Mark Vernon

Mark Vernon is a British psychotherapist, writer and former Anglican priest.^[1][2]

Biography

Vernon studied physics at Durham University, where he was a member of St John's College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1989.^[3] He received a PhD in ancient Greek philosophy from the University of Warwick.^[4]

Vernon trained for ordination at St Stephen's House, Oxford, between 1990 and 1993. During this time, he also studied for a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree at the University of Oxford. He was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1993 and as a priest in 1994. He served his curacy at St Cuthbert's Church, Billingham, in the Diocese of Durham.^[3] His bishop, David Jenkins, was liberal and allowed his to serve as long as he kept his homosexuality "discreet".^[5] Three years after his ordination, he left the church, having been unable to live with the lie any longer; "you internalise the charge of being an abomination. You live a lie. And like any lived lie, insidious psychological damage is the price."^[5]

Vernon is the author of several books on subjects from friendship and belief, to wellbeing and love, including A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling, and the Evolution of Consciousness (2019),^[6][7] based upon the ideas of the Oxford Inkling, Owen Barfield,^[8] Dante's Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey.,^[9][4] and most recently, Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps.^[10]

He is a columnist for The Idler, and has written for Aeon, Church Times and The Tablet, amongst other publications.^[11][2] He has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Moral Maze, In Our Time, alongside other programmes, and also regularly podcasts and posts YouTubes, including the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues with Rupert Sheldrake.^[12][2][13] Vernon was formerly a Church of England priest.^[4]

Vernon has a private psychotherapy practice and has also worked at the Maudsley Hospital.^[1][14]

Works

• Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps, Iff Books: 2022
• Dante's Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey, Angelico Press: 2021
• A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling and the Evolution of Consciousness, John Hunt Publishing: 2019
• The Idler Guide To Ancient Philosophy, Idler Books: 2015
• Carl Jung: How to believe, Guardian Shorts: 2013
• Love: All That Matters, Hodder Education: 2013
• God: The Big Questions, Quercus: 2012
• God: All That Matters, Hodder Education: 2012
• How To Be An Agnostic, Palgrave Macmillan: 2011
• The Good Life, Hodder Education: 2010
• The Meaning of Friendship, Palgrave Macmillan: 2010
• Plato’s Podcasts: The Ancients’ Guide to Modern Living, Oneworld: 2009
• Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions (Editor in Chief), Chambers Harrap: 2009
• Teach Yourself Humanism, Hodder Education: 2008
• Wellbeing, Acumen: 2008 – in The Art of Living series that he edited
• 42: Deep Thought on Life, the Universe and Everything, Oneworld: 2008
• What Not To Say: Finding the Right Words at Difficult Moments, Weidenfeld and Nicolson: 2007
• Business: The Key Concepts, Routledge: 2002