The Movement for Reform Judaism

Rabbi Tony Bayfield, head of the Movement for Reform Judaism, has become only the third Jew in history to receive a Lambeth Degree, awarded by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in recognition of his leadership in interfaith relations through lecturing, writing, teaching and in particular his work as a President of the Council of Christians and Jews.

London, 1 November 2006

Rabbi Bayfield received a Doctorate of Divinity at a special ceremony at Lambeth Palace today. In his citation at the ceremony, the Archbishop spoke in detail about Rabbi Bayfield's theological work, referring in particular to his concept of a ‘personal theology':

"At the heart of Rabbi Bayfield's theological life and work is his emphasis on the importance of every individual. His own life has been deeply affected and bound up with those closest to him, that is, his family and his emphasis is on a ‘personal theology', forged from the experiences of one's life."

He continued: "this concept of ‘family', however, leads Rabbi Bayfield beyond his own personal and family experiences, into an exploration of the Jewish family as a whole; and outwards to the family of Abraham, which includes Christians and Muslims."

He praised Rabbi Bayfield's ‘courageous stance' on interfaith relations, and his role last year in publishing simultaneously in leading Jewish, Christian and Muslim journals, a Platform Statement, written by members of the Manor House interfaith dialogue group, which acknowledged the ‘unwelcome truths' within and between these three religious traditions, as well as stating what is shared in common.

The Archbishop concluded his citation by saying that he had "great pleasure in conferring on Rabbi Bayfield a Doctor of Divinity." Lambeth degrees, which are "legally substantive" degrees, have been awarded by Archbishops of Canterbury since the 16th century, in recognition of "published writings of an academic nature". They are normally reserved for distinguished work within the Anglican Church. The only other Jews to have received such a degree were Lord Jacobovitz in 1987 and Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks in 2001.

Rabbi Tony Bayfield said: "I am deeply moved by this honour. The theology of Interfaith relations has long been a special interest of mine. But I do see this as a recognition of the leadership role that progressive Judaism has taken in this area. One of the revelations of modern times is that the faiths of the world can only exist in relation to each other and there can be no peace in the world without peace between the religions."

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Notes for Editors

• Right to grant degrees derived from the Peter's Pence Act 1533 which empowered the Archbishop of Canterbury to grant dispensations previously granted by the Pope. The practice began during the time when attendance at Oxford or Cambridge was frequently disrupted by the difficulty of travel or by outbreaks of the plague. The Archbishop was empowered to grant exemption from the residential requirements then necessary for a degree.
  
• A Lambeth Degree is a full degree, not an honorary one. The candidates don't have to write a thesis or sit an examination and they are awarded entirely at the discretion of the Archbishop. However recipients must have the potential to have studied for the degree in question. In many cases it's recognised that a person's distinguished service to the Church has precluded him/her from further academic study. A Lambeth Degree is a recognition of this, as well as a sign of thanksgiving from the Church at large.
  
• Can be awarded in Divinity, Law, Arts, Medicine and Music - usually doctorates or masters, very occasionally a BD. If a candidate already has a degree, a doctorate can be awarded in a different subject, as long as he/she has published writings of an academic nature which is evidence of his/her ability. Even with masters degrees there has to be some evidence of academic ability.
  
• Degrees can only be awarded to those who can take the oath of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen. Therefore recipients must be British subjects or nationals of countries in the Commonwealth who retain the Queen as head of state or who have dual nationality.

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