Series: Peter Baelz (1923-2000)

Rev. Canon Prof. Peter R. Baelz was a respected Anglican priest, theologian, and academic. Born on 27 July 1923 and educated at Dulwich College, he went on to Cambridge University, where he also trained for ordination at Westcott House and earned a distinguished reputation—including a tennis Blue—before being ordained in 1950. He began his early ministry with curacies in Bournville and Sherborne, followed by parish incumbencies in Wishaw, Warwickshire, and Bournville, Birmingham.

In 1960, Baelz was appointed Fellow and Dean of Jesus College, Cambridge, also lecturing in Divinity; from 1972 to 1980 he served as Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford. He went on to become Dean of Durham Cathedral from 1980 until his retirement in 1988.

An eminent author, his notable works include Prayer and Providence (1968), Ethics and Belief (1977), Does God Answer Prayer? (1982), Embracing the Chaos (1990), and Veritatis Splendor: A Response (1994). He chaired the Church of England’s Committee for Theological Education for over a decade and supervised doctoral students such as John C. Knapp.

Known for his deep engagement with prayer, metaphysics, the arts, ethics, and ministerial formation, Baelz was described as “a shining light in the Church of England” upon his death on 15 March 2000 at age 76.