Arthur Nock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Nock
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| Born |
Arthur Darby Nock
21 February 1902 Portsmouth, England
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| Died | 11 January 1963 (aged 60) Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
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| Education | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Classicist and theologian |
| Employer | Harvard |
Arthur Darby Nock (born February 21, 1902 – died January 11, 1963) was an English expert in ancient Greek and Roman cultures and religion. He was known as a very important scholar in the history of religion. He taught at Harvard University in the United States from 1930 until he passed away.
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Arthur Nock's Early Life
Arthur Nock was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1902. His parents were Cornelius and Alice Mary Ann Nock. He went to school at Portsmouth Grammar School.
His Journey to Becoming a Scholar
Arthur Nock studied at Trinity College at Cambridge University. He earned his first university degree there in 1922. Later, he got an advanced degree in 1926.
He became a special researcher and teacher at Clare College in Cambridge in 1923. Then, in 1926, he started teaching Classics at the university.
Teaching and Research at Harvard
In 1930, Arthur Nock moved to the United States. He became a special professor of the History of Religion at Harvard University. He was only 28 years old, making him one of the youngest full professors at Harvard in 50 years! He stayed at Harvard for the rest of his life.
He also gave special talks at many other universities. These included Trinity College, Dublin in Ireland and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Important Ideas About Religion
Arthur Nock was a very important expert on religion around the world. He was invited to join many important groups of smart people. These included the British Academy and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He also received special degrees for his work. He got a Doctor of Letters from the University of Birmingham in 1934. He also received honorary doctorates from the Sorbonne in Paris and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. From 1930 until his death, he helped edit the Harvard Theological Review, a major university magazine.
Nock believed that studying religion was very important. He said that religion includes all thoughts, words, and actions people use to understand the unknown forces around them. This includes things like magic and ideas that later become philosophy and science.
Because of this, he pushed for a new advanced degree at Harvard. This degree would be in the History and Philosophy of Religion. It would help students learn how to teach about religion better. The new degree program started in 1934. Arthur Nock was part of the special group that guided its creation. He made sure it would include studying all kinds of religious beliefs. This meant looking at ancient Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Indian religions. Later, this idea of studying and comparing different religions from around the world became the main focus of the degree.
Arthur Nock's Later Life and Death
After being sick for a week, Arthur Nock passed away on January 11, 1963. He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Books He Wrote
- Sallustius ‘Concerning the Gods and the Universe’, with Prolegomena and Translation, editor, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1926).
- Conversion (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1933).
- St. Paul (London: Butterworth, 1938).
