Oxford Does Not Disappoint
The Secret History of Oxford by Paul Sullivan stands as a remarkable testament to the legacy of Oxford. Sullivan illustrates the evolution of an iconic city and unveils Oxford’s rich history rooted in academia, government, leadership, religion, and culture. There is some debate regarding “grey areas” of Oxford’s history, however, few if any could argue its massive intellectual contributions, scholarly roster, and historical global influence.
Sullivan’s The Secret History of Oxford[1], and The Secrets of the Oxford Streets[2] video with Alice Loxton, offer a skillful overview of the city’s stamina and academic accolades. In addition to the copious history, they both provide a glimpse into the slightly enigmatic culture that has infiltrated the Oxford communities and institutions for centuries.
Oxford holds an extraordinary and undeniably prestigious position in history. “Oxford,” a.k.a…
“Oxnaforda, Oxonia, Oxfort, Oxon, Oxenford, Oxfordshire, The University City, Academic Capital of the World, The City of Learning, and The City of Dreaming Spires…”[3]
is considerably greater than a mere city that has survived a millennium and then some. Oxford has demonstrated excellence and endurance amidst incredible revolutionary challenges, pandemics, structural setbacks, substantial leadership turnover, and a variety of noteworthy imposing beliefs that have shaped Oxford into what it is today. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the “oldest university in the English-speaking world.”[4]
In short; Oxford, and academia itself, would be far less advanced and impressive if its generational endurance and culture of greatness did not exist. Oxford has stood the test of time and continues to hold its own.
Personal Reflection
Sullivan’s book was a solid read and I enjoyed walking through the detailed timeline of Oxford’s history. I’m even more intrigued by Oxford after conducting personal research on the city and university. It seems multiple stories that date back a millennium are slightly mysterious and controversial. Despite the contentious details such as the actual establishment date of the city, founder, and university commencement, Oxford prevails and thrives to this day with excellence and class.
I found it interesting that a city and university can be incredibly diverse in several respects yet one race and nation occupied the majority of the population for centuries. Oxford’s city council confirms Dr. Clark’s predominately-white statement from this past Monday; however, statistics show that the city has decreased in “White-British” residents by 10% since 2011.[5] My initial thought process is that the majority of individuals sharing similar backgrounds and education would share most views or beliefs. This is certainly not the case however, it does not appear to create tension, or at least not the same kind of tension we may see from opposing views in Western cultures. Oxford has a uniquely welcome platform for various philosophies, politics, and perspectives. Oxford has hosted famous debates with prominent scholars such as Darwin–Wilberforce (1860), C.S. Lewis-J.R.R. Tolkien (1931), and numerous others involving difficult issues such as Theism, Atheism, Women’s Rights, and Politics.[5] The University embraces diversity and even has groups such as Uncomfortable Oxford which is an “academic-led organization that encourages public engagement with topics that are often considered controversial.”[6]
Conclusion
Before we were given this assignment, I was admittedly confused by all the college names and departments, and how they all fit together. I had to Google the difference between Cambridge and Oxford and read a handful of websites before I honestly felt comfortable with what we were about to embark on. Overall, this blog assignment has been highly beneficial to me and took me down a handful of rabbit holes that I hope to continue down when we visit soon. I am very excited to learn, discover, and take part in academia at the highest level in Oxford this September with all of you.
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[1] Sullivan, Paul; The Secret History of Oxford
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jck5VOnNL0s. The Secrets of Oxford’s Streets | And What Lies Beneath the University
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Oxford#:~:text=Oxford%20was%20first%20settled%20by,oxen’s%20shallow%20river%20crossing.
[4] https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/organisation/history
[6] ChatGPT, Command; “Famous Oxford Debates.” Default (GPT-3.5)
[7] https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/co-curating-diverse-histories-with-uncomfortable-oxford.
About the Author
Michael O'Neill
Director of Operations / Executive Pastor at Kinergy, Inc. Federal 501c3 Non-Profit Organization. An experienced entrepreneur, leader, father, wellness professional, and owner of a multi-location medical practice with my wife, Nicole O'Neill, MD.10 responses to “Oxford Does Not Disappoint”
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Hi Michael, How was your summer? Thanks for your post! I agree with you, it was not until doing some pretty thorough research that I understood what is inferred when someone talks about “Oxford.” I especially liked your inclusion of the information on the diversity at Oxford and was intrigued by your mention of the Uncomfortable Oxford. I would love to learn more about that and how people successfully sit with the tensions that must come up in their conversations.
Are there specific learnings you are looking forward to while we’re in Oxford? Thanks again for your post!
Thanks, Jenny. The summer was fast! We had our baby at the end of our last semester and also moved our home in July so it was pretty jammed. Overall it was very nice but quick. I’m excited to get back into the swing of things and experience Oxford in person now that I’ve learned a lot more about it. To answer your question, I’m probably most excited to learn from all of you! I got so much out of Cape Town last year and really loved learning and networking with so many people. I feel like our Advance trips are like a massive download of rich information. I look forward to another successful experience. Thank you and see you soon!
That does sounds like a busy summer! I agree, there is so much to learn from each other. Can’t wait to see you all in Oxford!
Hey Michael,
How’s the family doing? I hope all is well with you. I look forward to seeing you in Oxford in a couple of weeks!
Great work summarizing Sullivan’s content on Oxford. It is hard to understate the great history (albeit, sometimes ugly), influence, and intellectual contribution of this institution.
My man! I hope all is well with you too. Here we go with another year…
I’m assuming we will learn even more in person than we could ever read about. I am excited to experience it with you too.
Are we hooping with Caleb?
Hey Michael,
How is your your family doing?
I enjoyed your summary of the book. I also have been spending time searching for information on Oxford to better acquaint myself with our coming whereabouts. There’s so much to it that it seems a bit overwhelming.
I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!
Thank you, Tonette. The family is well and healthy. We moved and had a baby so there are a lot of new fresh starts going on. It feels good. I’m also glad to be back in the swing of things with our schooling. It is definitely hard but I like the challenge.
Are you doing well? I hope so. I look forward to catching up with you in Oxford. This town seems amazing from everything we have read and heard so far. Is there one thing in particular you are looking forward to most?
I’m doing well also. I’m hoping to visit some C.S. Lewis sites… the Kiln maybe, and see the lamppost that inspired the one in Narnia. That would be awesome. I’m a big C.S. Lewis fan.
Hi Michael
Great summary!
I have been to Oxford (only for a day) and I was also still confused by the different colleges.
I know there are many more particularities for us to pay attention too…it’s a quad, not a court, right?
Nice use of ChatGPT in your research too!
Thanks, Chad. Yes, it is a quad but “no streaking” through it…
I really look forward to spending time there with all of you. I’m glad you have some experience, that will help. I’ll text you and find out when you’re coming in, etc. Perhaps we can catch a ride from London or something together.
I am new to ChatGPT but find it helpful. I was just writing about the benefits in our AI blog. I really like it for little questions like “another way to say” or “famous Oxford debates.” I like it but I can see how people could use it negatively too. That kind of goes for anything though…