I\u2019ve been looking forward to the Oxford Advance for a few months but what sold me was the famous quote by Dr. Jason Clark, \u201cOxford is the oldest, whitest, most elite place in the world…Let Oxford be Oxford.\u201d1 As a black man growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest, diverse, and founded by William Penn a graduate of Christ Church at The University of Oxford, I am really looking forward to learning about this beautiful city.2 I am looking forward to seeing how Penn\u2019s education influenced his founding of my great State and how it influenced his leadership. <\/p>\n
This week I read, The Secret History of Oxford, and was embarrassed and mesmerized. I was embarrassed because I had no idea or I had forgotten that C.S. Lewis attended Oxford University and was a professor at the prestigious university.3 Also embarrassingly, I had no idea J.R.R. Tolkien was a professor at Oxford University. How could I avoid the most elite place in the world…and be satisfied with my education? <\/p>\n
Sullivan\u2019s book opened my eyes to a place and history I should have known about for years. His book helped me to appreciate what I had not known before:<\/p>\n
1.\tThe founder of Oxford was abandoned in the forest and eaten by wolves.4
\n2.\tOxford was levelled in 1067 and much of the land was described as \u2018waste\u2019 in the aftermath.5
\n3.\tKing Henry I only had one legitimate son.6
\n4.\tKing Henry VIII closed down various religious houses and established his own college, now known as Christ Church.7
\n5.\tAlthough Oxford has medieval college foundations and Georgian facades, many larger landmark buildings were built in the nineteenth century.8
\n6.\tWomen who had been studying in Oxford for forty-five years were finally allowed to take Oxford University degrees in 1920.9
\n7.\tThere are forty-four colleges and permanent private halls in the University of Oxford.10
\n8.\tBy the time Edward VI (1537-53) was on the throne, most librarians were out of work. Books were associated with worldliness and idolatry.11
\n9.\tRoger Bacon\u2019s quote has me thinking about why I have been so ignorant of Oxford\u2019s history. \u201cA little learning is a dangerous thing, but none at all is fatal.\u201d12
\n10.\tI had no idea William Davenant claimed that he was the illegitimate son of William Shakespeare.13
\n11.\tOxford had a Civil War known as the Anarchy.14
\n12.\tKing Henry VIII divorced his wife Katherine of Aragon.15
\n13.\tTom Tower is one of the most iconic architectural features of the city.16
\n14.\tThe Oxford coat of arms can be seen in various places throughout the city.17 <\/p>\n
Oxford is known as the \u201cCity of Spires\u201d because of its beautiful skyline of Gothic towers and steeples. Most of these belong to the university, which is the oldest in England. Once again, another little-known fact, which fascinates me. I am really looking forward to experiencing these unique spires.<\/p>\n
Even though I learned so much about Oxford, I also realized I actually had assumptions and biases about Oxford. I was surprised to hear Oxford had scandals and Kings had mistresses. Every time I read this, I was surprised because my bias told me that Oxford and its prestigious history was upright, loyal, committed to what is right. But how could there be a culture that is completely upright and loyal to the laws of God? Why did I think this way? Why was I so surprised at Oxford\u2019s scandals but never surprised at the biblical accounts of scandals and sinful behavior? To be honest, I had placed Oxford on a pedal stool and never really looked into the history and background of its beautiful citizens. <\/p>\n
By not looking into or studying the people, buildings, and museums of Oxford, I was losing out on understanding a remarkable culture and even seeing how this prestigious place connects with the United States and my culture. Oxford’s industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing, information technology and science. I\u2019m wondering if part of my Christian education kept me from exploring this important city. These industries may not have a been a priority centuries ago in the United States, but they have been a priority for this amazing city. I am ready to allow Oxford to be Oxford.<\/p>\n
[1] Dr. Jason Clark, Doctoral Class, August 28, 2023. Online.
\n[2] Paul Sullivan, The Secret History of Oxford (Stroud, UK: The History Press, 2013), 39.
\n[3] Ibid, 129.
\n[4] Ibid, 10.
\n[5] Ibid, 19.
\n[6] Ibid, 20.
\n[7] Ibid, 27.
\n[8] Ibid, 35.
\n[9] Ibid, 38.
\n[10] Ibid, 40.
\n[11] Ibid, 42.
\n[12] Ibid, 103.
\n[13] Ibid, 109.
\n[14] Ibid, 21.
\n[15] Ibid, 138.
\n[16] Ibid, 140. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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