As a result, he became convinced that a permanent centre was needed for enquiry into these inter-disciplinary areas; and in 1985 the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at the University of Oxford was set up to promote discussion on the problems raised for theology and ethics by developments in science, technology and medicine.

Ramsey was born in Kearsley, near Bolton, Lancashire, an area noted for small industries and factories.

He was the sole child born to Arthur (a postman) and Mary Ramsey, and was raised by them in the Christian faith.

He won a scholarship in 1934 that enabled him to embark on further study at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a triple first-class MA degree in mathematics, moral sciences (philosophy) and theology in 1939.

Raven spurred Ramsey's interests in the relationship between science and religion, while Ewing guided him into studying metaphysics.

After graduating from Cambridge, Ramsey then enrolled as candidate for ordination in the Church of England at Ripon Hall, near Oxford, and began his theological studies there.

During his studies he served as an assistant curate at Headington Quarry and it was there that he met his wife Margretta McKay (called Margaret; whom he married in 1943).

In 1943, upon completing his theological degree and ordination Ramsey then took on the role of Chaplain at Christ's College, Cambridge.

His inaugural lecture was delivered on 7 December 1951 and published as Miracles: An Exercise in Logical Map Work.

Ramsey also wrote a critical introduction to an abridged edition of Locke's The Reasonableness of Christianity that was released in 1958.

He also served on various Church of England commissions inquiring into ethical questions about birth control, suicide, and on the subject of divine healing.

At Easter in 1972 he had a heart attack brought on by overwork and died on 6 October 1972 after having a meeting at Broadcasting House, London with CRAC.

Religious statements were considered to be technically meaningless as it was argued that claims such as "God exists" were observationally unverifiable.

Rather, if one traces the empirical whatness of a "causal chain", the permanent mystery that such causation exists might dawn on a person, or in an image Ramsey used, "the penny drops".

Ramsey used this point to argue that humans come to encounter God also by way of personal disclosure, thus offering an argument from analogy.

He was particularly effective in communicating with experts from a wide range of disciplines, inspiring them to work together on the problems raised for theology and ethics by developments in science, technology and medicine.