Sean Doherty (ethicist)

Sean William Doherty (born 1980) is a British Anglican priest and academic specialising in Christian ethics. Since June 2019, he has been Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, an evangelical Anglican theological college.^[1][2]

Doherty studied English literature, theology and ethics at the University of Oxford (BA, MPhil, DPhil), and trained for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.^[3][4] He began by study English literature for his undergraduate degree, before switching to theology after one year.^[4] His doctoral thesis was titled "Moral theological method in the theological ethics of Martin Luther and Arthur Rich, with particular reference to their economic ethics", and was completed in 2011.^[5] His doctoral supervisor was Bernd Wannenwetsch.^[6]

Doherty was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 2007 and as a priest in 2008.^[1] He served his curacy at St Gabriel's Church, Cricklewood in the Diocese of London from 2007 to 2010.^[2] He was additionally a lecturer at St Paul's Theological Centre, Holy Trinity Brompton, between 2008 and 2010.^[1] In 2010, he joined St Mellitus College, a Church of England theological college in London, as a tutor and lecturer in Christian ethics.^[1][7] He additionally served the college as Director of Studies from 2014, for his final four years with them.^[2][7][8] In February 2019, it was announced that he would be leaving St Mellitus College to become the next head of Trinity College, Bristol.^[8] He took up the appointment as principal, in succession to Emma Ineson, in June 2019.^[2][8] He has also held permission to officiate in the Diocese of Bristol since 2020.^[1] He was an elected member of the General Synod of the Church of England from 2015 to 2019.^[2]

Doherty's research interests include economic ethics, sexual ethics, and medical ethics.^[3]

Doherty is married to Gaby, and together they have four children.^[4] He is same-sex attracted but does not identify as gay.^[9][10] He was a founder of Living Out, a website aimed at people who are "same-sex attracted while remaining committed to a traditional view of Christian sexuality".^[11][12]

• Doherty, Sean (2014). Theology and economic ethics: Martin Luther and Arthur Rich in dialogue. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0198703334.
• Doherty, Sean (2015). The Only Way is Ethics: Part 1, Sex and marriage. Milton Keynes: Authentic Media. ISBN 978-1780781440.
• Kidwell, Jeremy; Doherty, Sean, eds. (2015). Theology and economics: a Christian vision of the common good. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1137552235.
• Doherty, Sean (2016). The Only Way is Ethics: Part 2, Life and Death. Milton Keynes: Authentic Media. ISBN 978-1780781525.