Wood was educated at City of London School and Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was appointed a fellow in 1904.

At the University of Birmingham, he was the first Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology, holding the chair from 1940 to 1946, and was also Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 1943 to 1946.

[1] Wood argued for the historicity of Jesus and was an opponent of the Christ myth theory.

[4] Wood wrote that "All Christ-myth theorists start from a view of the gospels as discredited witnesses — a view which no scientific historian can accept and which rests on rationalist prejudice and sheer ignorance.

Its past post-holders include Ninian Smart, John Hick and Denys Turner.