William Temple

William Temple 1881-1944, archbishop of York (1929-42) and archbishop of Canterbury (1942-44); son of Frederick Temple. At Balliol College, Oxford, he became (1904) president of the Oxford Union. He was fellow and lecturer in philosophy (1904-10) at Queen's College, Oxford, and in 1909 was ordained a priest. Temple served as headmaster (1910-14) of Repton School and as rector (1914-17) of St. James's, Piccadilly. He joined the Life and Liberty Movement, which strove for an autonomous Church of England; the goal was achieved in part by the Enabling Act of 1919. He was canon (1919-21) of Westminster and bishop (1921-29) of Manchester. He was made archbishop of York in 1929, and in 1942 he became archbishop of Canterbury. Keenly interested in social and economic reform, he was a friend of labor and the first president (1908-24) of the Workers' Educational Association. His leadership in the movement to form a world council of churches was outstanding. Among his numerous publications are Christianity and the State (1928), Nature, Man, and God (1934), and The Church Looks Forward (1944).

Bibliography: See F. A. Iremonger, William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury (1948, abr. 1963); J. F. Fletcher, William Temple, Twentieth Century Christian (1963); A. M. Ramsey, An Era in Anglican Theology (1960).

Temple, William (1881–1944) British churchman and educationalist. He became a priest in 1909 and was Archbishop of Canterbury (1942–44). He worked with R. A. (later Lord) BUTLER on his Education Bill, which became law in 1944. He also sought to secure a greater sense of common purpose between the different religious denominations and his work led to the foundation of the WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.

Temple, William (1881–1944). Archbishop of Canterbury. Born in Exeter, Temple was educated at Balliol College, Oxford. He was ordained while fellow of Queen's (1904–10). He was successively headmaster of Repton (1910), rector of St James's, Piccadilly (1914), bishop of Manchester (1921), archbishop of York (1929) and of Canterbury (1942). Influenced by the Workers' Educational Association and Student Christian Movement, he was, like his friend R. H. Tawney, socialist in his thinking. Later dubbed ‘intellectually the most brilliant archbishop since Anselm’, he also had great administrative ability and towered over the English ecclesiastical scene.