The Centre is based in St Theosevia House, 2, Canterbury Road, a large Victorian house in north Oxford. The ecumenical St Theosevia Trust was formed in 1983, to acquire this property and create a residence, originally envisaged for senior theological scholars on research sabbaticals. Its seven study-bedrooms now house residents who are usually graduate students or post-docs in Theology or other subjects. The residents are members of different churches, or are otherwise in sympathy with the House’s aims. Among the residents, the Manciple (Head of the household), Bursar, and Assistant Director of Studies assist in the running of the House and Centre. The House’s large Library is equipped for Power Point and is the meeting room for Study days.
The first Director of the House and Centre was an Anglican expert on spirituality, the Revd Canon Donald Allchin. Open Study Days began on 24 October 1987 on ‘Icons and their Spirituality’, followed by a day on ’The Mystical Theology of the Church of England, Lancelot Andrewes to E.B. Pusey’. The prolific Greek Orthodox scholar Bishop Kallistos Ware (Metropolitan from 2006) was Director from 1998 to 2007, succeeded by the Anglican Revd Dr Liz Carmichael MBE to the present.
To enquire about residence in St Theosevia House, please contact the Manciple, Teddy Seyoum: taseyoum@yahoo.co.uk
A somewhat obscure saint, St Theosevia is mentioned in connection with the scholarly household of the Cappadocian bishop and mystical theologian St Gregory of Nyssa (c.335 – 394), and she was possibly his wife. The House next door, No 1 Canterbury Rd, which houses students and belongs to a separate ecumenical Trust, is named after St Gregory and his sister St Macrina. The Greek Orthodox parish church stands in its garden, while both of the Houses are ecumenical.
The present Trustees of St Theosevia’s are Professor David Taylor (Chair, Anglican), Dr Sebastian Brock (Anglican), Archpriest Stephen Platt (Russian Orthodox), Fr Ian Graham (Greek Orthodox), and Revd Dr Liz Carmichael MBE (Director, Anglican). The Trustees are assisted by a wider Council including Esther de Waal, Revd Dr Andrew Teal, Revd Dr Anne Holmes, Rhidian Jones, and Professor Carol Harrison.
