Gervase Mathew
Anthony Gervase Mathew (14 March 1905 – 4 April 1976) was a Catholic priest and British academic. A member of the Dominican Order, he taught at Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford. His elder brother, David Mathew, served as a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church.
Rev. Fr. Gervase Mathew O.P., M.A., S.T.L., F.S.A. | |
|---|---|
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Other post(s) | University Lecturer in Byzantine Studies, University of Oxford |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1934 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 March 1905 |
| Died | 4 April 1976 (aged 71) |
| Education | Balliol College, Oxford |
Early life
Gervase Mathew was born on 14 March 1905. His father, Anthony Mathew, was a barrister, who elected to educate his two sons at home rather than send them away to boarding school.[1]
In 1924 Gervase followed his brother, David, to Balliol College, Oxford, where he read Modern History under Sir Maurice Powicke.[2] Following his graduation from Oxford, in 1928 Mathew studied at the British School at Athens. In the same year he joined the Dominican Order. He was ordained in 1934.[2]
Academic career
In 1934 Mathew returned to Oxford to take a post at Blackfriars Hall. He delivered lectures at both the School of Theology and Blackfriars.
Matthew's publications covered a range of fields, including classical antiquity, Byzantine art and history, historical theology, patristics, and fourteenth-century English literature and politics. In collaboration with the Chair of Modern Greek studies, Professor John Mavrogordato, Mathew instituted Byzantine Studies at the University of Oxford.[3] From 1947–1971 he held the post of University Lecturer in Byzantine Studies, and in 1965 he was Visiting Professor at the University of California.[4]
While at Oxford, Mathew was a guest member of a literary group, the Inklings, which was also frequented by J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, David Cecil, and Owen Barfield.[4]
Selected bibliography
- The Prayer of Quiet (Oxford: Blackfriars Publications, 1936)
- Justice and Charity in The Vision of Piers Plowman (Oxford: Blackfriars Publications, 1948)
- Byzantine Painting (London: Faber and Faber, 1950)
- The Origins of Eucharistic Symbolism (Oxford: Blackfriars Publications, 1954)
- Byzantine Aesthetics (London: J. Murray, 1963)
References
- Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P. (1976). "Obituary Notices: The Rev. Fr. Gervase Mathew". Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa. 11: ix–x. doi:10.1080/00672707609511228.
- Freeman-Grenville, G. S. P. (1976). "Obituary Notices: The Rev. Fr. Gervase Mathew". Azania: archaeological research in Africa. 11: ix–x – via Taylor and Francis Online.
- Chadwick, Henry (May 1976). "Obituary: Gervase Mathew". New Blackfriars. 57 (672): 194–196. doi:10.1111/j.1741-2005.1976.tb02268.x. JSTOR 43246551.
- Chadwick, Henry (May 1976). "Obituary: Gervase Mathew". New Blackfriars. 57 (672): 194–196 – via JSTOR.