William Ralph Inge

William Ralph Inge , 1860-1954, Anglican prelate and author. He was fellow of King's College, Cambridge (1886-88), fellow and tutor of Hertford College, Oxford (1889-1904), and vicar of a London parish (1905-7). He then became Lady Margaret professor of divinity and fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. He was dean of St. Paul's Cathedral from 1911 to 1934. Well known for his originality of thought and for his pessimism, the latter earned him the title "the gloomy dean." His works include several on mysticism, a subject in which he was much interested. See Christian Mysticism (1897), Personal Idealism and Mysticism (1907), Mysticism in Religion (1948), and Diary of a Dean (1949).

Bibliography: See biography by A. Fox (1960); study by R. M. Helm (1962).

Inge, William Ralph (1860–1954), Dean of St Paul's from 1911 to 1934. His sympathies with Platonic spirituality found expression in a series of theological and devotional writings, including Christian Mysticism (1899) and The Philosophy of Plotinus (1918). His grasp of the tastes and prejudices of the English mind, his provocative manner of writing, and his pure English style made him one of the best-known Churchmen of his generation.

Inge, William Ralph (1860–1954), dean of St Paul's 1911–34, dubbed ‘the gloomy dean’ for his pessimistic views on democracy, progress, education, etc. published in articles for the Evening Standard. He also published diaries, memoirs, and many volumes on religion, politics, and philosophy.