Temple, William

Temple, William, 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).