The Goldilocks Zone

Michael J. Ovey (1958–2017) served as the greatly loved and respected Principal of Oak Hill College, London, from 2007 until his unexpected and untimely death. He joined the faculty of Oak Hill in 1998 and completed a PhD in the field of trinitarian theology. He wrote few books: it was said that his students were his writing. This volume collects articles and lectures that demonstrate the depth and breadth of his intellect and originality.

For Mike Ovey, in the same way that the earth is a ‘Goldilocks planet’, with conditions ‘just right’ to sustain life, so for theology we need a ‘Goldilocks zone’ which is ‘just right’, encompassing both ‘local’ and ‘global’ theologies. This is unpacked in the first item of this collection, which consists of fifteen ‘Off the Record’ articles for the online journal Themelios, seven Cambridge Papers, two essays on the gospel and the atonement, and three lectures given at the Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON). There are introductory pieces by Mark Thompson and Chris Green and an afterword by Dan Strange. Peter Jensen’s sermon at the thanksgiving service for Mike’s life and ministry is also included.

This collection shows why Mike Ovey’s contribution to evangelical Christianity was so widely appreciated in the UK and around the world.