The Gifford Lectures—held regularly at the four ancient Scottish universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, St. Andrews and Aberdeen—were established under the will of Adam Lord Gifford, a Senator of the College of Justice, who died in 1887. His bequest allows the University to invite notable scholars to deliver a series of public lectures on themes related to ‘natural theology’, broadly construed.

The 2018 Lectures held in Aberdeen were delivered by world-renowned biblical scholar Professor NT Wright (University of St. Andrews) under the overall title "Discerning the Dawn: History, Eschatology and New Creation".