David Wilkinson

David Wilkinson is Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University and Director of the project Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science.

Before working in Durham as a theologian, he was a scientist doing research in theoretical astrophysics, where his Durham PhD was in the study of star formation, the chemical evolution of galaxies and terrestrial mass extinctions such as the event which wiped out the dinosaurs. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has published a wide range of papers on these subjects.

After this research he trained for the Methodist ministry, studying theology at Cambridge. He then served in a variety of appointments, including a growing church in Liverpool and as Methodist chaplain at Liverpool University.

David arrived in Durham in 1999 and was Principal of St John’s from 2006 to 2023.

His current work involves the relationship of the Christian theology to contemporary culture, from science to pop culture. He has written on the Big Bang, the end of the universe, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and the spirituality of Star Wars.

He is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day

He is a Canon of Durham Cathedral.