The Clarendon Building (Image Credit: David Iliff / Flickr )
The Clarendon Building (Image Credit: David Iliff / Flickr ) - marks the 150th anniversary of the passing of the Universities Tests Act, which removed the last religious restrictions for scholars attending the University of Oxford. In 1581, under Queen Elizabeth I, Oxford ruled that no individual could formally enrol - or 'matriculate' - without swearing an oath to the monarch and the Church. Positions within Oxford - whether fellowships in the colleges or professorships within the University - also required similar forms of assent. Oxford's restrictions were much stricter than Cambridge's and those in Ireland and Scotland, and the ruling made Oxford the most exclusive university in the British Isles. Over time, however, pressure grew as a new generation increasingly recognised how distant the university was becoming from society. Professor Anthony Reddie, Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture, said: 'The 150th anniversary of the Tests Act represents a critical juncture at which to reflect on the long march towards greater equality, diversity, and inclusion in this venerable institution. In 1854, the requirement to subscribe to the Church of England at both matriculation and graduation was removed - except for students of Theology.
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