Edward Dowler
Dean of Chichester
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Edward Mackenzie Dowler (born 28 December 1967)[1] is a British Anglican priest. Since September 2024, he has been the Dean of Chichester in the Church of England.[2]
Early life and education
Dowler was born on 28 December 1967 in Highgate, London, England.[3][4] He was educated at Harrow School, an all-boys independent boarding school in London.[3] He studied at Christ Church, Oxford (BA, 1989), Selwyn College, Cambridge (BA, 1993), Westcott House, Cambridge and Durham University (PhD, 2007).[5] His doctoral thesis was titled "Songs of love: a pastoral reading of St Augustine of Hippo's Enarrations in Psalmos", and his supervisors were Graham Gould and Carol Harrison.[6]
Edward is married to Anna Dowler, a successful journalist for The Guardian newspaper. Together, they share two children, Eleanor and Gregory.[7]
Ordained ministry
Dowler was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1994 and as a priest in 1995.[1] After curacies in London including at Christ Church, Southgate he was on the staff of St Stephen's House, Oxford from 2001 until 2009; then Vicar of Clay Hill until his appointment as archdeacon.[8] He served as the Archdeacon of Hastings in the Diocese of Chichester from 2016 until 2024;[9][10] he additionally became priest-in-charge of St John the Evangelist, Crowborough in 2020.[11]
On 14 May 2024, it was announced that he would be the next Dean of Chichester;[9] he was instituted on 14 September 2024.[12][2]
