James Pantefedwyn Foundation

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Owain Caron James

With the support of the Pantyfedwen Scholarship, I studied for a DPhil degree in Theology at Trinity College, Oxford University. M​y essay looked at how the early theologians of the Christian Church interpreted 1 Samuel 28, which is the story about King Saul going to visit the Witch of Endor who, seemingly, raised the prophet Samuel from the grave. The early Christians were not in agreement regarding this passage, with some believing that the real prophet had been raised, and others thinking that it was some diabolical apparition that had appeared.

Life at Oxford was very busy. During my time at Trinity College, I was appointed Deputy President of the graduates and also 'Junior Dean', a role which meant that I was part of the senior membership of the College and was able to enjoy many extra privileges. While Deputy Chaplain of the Dafydd ap Gwilym Society, I was inspired by some discussions to establish an initiative called Darogan, to encourage students and graduates to consider staying in Wales or returning to Wales for their working life. This initiative has now developed and grown considerably; further details can be seen by visiting www.darogantalent.cymru. I am so grateful to the Pantyfedwen Foundation, whose generosity allowed me to contribute to these extracurricular activities, alongside the doctorate itself.

I have now moved back to Cardiff, and work from home for a company called Basis, a company which supports the public sector in solving complex problems. The director of the company is Welsh-speaking, and we work with various organizations in Wales. It's great to be able to use the Welsh language on a daily basis, and work for a company that wishes to see the citizens of Wales flourish.