28/11/2023
Rev Dr Isabelle Hamley is to take up a new post as Principal of Ridley Hall College in Cambridge.
Isabelle has been the theological advisor to the House of Bishops and Secretary for Ecumenical Relations and Theology at the Church of England’s Council for Christian Unity since December 2020. She was the Chaplain to Archbishop Justin from 2017-2020.
Isabelle has advised the House of Bishops on a range of matters including deliverance ministry, Living in Love and Faith, theology for the vision and strategy of the Church of England and mental health.
Isabelle said: ‘I am really excited to go to Ridley Hall. I enjoy academic environments and have a real passion for theological education and training ministers. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work with the national church over seven years and have loved getting to know the global church through the Anglican Communion. Archbishop Justin has been wonderful in helping me take risks, grow, and look for opportunities to develop my wider ministry. He has been unfailingly supportive of my development as a theologian.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury said: “During her time here as my Chaplain and subsequently as the theological adviser to the House of Bishops, Isabelle brought her deep wisdom, abiding concern for the most vulnerable, and care for Christians and the church to everything she did. Her profound theological understanding deeply enriched the work here and brought pastoral care to the staff. We are so delighted she will be bringing the same gifts she shared with us to the next generation of ordinands at Ridley.”
Isabelle has broad academic experience and research interests in the Old Testament; questions of identity, gender, and violence; trauma and mental health; and previously worked as a tutor in theology at St John’s College and parish priest. She has authored books including God of Justice and Mercy: A Theological Commentary on the Book of Judges; Embracing Justice; and, together with C. C. Cook, The Bible and Mental Health.
Ridley Hall is an Anglican theological college in Cambridge which offers training in children’s, youth, and sports ministries for students from all Christian denominations and traditions.