Don Cupitt is an English philosopher of religion and scholar of Christian theology. Cupitt was born in Oldham and educated at Charterhouse, Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and Westcott House, Cambridge. He studied, successively, natural sciences, theology and the philosophy of religion.
In 1959 he was ordained deacon in the Church of England, becoming a priest in 1960. After short periods as a curate in the North of England, and as vice-principal of Westcott House, Cupitt was elected to a Fellowship and appointed dean at Emmanuel College, Cambridge late in 1965. Since then he has remained at the college.
In 1968 he was appointed to a university teaching post in philosophy of religion, a position in which he continued until his retirement for health reasons in 1996. At that time he proceeded to a life fellowship at Emmanuel College, which remains his base today.
In the early 1990s he stopped officiating at public worship and in 2008 he ceased to be a communicant member of the church. Although he has been a priest, he is better known as a writer, broadcaster and populariser of innovative theological ideas.
He has written 40 books—which have been translated into Dutch, Persian, Polish, Korean, Portuguese, Danish, German and Chinese—as well as chapters in more than 30 multi-authored volumes.
One of Britain’s most interesting – and controversial – philosophers of religion looks back on a lifetime grappling with the understanding of Christian faith. He is in conversation with Peter Armstrong, the producer of the original BBC series The Sea of Faith, in which Don Cupitt told the story of the challenges to traditional belief from scientists and philosophers from Galileo to Wittgenstein.
An interview with the theologian and philosopher Don Cupitt about his life and work. Filmed on 16th February 2009 with Professor Alan Macfarlane and edited by Sarah Harrison. Generously supported by the Leverhulme Trust.
From a collection of Film Interviews with Leading Thinkers published by the University of Cambridge.