Francis Ambrose Ridley, usually known as Frank Ridley (22 February 1897 – 27 March 1994) was a

Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

and

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on naturalistic considerations, uninvolved with religion. It is most commonly thought of as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state and may be broadened ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Life

Ridley was educated at

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school, day school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, North West England. It comprise ...

and Salisbury Theological College. He did not enter the Church, though he did gain a

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

licentiate at

Durham University Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...

in 1920. He later abandoned

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

completely.

Political activities

From 1925 to 1964, Ridley spoke every week at

Speakers' Corner A Speakers' Corner is an area where free speech public speaking, open-air public speaking, debate, and discussion are allowed. The original and best known is in the north-east corner of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park in London, England. Histor ...

in London's Hyde Park. Ridley was one of the founders of the Marxian League (aka Marxist League) in 1929. This small group might have become the British Section of

Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...

International Left Opposition The International Left Opposition (ILO) was an organisation founded by Leon Trotsky in 1930. It was meant to be an opposition group within the Comintern, but members of the Comintern were immediately expelled as soon as they joined (or were sus ...

, but in 1931 Ridley and another member, Chandu Ram (H.R. Aggarwala) wrote ''Thesis on the British Situation, the Left Opposition and the

Comintern The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also known as the Third International, was a political international which existed from 1919 to 1943 and advocated world communism. Emerging from the collapse of the Second Internatio ...

'', with which

disagreed. Ridley then joined the

Independent Labour Party The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a British political party of the left, established in 1893 at a conference in Bradford, after local and national dissatisfaction with the Liberal Party (UK), Liberals' apparent reluctance to endorse work ...

, writing regularly in their paper. Following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was in close contact with the

Council communist Council communism or councilism is a current of communist thought that emerged in the 1920s. Inspired by the November Revolution, council communism was opposed to state socialism and advocated workers' councils and council democracy. Co ...

Anton Pannekoek Antonie "Anton" Pannekoek (; 2 January 1873 – 28 April 1960) was a Dutch astronomer, historian, philosopher, Marxist theorist, and socialist revolutionary. He was one of the main theorists of council communism (). Early life Anton was born ...

Secularist activities

Ridley was president of the

National Secular Society The National Secular Society (NSS) is a British campaigning organisation that promotes secularism and the separation of church and state. It holds that no one should gain advantage or disadvantage because of their religion or lack of it. The Soc ...

from 1951 to 1963. He edited '' The Freethinker'' from 1951 to 1954.

Selected bibliography

* ''The Green Machine'', (London: Noel Douglas, 1926) * ''The Assassins'' (London, 1935 – reprinted by Socialist Platform, 1988) * ''Mussolini over Africa'' (London: Wishart, 1935). * ''At the Cross Roads of History: On the Present Social and Economic Crisis'' (London: Wishart Ltd, 1935) * ''Next Year's War?'' (London:

Secker and Warburg Harvill Secker is a British publishing company formed in 2005 from the merger of Secker & Warburg and the Harvill Press. History Secker & Warburg Secker & Warburg was formed in 1935 from a takeover of Martin Secker, which was in receivership, ...

, 1936) * ''

Julian the Apostate Julian (; ; 331 – 26 June 363) was the Caesar of the West from 355 to 360 and Roman emperor from 361 to 363, as well as a notable philosopher and author in Greek. His rejection of Christianity, and his promotion of Neoplatonic Hellenism ...

and the Rise of Christianity'' (London: Watts & Co. Ltd, 1937) * ''The Papacy and Fascism: The Crisis of the Twentieth Century'' (London: Secker and Warburg, 1937) * ''The Jesuits: A Study in Counter Revolution'' (London: Secker and Warburg, 1938) * ''

Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

– What Is It?'' (London:

Freedom Press Freedom Press is an anarchist publishing house and Radical bookshops in the United Kingdom, bookseller in Whitechapel, London, United Kingdom, founded in 1886. Alongside its many books and pamphlets, the group also runs a news and comment-based ...

, 1941) * ''Socialism and Religion'' (Engels Society, 21 Lime Tree Road, Heston, Middlesex, undated, assumed to be published around 1940s) * ''Revolutionary Tradition in England'' (London:

National Labour Press The National Labour Press (NLP) was founded in 1909 to undertake printing for the Independent Labour Party (ILP). It published the ''Labour Leader'' as well as other ILP material. It was originally located at 30 Blackfriars Street. In July 1915 ...

, 1947) * ''The Evolution of the

Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

'' (London: Pioneer Press, 1949) * ''The Roman Catholic Church and the Modern Age'' (London: Freedom Press, 1958) * ''

Pope John Pope John may refer to: #Pope John I (saint; 523–526) # Pope John II (533–535) #Pope John III (561–574) #Pope John IV (640–642) # Pope John V (685–686) #Pope John VI (701–705) #Pope John VII (705–707) #*'' Antipope John VIII'' (844) ...

and the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

'' (Kenardington: Frank Maitland, 1961) * ''

Spartacus Spartacus (; ) was a Thracians, Thracian gladiator (Thraex) who was one of the Slavery in ancient Rome, escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major Slave rebellion, slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Historical accounts o ...

'' (Kenardington: Frank Maitland, 1961) * ''Reminiscences of Hyde Park'' ( Hyde Park Pamphlet no. 7) (London: Leslie Jones, 1985) * ''Fascism Down The Ages: from Caesar to Hitler'' (London: Romer, 1988 – 2nd ed. 1991)

Articles

* "A Communist Party – The Problem of the Revolution in England" (''

The Militant ''The Militant'' is a socialist newsweekly connected to the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and the Pathfinder Press. It is published in the United States and distributed in other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Franc ...

'', Vol. IV No. 29 (Whole No. 88), 31 October 1931, p. 1.) * "Marxism, History and a Fourth International" (''The Adelphi'', May 1932)

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridley, F. A. 1897 births 1994 deaths British Trotskyists Independent Labour Party National Administrative Committee members People educated at Sedbergh School British critics of religions British Marxists Freethought writers Alumni of University College, Durham