The Christian Philosophy Of William Temple

A. PURPOSE AND PLAN William Temple was trained as a philosopher and lectured on phi losophy at Oxford (1904), but his concern for labor, education, journalism, and the Church of England led him away from philosophy as a profession. Enthroned in 1942 as Archbishop of Canterbury, Temple persisted in applying his Christian position to the solution of the problems of the day. He will be remembered for his contributions in many areas of life and thought: his work in the ecumenical movement, and his writings in theology and social ethics attest to the variety and depth of his concern, but of special significance is his contribution toward the construction of a distinctly Christian philosophy relevant to the twentieth century. Although Temple did not work out a systematic formulation of his Christian philosophy, the bases for a Christian philosophy are never theless evident in his position. It is the purpose of the present work to enter sympathetically and critically into the major facets of Temple's position and to weave together, as far as is legitimate, the separate strands of his thought into a meaningful, even if not a completely unified, Christian philosophy. The intent is not simply to present Temple's conclusions on a variety of philosophical and theological issues; rather, Temple's position is developed systematically, and the arguments for the conclusions at which he arrived are carefully ex pounded.

A. PURPOSE AND PLAN William Temple was trained as a philosopher and lectured on phi losophy at Oxford (1904), but his concern for labor, education, journalism, and the Church of England led him away from philosophy as a profession. Enthroned in 1942 as Archbishop of Canterbury, Temple persisted in applying his Christian position to the solution of the problems of the day. He will be remembered for his contributions in many areas of life and thought: his work in the ecumenical movement, and his writings in theology and social ethics attest to the variety and depth of his concern, but of special significance is his contribution toward the construction of a distinctly Christian philosophy relevant to the twentieth century. Although Temple did not work out a systematic formulation of his Christian philosophy, the bases for a Christian philosophy are never theless evident in his position. It is the purpose of the present work to enter sympathetically and critically into the major facets of Temple's position and to weave together, as far as is legitimate, the separate strands of his thought into a meaningful, even if not a completely unified, Christian philosophy. The intent is not simply to present Temple's conclusions on a variety of philosophical and theological issues; rather, Temple's position is developed systematically, and the arguments for the conclusions at which he arrived are carefully ex pounded.

William Temple was one of the towering figures in the Church of England in the twentieth century. He was a philosopher, theologian, social reformer, bishop and archbishop. As Archbishop of Canterbury he guided a nation at war and helped pave the way of the new post-war society, coining the term ‘the welfare state’ and building support in the Church of England for radical social reforms. This comprehensive volume draws on Temple’s extensive publications, broadcasts, public speeches, sermons and private letters and reflects the broad range of his concerns: • The case for Christian belief • The interface of theology and philosophy • Spiritual formation of the faithful • Christian social principles and political thought • Guiding a nation at war and envisaging a new society Prefaced by an extensive introduction to Temple’s life and times and an overview of the key aspects of his legacy, Stephen Spencer provides students with an authoritative guide to one of Anglicanism’s most influential figures.

In this classic work of religious philosophy, William Temple explores the nature of faith and the relationship between humanity and God. Drawing on his deep knowledge of theology and philosophy, Temple argues that fellowship with God is the ultimate goal of all religious practice. A thought-provoking and inspiring read for anyone interested in spirituality and philosophy. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.