Sarah Foot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Very Reverend
Sarah Foot
FSA FRHistS
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Foot in 2023
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| Born |
Sarah Rosamund Irvine Foot
23 February 1961 |
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| Nationality | British | ||||||||
| Alma mater | Newnham College, Cambridge | ||||||||
| Title | Dean of Christ Church, Oxford | ||||||||
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| Thesis | Anglo-Saxon Ministers, AD 597 – ca. 900 (1989) | ||||||||
| Doctoral advisor | Rosamond McKitterick | ||||||||
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Sarah Rosamund Irvine Foot, born on February 23, 1961, is a British priest and historian. She studies the early medieval period. Since 2007, she has been a special professor of church history at the University of Oxford. In 2023, she became the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sarah Foot was born in 1961. Her father was a military historian named M. R. D. Foot. She went to Withington Girls' School in Manchester until 1979.
After school, she studied at Newnham College, Cambridge. She focused on Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic studies. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), in 1984. Later, she received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1990. Her PhD research was about Anglo-Saxon churches from 597 to about 900 AD.
Her Career Journey
From 1989 to 1990, Sarah Foot was a research fellow at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. She then became a fellow and tutor there. In 1993, she started teaching at the University of Sheffield. She became a senior lecturer in 2001 and a professor of Early Medieval History in 2004.
On February 22, 2007, Queen Elizabeth II chose Sarah Foot for a special teaching position at the University of Oxford. This position is called the Regius Chair of Ecclesiastical History. Sarah Foot was the first woman to ever hold this important role.
This job involves leading research and helping students who are studying for advanced degrees. It also means she helps develop the work of the Oxford theology department. The person in this role also becomes a canon at Christ Church. A canon is a type of church leader. Sarah Foot became a residentiary canon of the cathedral in October 2007.
Becoming a Priest
From 2007 to 2017, Sarah Foot was a lay canon at Christ Church Cathedral. During this time, she felt called to become a priest. She studied at Ripon College Cuddesdon to prepare for this.
On July 1, 2017, she was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England. This means she could start helping in church services. On December 21, 2017, she was ordained as a priest. Since then, she has been a residentiary canon at Christ Church Cathedral.
In March 2023, King Charles III approved Sarah Foot's appointment as the Dean of Christ Church. She is the first woman to hold this position. She started her new role on July 1, 2023. The Dean is in charge of both the Oxford college (Christ Church) and the cathedral (Christ Church Cathedral).
What She Studies
Sarah Foot's main research areas include the history of Anglo-Saxon England. She is especially interested in:
- Anglo-Saxon monasteries
- The role of women in religion during the medieval period
- The Cistercians, a group of monks
She also studies the history of the early medieval church and society. She looks at how the idea of "English identity" was formed. She has written a book about Æthelstan, who was the first king of all England.
Sarah Foot has also contributed to a BBC Radio 4 show called In Our Time. She talked about the life of St Cuthbert, an important saint.
Personal Life
In 1986, Sarah Foot married Geoff Schrecker. They divorced in 1999 and had one son together. In 2002, she married Michael Bentley. He is also a professor of history.
Awards and Honors
Sarah Foot has received several honors for her work:
- In 2001, she became a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS).
- On June 14, 2001, she was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA).
- She was the president of the Ecclesiastical History Society from 2011 to 2012.
See also
- Regius Professor
