At the age of 30, Vardy began to study theology, receiving a BA from the University of Southampton in 1979 and a PGCE (a teaching qualification) from the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education in 1980.
[13] Vardy's primary academic interest is in the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard, whose work he taught at Heythrop for 25 years.
[16] He has also worked as a member of the Methodist Schools Committee,[17] and has been a keynote speaker at conferences in the field of education, including for UNESCO and UNHRC.
[20] He began running day conferences for sixth-form students in the mid-1990s[citation needed] and set up Wombat Education Ltd in 1998.
[25][26] Since 2010 Vardy has campaigned against the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, which he argues has led to a decline in numbers taking religious studies.
[27] He views philosophy of religion as an exercise in exploring the terms left undefined by theology (such as "God" and "soul") and encouraging humility.
[30] Vardy has served as an editorial adviser for BBC and Channel 4 documentaries,[37][38] has been interviewed by ABC Radio in Australia,[39] and has written for several publications, including Times Higher Education,[40] Eureka Street,[41] and The Age.