BA(Hons), MA (Cantab), MPhil, PhD (Manc), SFHEA
Academic Director
Email: s.stocks@spurgeons.ac.uk
Simon joined the staff team at Spurgeon’s College in December 2024. In his role as Academic Director he is also part of the College’s Senior Management Team.
After a career in civil engineering, he trained for ministry in the Church of England at Trinity College Bristol. He worked in parish ministry as a curate in the diocese of Southwark, where he also taught on the Reader Training course. His doctoral thesis was undertaken through Cliff College and analysed aspects of Hebrew poetic structure in the Psalms.
Simon’s previous role was at St. Augustine’s School of Theology where he was Senior Tutor and Tutor for Biblical Studies. He had oversight of the ordination training pathway and also served as Chair of the Board of Examiners. Simon is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Treasurer of the Theological Educators’ Network, which supports all those involved in training candidates for licensed lay ministry in the Church of England. He is a member of the Society for Old Testament Study and the Society of Biblical Literature.
Simon’s research interests include the interactions between poetic form and interpretation in Hebrew poetry, and the theology of lament.
Simon lives in Purley, South London where he continues his involvement in parish ministry. He regularly addresses church groups on a variety of biblically-based topics. He blogs (very occasionally) at cryhard.org
Publications
Academic Publications
‘”Like the snail that dissolves”: Construction of Identity of Psalmist and Enemy in the Lament Psalms of the Individual’, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 46.1 (2021), 1-11.
‘On the Inter-dependence of Diachronic Analysis and Prosodic Theory: Mowinckel’s Tricola as a Case Study’, Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages, 43/2 (2017), 53-64.
‘”Children, listen to me.”: The Voicing of Wisdom in the Psalms’, in D.G.Firth and L.Wilson (eds.), Exploring Old Testament Wisdom: Literature and Themes. London: Apollos, 2016.
Popular Idols: A Biblical View on Gods, Desire and idolatry. Cambridge: Grove Books, 2016.
The Form and Function of the Tricolon in the Psalms of Ascents. Eugene, Or.: Wipf & Stock, 2012.
Using the Psalms for Prayer through Suffering. Cambridge: Grove Books, 2007.
Conference Papers
‘Lament and the Construction of Identity in the Psalms’, Society for Old Testament Study, 2018.
‘On the Inter-dependence of Diachronic Analysis and Prosodic Theory: Mowinckel’s Tricola as a Case Study’, European Association of Biblical Studies, 2016.
· ‘Parallelism, Enjambment and Tricola in Book V of the Psalter’, Society of Biblical Literature, 2015.
‘”Children, listen to me.”: The Voicing of Wisdom in the Psalms’, Tyndale Fellowship OT Study Group, 2015.
‘When is a tricolon not a tricolon? A neglected nuance of an accentual rhythmical approach to the colometry of Hebrew Psalm poetry,’ Society of Biblical Literature international meeting, 2012.
Publications for General Church Readership
Simon is the OT Series Editor for the Bible Reading Fellowship’s Really Useful Guides to the Bible.
‘Psalms of War: Victory and Suffering’, Preach magazine, issue 34, Spring 2023.
‘Preaching Generosity‘ contributor, 2022.
Contributor to The BRF Book of 365 Bible Reflections, Abingdon: BRF, 2021.
Psalms. Really Useful Guides series; Abingdon: BRF, 2018.
Songs for Suffering: Praying the Psalms in Times of Trouble. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2017. (Additional resources at www.cryhard.org)
‘Bible Comment’ contributor to Sunday by Sunday, 45, 48, 53, 58 & 67, Royal School of Church Music, 2008-13
Talks for General Church Audiences
Simon preaches regularly at Christ Church, Purley.
‘Leading from Behind: The Hebrew Midwives’, Rochester Diocesan SSM Clergy Study Day, Dec. 2023
‘Keeping Faith in Darkness’, St Stephen’s Rochester Row Lent Series, Mar. 2021
‘Confronting Violence in the Old Testament’, Diocese of Southwark Lay Education, Feb. 2021
‘Preaching Mark’, Rye Deanery Study Day, Oct. 2020
‘Unlocking the Psalms’, Holcombe & Hawkshaw Parish weekend, Sept. 2019.
‘Preaching Matthew’, Rye Deanery Study Day, Sept. 2019
‘Who’s Afraid of the Biblical Scholar?’, New Wine Network meeting, Nov. 2018.
‘“The Lord is One” – Knowing the One True God’, Sanderstead Bible Week, Aug. 2018.
‘See Good: The Hidden Advice of Qoheleth’, Diocese of Southwark Mid-ministry retreat, Feb. 2018.
‘Unlocking the Psalms’, St Benedict’s Centre workshop series, Nov. 2017.
‘God’s Word in the Psalms’, Sanderstead Bible Week, Aug. 2017.
‘The Psalms of lament: Authentic Prayer in Times of trouble’. South Chatham Lecture Series, Jan. 2017.
‘A Story of Transformation’, Ockley & Okewood Men’s Breakfast, 2016.
‘What I talk about when I talk about Easter’, training day for Methodist lay preachers, North Kent, 2015.
‘Daughters of Zelophehad: Emancipators or Oppressors?’, Compline address, Farleigh, Surrey, 2014.
‘Popular Idols: Preaching from the Idol polemics’, Diocese of Southwark CMD day, 2014.
‘Goat’s Milk and Goring: Finding a place for OT Law in Christian Discipleship’, Diocese of Southwark CMD day, 2012.
‘Isn’t the God of the Old Testament just a vengeful bully?’, Emmanuel Church, Croydon, 2012.
‘The Old Testament: What happened way back then and who wrote it down?’, KJV 450th Lecture series, Churches Together, Coulsdon, Surrey, 2011.
‘Called by Christ: Calling, Vocation & Service’, St Mark’s Café Church, 2011.
‘Out of the Depths : Recovering the Psalms of Lament in contemporary church life’, talk for St Mary’s Bryanston Square ‘Deep Church’ group, 2008
‘Meaninglessness and Marmite: connecting with life today through the book of Ecclesiastes’, Diocese of Southwark Summer School, July 2009.
‘Seeing is believing: using film and video clips as an aid to preaching’, Diocese of Southwark Summer School, July 2009.
‘Speaking for God? The voice of the prophet’ Diocese of Southwark Summer School, July 2008.
‘God of Vengeance, God of Love: reading the Old and New Testaments together’ Diocese of Southwark Summer School, July 2007.
‘The Use of the Psalms in Contemporary Ministry’ Diocese of Southwark CMD day, 2007.
