Professor Martyn Percy is Professor of Religion and Culture at the University of St. Joseph in Macao (with the Xavier Centre for Memory and Identity) and Honorary Provost Theologian at Ming Hua College, Hong Kong. He is Senior Research Associate at the James Hutton Institute (Aberdeen, UK) and a Professor of Theology at Institut für Christkatholische Theologie (Faculty of Theology), University of Bern, Switzerland.
Current publications include ‘ The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England’ (Hurst), ‘The Stature of Liberty: Transforming Religion and Society’ (State University of New York; SUNY Press), and ‘Comprehension and Communion: Samuel Seabury and the Church’ (Wipf & Stock). There is a trilogy with SCM-Canterbury Press - ‘The Humble Church, ‘The Precarious Church’ and ‘The Exiled Church’. His recent devotional books include ‘An Advent Manifesto’ (BRF, and currently being translated into Chinese), and ‘Psalms a Songs of Solace’ (Bloomsbury). His new ‘The Cost of Living’ (BRF) will be published in 2025. He has written or edited over 40 books.
Martyn was Principal of Cuddesdon from 2004-2014, and then served as Dean of Christ Church Oxford (i.e., the Head of the College and Cathedral) until 2022. Martyn's research and writing spans various disciplines, including theology, religion, education, cultural theory, anthropology, and sociology. He has taught at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, working on moral and social values in public life. His work in contextual theology and ecclesiology de... See more
Professor Martyn Percy is Professor of Religion and Culture at the University of St. Joseph in Macao (with the Xavier Centre for Memory and Identity) and Honorary Provost Theologian at Ming Hua College, Hong Kong. He is Senior Research Associate at the James Hutton Institute (Aberdeen, UK) and a Professor of Theology at Institut für Christkatholische Theologie (Faculty of Theology), University of Bern, Switzerland.
Current publications include ‘ The Crisis of Colonial Anglicanism: Empire, Slavery and Revolt in the Church of England’ (Hurst), ‘The Stature of Liberty: Transforming Religion and Society’ (State University of New York; SUNY Press), and ‘Comprehension and Communion: Samuel Seabury and the Church’ (Wipf & Stock). There is a trilogy with SCM-Canterbury Press - ‘The Humble Church, ‘The Precarious Church’ and ‘The Exiled Church’. His recent devotional books include ‘An Advent Manifesto’ (BRF, and currently being translated into Chinese), and ‘Psalms a Songs of Solace’ (Bloomsbury). His new ‘The Cost of Living’ (BRF) will be published in 2025. He has written or edited over 40 books.
Martyn was Principal of Cuddesdon from 2004-2014, and then served as Dean of Christ Church Oxford (i.e., the Head of the College and Cathedral) until 2022. Martyn's research and writing spans various disciplines, including theology, religion, education, cultural theory, anthropology, and sociology. He has taught at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, working on moral and social values in public life. His work in contextual theology and ecclesiology delves into denominational performance, policies, practices, and theologies. He pays particular attention to the identity and development of churches in the 21st century.
With the Faculty of Theology (USJ) and its Xavier Centre for Memory and Identity, he undertakes PhD supervision for Southeast and East Asian students, working in research on ecclesiology and ecumenism. At the James Hutton Institute, his work focuses on religious responses to climate change, ecology, sustainability, and local and global challenges of the 21st century. In addition to his scholarly output, he also writes, preaches, and teaches on Christian spirituality. His sermons and meditations are published globally (several volumes with Canterbury Press), and his homilies and reflections have appeared in the UK secular press for over thirty years. He also contributes to Prospect Magazine, The Guardian, and The Times.
Martyn's professional contributions extend well beyond academia. He has held numerous roles in public life, demonstrating his ability to contribute to a variety of spheres These roles include Director of the Advertising Standards Authority, Adjudicator for the Portman Group (the self-regulating body for the alcoholic drinks industry), Commissioner of the Direct Marketing Authority, and Advisor to the British Board of Film Classification. His diverse expertise is further demonstrated by his role as a Home Office-approved advisor for ethical screening in research science, Chair of the University of Oxford’s Committee for Reviewing Donors (2017-2021), and Panel Assessor for Social Services in adoption and fostering.
Martyn holds a unique distinction in the theological world, being the only living theologian to be featured in Dan Brown’s 2003 ‘The Da Vinci Code’. This intriguing fact and other notable achievements led ‘Theology Journal’ to describe him as “the British Theologian closest to being a missionary anthropologist”. His writings have been the subject of an academic study, ‘Reasonable Radical: Reading the Writings of Martyn Percy’ (Pickwick Publishing: Edited by Ian Markham & Joshua Daniels, 2016).
