Dr Jeremy Pilch Named Head of School of Theology at St Mary’s

St Mary’s University, Twickenham (SMU) has announced Jeremy Pilch will become the University’s Head of School, Theology, within the Faculty of Education, Theology and the Arts.

The news was welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Theology and the Arts, Prof Jacob Phillips, who commented, “St Mary’s is well established with specialist expertise and resources in theology, which has risen to the top 5 theology departments in the UK in recent years. Theology is central to the University’s Catholic mission – displayed by our hosting of Mater Ecclesiae College (MEC), the only ecclesiastical faculty in the UK which means St Mary’s has responsibility for training seminarians for the Catholic priesthood.

"The appointment of Jeremy to this pivotal role is a demonstration of our commitment to offering programmes of study which meet the highest academic standards whilst maintaining a focus on student support, world-leading research, and Catholic mission.”

Jeremy has been the Course Lead of the BA in Theology, Religion, and Ethics for some years, and the head of collaborative partnerships within IoTLA, with a particular focus on Mater Ecclesiae College.

Dr Jeremy Pilch commented, “I’m delighted to be taking on this new challenge at St Mary’s, providing academic leadership and innovation for the School. I look forward to ensuring that our theological programmes continue to grow and develop so as to offer our students the very best experience at St Mary’s.

"It is a privilege to be working with a team who are so committed to our students and I’m excited about the prospects for the School of Theology in the years ahead.”

In addition to his leadership roles, Jeremy teaches across a range of topics, including modules on Systematic Theology and Mariology at MA and BA levels; Orthodox mystical theology for the MA in Christian Spirituality; Theological Anthropology, Christian Ethics, Ecclesiology, Eastern Christianity, for the BA programme.

Following undergraduate studies at Oriel College, Oxford, and an MA at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (UCL), Jeremy worked in secondary education before being awarded an AHRC scholarship for a doctorate at the University of Bristol, focusing on the doctrine of deification in the Russian tradition. This doctoral work forms the basis of his 2018 monograph on Vladimir Solov’ev. Prior to coming to St Mary’s he held a research fellowship in the Centre for Eastern Christianity at Heythrop College.