Revd Canon Dr Philip Hobday

Associate Supervisor
Email: pph21@cam.ac.uk

Philip is an Associate Supervisor for postgraduate supervision at Westcott House. His areas of expertise include:

Christian doctrine
Early and Reformation Church History
Anglican identity
Faith and Politics

The Sub-Dean of Wakefield Cathedral, Philip oversees mission, pastoral care, learning, outreach, and safeguarding at the Cathedral, as well as ecumenical partnerships with churches and community groups. Prior to this, he was Vicar of Earley, Reading (2015-22), and Official Fellow, Chaplain and Dean of Chapel for Magdalene College, Cambridge (2009-15).

Philip’s doctoral research compared a great Anglican theologian, Richard Hooker, with a great Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas and a great Reformed theologian John Calvin (spoiler: they have more in common than you might think)! He is particularly interested in theological method (how we know and decide things).

Philip has taught undergraduate Theology degrees in Canterbury Christ Church University and Cambridge University. He has also taught those preparing for ordination / lay ministry in a range of areas including doctrine, history, mission and evangelism, worship. He is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Outside of work and research, Philip enjoys walking, reading, drinking coffee and eating cheese.

Publications

Hobday, P.P., Richard Hooker: Theological Method and Anglican Identity (London: T&T Clark, 2023/2025)

Hobday, P.P., ‘Richard Hooker and Mission and Ministry in Covenant,’ Journal of Anglican Studies 18.2 (2020): 215-34

Hobday, P.P., ‘The Translating Rector: Thomas Holland and the King James Bible’, Exeter College Register (2013): 45-8

Hobday, P.P., ‘Exeter’s War, 1642-9’, Exeter College Register (2002): 20-5

Editor, His Story, Our Story (Ridley Hall Lent Book, 2005)

Hobday, P.P., ‘Later Seventeenth-Century Exeter through the Eyes of Anthony Wood,’ Exeter College Register (2001): 38-42

Regular book reviews and peer-reviews of journal articles / book proposals

Photo credit: Wakefield Cathedral