Divinity School Flashcards
Divinity Para 1 (intro)
This is one of the most beautiful and elaborate pieces of medieval architecture in Europe. It was the University’s first purpose built classroom, constructed in 1427 for lectures and examinations, which took place here with the examiners and candidates facing each other in the pulpits. Through a door to the west of the Divinity School, one enters Convocation House, the University Parliament House, in which professors and dons met below the Vice Chancellor’s throne to discuss university affairs.
Divinity Para 2 (Parliament)
In the 17th century, this room also held the national parliament on a number of occasions. When Charles I summoned them to Oxford in early 1644, the Commons met here and it was to this building that Charles II brought the MPs and Lords from a plague ravaged London in 1665 and again when he dissolved Parliament to prevent it from frustrating his plan to allow his Roman Catholic brother to succeed him as King James II.
Divinity Para 3 (Potter)
It would also be here that some of the filming of Harry Potter took place. On the bottom floor here, this would be used for a scene where Harry is in hospital. The top floor, the Duke Humphrey’s library, the first purpose built library at the university, was used for, believe it or not, a library scene.
Divinity Para 4 (windows)
We have these large windows to let in as much natural light as possible. Obviously before the days of electricity, this was one of the best ways to see what you were doing. These windows will always be kept squeaky clean, no matter the weather. This relates back to the huge fund the university has at its disposal to look after the quality of its buildings. If we look over now at the front of the Sheldonian, you could be forgiven for thinking it was finished last year, when in fact the building was finished in 1669. This is one of the greatest things about Oxford, as we go around and look at incredibly old buildings, they look like they could have been built last year.
Divinity Para 5 (Fundraising)
On the topic of fundraising, In May 2008 the University of Oxford launched the biggest fundraising campaign in european history, aiming to raise a minimum of £1.23b. The campaign was called Oxford Thinking and was so successful that by May 2013 it raised 1.25 billion and raised over 3 billion before the campaign finished. Unfortunately, Oxford isn’t the wealthiest university in england, that title falls to Cambridge [boo] which has a listed endowment of over £4.9 billion. Cambridge has managed to pull ahead due to its investments in the sciences - if anyone is looking to find out more about Cambridge we do actually offer tours there if you visit in the future. Anyway, Cambridge is by no means the wealthiest university in the world. This title comfortably falls to Harvard in America, which has a listed endowment of over £40 billion. But we don’t talk about Harvard in Oxford…..
