Dominus illuminatio mea

Arms of the University of Oxford, including the motto

Dominus illuminatio mea is the motto of the University of Oxford and the opening words of Psalm 27, meaning The Lord is my light. It has been in use at least since the second half of the sixteenth century, and it appears on the University's arms. It is also used by St Leo's College, University of Queensland.

An article by Ivan Illich may help to better understand the possible role of this mention to God on ancient university arms, at the very moment that scientists were progressively replacing the concept of vision as a gaze radiating from the pupil by the retinal perception of an image formed by reflected sunlight:

"To interpret De oculo morali, the relationship of things to God "who is light" must be understood. This is the century [i.e., the thirteenth century] suffused by the idea that the world rests in God's hands, that it is contingent on Him. This means that at every instant everything derives its existence from his continued creative act. Things radiate by virtue of their constant dependence on this creative act. They are alight by the God-derived luminescence of their truth."

Other uses

Dominus illuminatio mea is also one of the two mottos of Robert College of Istanbul, and it appears on the arms of Robert College Alumni Association since 1957 next to Veritas.

It is also used by St Leo's College, an on-campus college of the University of Queensland.

Additionally, it is the motto of Cair Paravel-Latin School, a private college-preparatory school in Topeka, Kansas, USA. and Nazareth Adcademy in Rochester New York Furthermore, it is the motto of Hallfield Independent School in Birmingham, UK and Marymount Secondary School in Hong Kong.