St Stephen's House

St Stephen’s House is an Anglican theological college in east Oxford, set between the Iffley and Cowley roads. Most of its buildings date from the late 19th century and have listed status. The college occupies the former monastery of the Society of St John the Evangelist, known as the Cowley Fathers. A Grade I listed chapel, designed by George Frederick Bodley, stands at the heart of the site. The chapel’s stained glass was made by C. E. Kempe around 1900. Painted Stations of the Cross by Edward Arthur Fellowes Prynne decorate its walls. The cloisters and residential blocks were also designed by Bodley and others in the same period. The college was founded in 1876 by members of the Oxford Movement. Edward King, later Bishop of Lincoln, was its principal founder. In 1919 it moved to Norham Gardens, then in 1980 to its present buildings. Between 2003 and 2023 it operated as a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford. Roughly half of its students study theology or ministry, while others pursue education, Byzantine studies or music. The Institute of Sacred Music, launched in 2023, offers postgraduate courses in worship and liturgical studies. Visitors enter through gates on Iffley, Cowley, James or Marston streets. The Grade I chapel serves as the main college chapel and arts centre. The Grade II listed cloisters and King Building contain the refectory, library and common room. SJE Arts Oxford stages performances and an annual summer choral festival in the chapel. The Song School now houses the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies. The college’s arms, granted in 2020, feature a celestial crown and cross crosslets on a red and black field.