Robert Hamerton-Kelly

Robert G. Hamerton-Kelly (born 1938) is a Christian theologian, ordained United Methodist pastor, and author and editor of several books on religion and violence.

Life and career

Hamerton-Kelly was born in Cape Town, South Africa, received his undergraduate education from the University of Cambridge, and earned his Th.D. from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York under W. D. Davies.

From 1972 to 1986, Hamerton-Kelly served as Dean of the Chapel at Stanford University. Hamerton-Kelly also was minister of Stanford Memorial Church, a Consulting Professor of Religious Studies and, by courtesy, of Classics.cite web|url=http://www.meta-library.net/bio/hkelly-body.html|title=Robert Hamerton-Kelly|publisher=meta-library.net|accessdate=2008-01-24]

At Stanford, Hamerton-Kelly became acquainted with René Girard, and was a founding member of the [http://theol.uibk.ac.at/cover/ Colloquium on Violence and Religion] to further research and discuss the themes of Girard's work. In 1987, Hamerton-Kelly edited "Violent Origins: Walter Burkett, René Girard, and Jonathan Z. Smith on Ritual Killing and Cultural Formation", essays from early meetings of the colloquium.

From 1986 to 1997, Hamerton-Kelly was a Senior Research Scholar at the Center for International Security and Arms Control (now the [http://cisac.stanford.edu/ Center for International Security and Cooperation] ) specializing in ethics of nuclear weapons and military intervention. During this time, Hamerton-Kelly was particularly interested in ethnic conflict in Central Europe. From 1996 to 2004, Hamerton-Kelly served as pastor at the Woodside Village Church in Woodside, California.cite news|url=http://www.almanacnews.com/morgue/2004/2004_06_16.rvklly.shtml|title=Going by the Book: Woodside Village Church pastor retires, returns to intellectual pursuits|last=Gemmet|first=Andrea|date=June 16 2004|work=The Almanac|accessdate=2008-01-24]

Currently, Hamerton-Kelly is President of [http://www.imitatio.com/ Imitatio] , a research fund of the Peter Thiel Foundation devoted to promoting research in Girard's mimetic theory and disseminating awareness of it.fact|date=January 2008 He preaches twice a month in the Palo Alto Society of St John, and is writing on the themes of desire, violence, and power.

Bibliography (partial)

Hamerton-Kelly, Robert. "God the Father: Theology and Patriarchy in the Teaching of Jesus" Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress: 1979. ISBN 080061528X

Hamerton-Kelly, Robert (Ed.). "Violent Origins: Walter Burkett, René Girard, and Jonathan Z. Smith on Ritual Killing and Cultural Formation." Stanford University Press: 1988. ISBN 0804715181

Hamerton-Kelly, Robert. Sacred Violence: "Paul's Hermeneutic of the Cross." Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress: 1992. ISBN 0800625293

Hamerton-Kelly, Robert and Rene Girard. "The Gospel and the Sacred: Poetics of Violence in Mark." Fortress Press: 1993. ISBN 0800626699

Hamerton-Kelly, Robert. "Pre-Existence, Wisdom, and the Son of Man." Wipf & Stock Publishers: 2001; first published Cambridge University Press, 1972. ISBN 052161600X

Hamerton-Kelly, Robert (Ed). "Politics and Apocalypse." Michigan State Univ. Press. 2007 ISBN 0870138111

References

External links

* [http://www.hamerton-kelly.com Robert Hamerton-Kelly's home page]
* [http://theol.uibk.ac.at/cover/ Home page of the Colloquium on Violence & Religion]
* [http://www.imitatio.com/ Imitatio home page]