Blackfriars Hall
Blackfriars Hall is a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford. Unlike a college, a Hall is owned and governed by an outside institution (in this case, the English Province of the Order of Preachers) and not by its fellows. Although historically a centre for the study of theology and philosophy informed by the intellectual tradition of St Thomas Aquinas, it now admits men and women of any faith to a wide range of postgraduate degree programmes in the humanities and social sciences. The current Regent of Blackfriars is Fr. John O'Connor, O.P..
| Blackfriars Hall | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford | ||||||||||||
Arms: Gyronny sable and argent, a cross flory counterchanged. | ||||||||||||
| Location | St Giles', Oxford | |||||||||||
| Latin name | Aula Fratrum Praedicatorum | |||||||||||
| Established | 1994 | |||||||||||
| Named after | The black cappa of the Dominican friars | |||||||||||
| Regent | Rev. John O’Connor, OP | |||||||||||
| Undergraduates | 0 (4 visiting students) | |||||||||||
| Postgraduates | 86 | |||||||||||
| Website | Hall website | |||||||||||
Blackfriars Hall is an outward-looking, friendly, diverse and supportive academic community of students, Fellows, and staff. Established as a Permanent Private Hall (PPH) in 1994, Blackfriars is committed to a spirit of critical and constructive academic enquiry in its research, teaching, and study.
While Blackfriars Hall has its own distinctive identity and life, as well as its own physical space, it shares buildings with the Dominican Priory and Studium (Dominican House of Studies). The Hall is committed to an inclusive ethos. The student body comprises Catholic and non-Catholic, Christian and non-Christian, those of various religious affiliations and those of none. The Hall community believe that the University of Oxford identity with a Dominican flavour at Blackfriars Hall is seen by students and Fellows as a richness and distinctiveness that also comes with a high degree of personal service and care.
Blackfriars Hall is the home of a number of other institutes including, the Las Casas Institute on ethics, governance and social justice. Launched in November 2008, the institute contributes to the hall's founding vision to be a centre of the social as well as the sacred sciences. Its founding director (from October 2008 to January 2011) was Francis Davis; As of 2022 the director is Richard Finn.
The Aquinas Institute was established in 2004 under the directorship of Fergus Kerr. It aims to foster study of St Thomas at Oxford through seminars, conferences, summer schools and programmes. Patrons of the institute include John Haldane, Alasdair MacIntyre and Eleonore Stump.