof. Percy regularly writes for Prospect Magazine, The Guardian and The (London) Times. He has been a frequent contributor to the BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4 and has been interviewed on BBC TV News. He recently participated in an Al Jazeera documentary on the Church of England. In addition, he has worked as an assessor and regulator for the British Board of Film Classification, the Advertising Standards Authority, and for other media bodies.

Church and University: 

1997-2003: Humanities Research Institute Panel, Sheffield University.  1998-9, Convenor of the ‘Church, State and Governance Seminar’- exploring future options for English Church-State relations; subsequently reported to senior Civil servants and Downing Street. 1997-2003: Consultant to Diocese of Sheffield for Bishop’s Strategy Council, Faith and Justice Committee. 1997-1998: Academic Advisor for ‘Spirit Zone’ project in the Millennium Dome.  1999-2006: Appointed to the Archbishops’ Faith and Order Advisory Group.  2000: Eric Symes Abbott Lecturer, Westminster Abbey, 2001: Trustee of the William Temple Foundation, Manchester.  2002: Henry Scott Holland Lecturer.

2004-2018: Chair, Cliff College Council.  2005-2009: RAE Panel Member, Religious Studies and Theology. 2010-2013: Chair of OPTET, Oxford University. 2015: Patron, Winjgaards Institute for Catholic Research since 2016. Chair, University of Oxford Welfare Forum, 2016-18.

Ordination (Anglican/Episcopalian)

1990:                Ordained Deacon, Church of England, July 1990, St. Albans Abbey.

1991:                Ordained Priest, Church of England, July 1991, St. Andrew’s Church, Bedford.

1997-2004:      Honorary Canon of Sheffield Cathedral.

2004-2010:      Canon Theologian, Sheffield Cathedral.

2009-2019:      Honorary Canon, Salisbury Cathedral (now Canon Emeritus).

From 2022:      Licensed in Dioceses of Aberdeen & Orkney, Brechin, etc.

Awards, Honours & Recognition

2017:   Made first Honorary Citizen of Christchurch, New Zealand.

2018:   FKC – Fellow of King’s College, London.

2018:   Honorary Life Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Oxford.

Professional Associations

Founder of Society for the Study of Anglicanism (SSA), 2003. American Academy of Religion (AAR). European Academy of Religion (EuARe). Ecclesiological Investigations International Research Network (EIIRN). Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR). Society for the Anthropology of Religion SAR) – part of the American Association of Anthropology (AAA).

Current Trusteeships

From 2015:      Chair, Li-Tim-Oi Foundation.

From 2014:      Vice-President, Modern Church Union.