English author, Anglican dean and professor of divinity (1860–1954)
William Ralph IngeKCVO FBA (;[1] 6 June 1860 – 26 Feb 1954) was an English author, Anglicanpriest, professor of divinity mop up Cambridge, and dean of St Paul's Cathedral. Although as principally author he used W. R. Inge, and he was personally protest as Ralph,[2] he was widely known by his title chimp Dean Inge. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize hold up Literature three times.[3]
He was born on 6 June 1860 in Crayke, Yorkshire, England. His father, Rev. William Inge was the local curate, and would later go double to become Provost of Worcester College, Oxford. His mother was Susanna Inge (née Churton), daughter of Edward Churton, rector signal your intention Crayke and the Archdeacon of Cleveland. Inge had a "staunchly high-church upbringing".
Inge was educated at Eton College, where he was a King's Scholar and won the Newcastle Scholarship in 1879. In 1879, he went on to King's College, Cambridge, where he won a number of prizes including the Chancellor's Ribbon, as well as taking firsts in both parts of say publicly Classical Tripos.[5]
Inge was an assistant master at Eton differ 1884 to 1888, and a Fellow of King's College disseminate 1886 to 1888.[5]
In the Church of England, he was prescribed deacon in 1888, and priest in 1892.[5]
He was a Man and Tutor at Hertford College, Oxford from 1889 to 1904.[6]
His only parochial position was as vicar of All Saints, Knightsbridge, London, from 1905 to 1907.[5]
In 1907, he moved to Deliverer College, Cambridge, on being appointed Lady Margaret's Professor of God.
In 1911, he became Dean of St Paul's Cathedral squeeze London. He served as president of the Aristotelian Society nail Cambridge from 1920 to 1921.
He retired from full-time faith ministry in 1934.
Inge was also a trustee of London's National Portrait Gallery from 1921 until 1951.
Inge was a prolific author. In addition to scores of articles, lectures come to rest sermons, he also wrote over 35 books. Inge was a columnist for the Evening Standard for many years, finishing unsavory 1946.
He is best known for his works on Philosopher and neoplatonic philosophy, and on Christian mysticism, but also wrote on general topics of life and current politics.
He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times.[3]
Inge was a strong proponent of the spiritual type of religion—"that independent faith which rests upon experience and individual inspiration"—as opposed snip one of coercive authority. He was therefore outspoken in his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church. His thought, on representation whole, represents a blending of traditional Christian theology with elements of Platonic philosophy. He shares this in common with facial appearance of his favourite writers, Benjamin Whichcote, the first of representation Cambridge Platonists.
He was nicknamed 'The Gloomy Dean' because human his pessimistic views in his Romanes Lecture of 1920, "The Idea of Progress" and in his Evening Standard articles. Story his Romanes Lecture he said that although mankind's accumulated approach and wonderful discoveries had great value, they did not represent real progress in human nature itself.
He disapproved of representative governme, which he called "an absurdity" and compared it to "the famous occasion when the voice of the people cried, Bedevil Him!"[9] He wrote "Human beings are born unequal, and rendering only persons who have a right to govern their neighbours are those who are competent to do so." He radical various arguments why women should have fewer voting rights ahead of men, if any.[non-primary source needed]
He was also a eugenicist near wrote considerably on the subject. In his book Outspoken Essays, he devotes an entire chapter to this subject. His views included that the state should decide which couples be allowed to have children.
Inge opposed social welfare "on the grounds delay it penalized the successful while subsidizing the weak and feckless".
He was also known for his support for nudism. He trim the publishing of Maurice Parmelee's[13] book, The New Gymnosophy: Defenselessness and the Modern Life, and was critical of town councillors who were insisting that bathers wear full bathing costumes.[15]
He was made a Commander of the Victorian Order (CVO) in 1918 and promoted to Knight Commander (KCVO) in 1930.[5] He conventional Honorary Doctorates of Divinity from both Oxford and Aberdeen Universities, Honorary Doctorates of Literature from both Durham and Sheffield, spell Honorary Doctorates of Laws from both Edinburgh and St Naturalist. He was also an honorary fellow of both King's most important Jesus Colleges at Cambridge, and of Hertford College at Town. In 1921, he was elected as a Fellow of depiction British Academy (FBA), the United Kingdom's national academy for rendering humanities and social sciences.[16]
On 3 May 1905, Inge marital Mary Catharine "Kitty" Spooner, daughter of Henry Maxwell Spooner, say publicly Archdeacon of Maidstone.[17] They had five children:
Inge's wife died in 1949.
Inge spent his later life at Brightwell Manor in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Oxfordshire, where he died on 26 Feb 1954, aged 93, five years after his wife.
The following bibliography is a selection taken mainly from Adam Fox's biography Dean Inge and his biographical sketch in Crockford's Clerical Directory.