Henry Parry Liddon (20 August 1829 – 9 September 1890), usually cited as H. P. Liddon, was an English

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

theologian. From 1870 to 1882, he was

Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture The position of Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture was established at the University of Oxford in 1847. This professorship in the critical interpretation or explanation of biblical texts, a field known as exegesis, was ...

at the

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Biography

The son of a naval captain, Liddon was born on 20 August 1829 at

North Stoneham North Stoneham is a settlement between Eastleigh and Southampton in south Hampshire, England. Formerly an ancient estate, manor, and civil parish, it is currently part of the Borough of Eastleigh. Until the nineteenth century, it was a rural c ...

, near

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. He was educated at

King's College School King's College School, also known as Wimbledon, KCS, King's and KCS Wimbledon, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon, southwest London, England. The s ...

, and at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, where he graduated, taking a second class, in 1850. As vice principal of the

theological Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of an ...

college at

Cuddesdon Cuddesdon is a mainly rural village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Cuddesdon and Denton, in the South Oxfordshire district, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. centred ESE of Oxford. It has the largest Church of England cler ...

(1854–1859) he wielded considerable influence, and, on returning to Oxford as vice-principal of

St Edmund Hall St Edmund Hall (also known as The Hall and Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university" and was the last ...

, became a force among the undergraduates, exercising his influence in opposition to the liberal reaction against

Tractarianism The Oxford Movement was a theological movement of high-church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the Uni ...

, which had set in after

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

's conversion to Catholicism in 1845. In 1864,

Walter Kerr Hamilton Walter Kerr Hamilton (16 November 1808 – 1 August 1869) was a Church of England priest, Bishop of Salisbury from 1854 until his death. Biography He was born on 16 November 1808, educated at Eton College, tutored by Thomas Arnold, and then att ...

, the

Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The Episcopal see, see is in the Salisbur ...

, whose examining chaplain Liddon had been, appointed him

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Catholic Church, Catholic or Anglicanism , Anglican clergy, a form of canon (priest) , canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in part ...

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Salisbury, England. The cathedral is regarded as one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, ...

. In 1866, he delivered his

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on the doctrine of the

divinity of Christ In Christianity, Christology is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of ...

, published as ''The Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ'' (1867). From that time his fame as a preacher was established. In 1870, he was made canon of

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

, London. He had before this published ''Some Words for God'' against the scepticism of the day. His preaching at St Paul's soon attracted vast crowds. The afternoon sermon, which fell to the canon in residence, had usually been delivered in the choir, but soon after Liddon's appointment it became necessary to preach the sermon under the dome, where from 3000 to 4000 persons used to gather to hear him. Liddon was praised for grasp of his subject, clarity and lucidity, use of illustration, vividness of imagination, elegance of diction, and sympathy with the intellectual position of those whom he addressed. In the arrangement of his material, he is thought to have imitated the French preachers of the age of

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. In 1870, Liddon had also been made

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

. The combination of the two appointments gave him extensive influence over the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

. With

Dean Church Richard William Church (25 April 1815 – 6 December 1890) was an English cleric and writer, known latterly as Dean Church. He was a close friend of John Henry Newman and allied with the Tractarian movement. Later he moved from Oxford academic li ...

he restored the influence of the Tractarian school, and he succeeded in popularising the opinions which, in the hands of

Edward Bouverie Pusey Edward Bouverie Pusey (; 22 August 180016 September 1882) was an English Anglican cleric, for more than fifty years Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford. He was one of the leading figures in the Oxford Movement, with interest ...

and

John Keble John Keble (25 April 1792 – 29 March 1866) was an English Anglican priest and poet who was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. Keble College, Oxford, is named after him. Early life Keble was born on 25 April 1792 in Fairford, Glouces ...

, had appealed to thinkers and scholars. He opposed the

Church Discipline Act Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

of 1874, and denounced the Bulgarian atrocities of 1876. In 1882, he resigned his professorship and travelled in

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

; and showed his interest in the

Old Catholic The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches, or Old Catholic movement, designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the Great C ...

movement by visiting Döllinger at

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. In 1886, he became chancellor of St Paul's, and declined more than one offer of a bishopric. Liddon was a friend of

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

, who accompanied him on a trip to Moscow where Liddon made approaches to leading

Russian Orthodox The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

clergy, seeking closer links between them and the

. He died on 9 September 1890, at the height of his reputation, having nearly completed a biography of Pusey, whom he admired; this work was completed after his death by John Octavius Johnston and Robert Wilson. According to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition, Liddon's influence during his life was due to his personal fascination and his pulpit oratory rather than to his intellect. As a theologian his outlook was old-fashioned; to the last he maintained the narrowly orthodox standpoint of Pusey and Keble, in opposition to modernist thought and scholarship. The publication in 1889 of '' Lux Mundi'' edited by

Charles Gore Charles Gore (22 January 1853 – 17 January 1932) was a Church of England bishop, first of Worcester, then Birmingham, and finally of Oxford. He was one of the most influential Anglican theologians of the 19th century, helping reconcile the ...

, a series of essays attempting to harmonise

Anglican Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage (especially pre-Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Catholicism claims to restore liturg ...

doctrine with modern thought, showed that even at

Pusey House Pusey House () is an Anglican religious institution and charitable incorporated organisation located on St Giles', Oxford, United Kingdom, immediately to the south of Pusey Street. It is firmly rooted in the Anglo-Catholic Book of Common Praye ...

, established as the citadel of Puseyism at Oxford, the principles of Pusey were being departed from. He was the last of the classical pulpit orators of the English Church, the last great popular exponent of the traditional Anglican orthodoxy, with the exception of John Charles Ryle (1816-1900), the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool (1880-1900). Liddon is buried in the Chapel of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral,"Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral" Sinclair, W. p. 465: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909. close to the grave of

Henry Hart Milman Henry Hart Milman (10 February 1791 – 24 September 1868) was an English historian and ecclesiastic. Life He was born in London, the third son of Sir Francis Milman, 1st Baronet, physician to King George III (see Milman Baronets). Educa ...

Works

Besides the works mentioned, Liddon published several volumes of sermons, including a book on sermons on the Magnificat, a volume of

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

lectures entitled ''Some Elements of Religion'' (1870), and a collection of ''Essays and Addresses'' on such themes as Buddhism,

Dante Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...

, etc. Liddon wrote ''Explanatory Analysis of Paul's Epistle to the Romans'' published in 1899 and ''Explanatory Analysis of Paul's First Epistle to Timothy'' published in 1897. Both were published posthumously. Liddon was chosen to preach to the

International Medical Congress The International Medical Congress () was a series of international scientific conferences on medicine that took place, periodically, from 1867 until 1913. The idea of such a congress came in 1865, during the third annual Medical Congress of Fr ...

at St Paul's Cathedral in London in 1881. During the sermon, he addressed the subject of

Darwinian evolution ''Darwinism'' is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural sele ...

, which was a point of great debate among leading scientists and physicians of the day: He is also noted for his translation and abridgement of Rosmini's '' Of the Five Wounds of the Holy Church''.

Notes

Attribution *

References

* John Octavius Johnston (1904), ''Life and Letters'' *W. E. Kusselt (1903), ''H. P. Liddon'' *A. B. Donaldson (1900), ''Five Great Oxford Leaders'', from which the life of Liddon was reprinted separately in 1905.
Canon Liddon: A Memoir, at Project Canterbury

External links

"The Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: 8 lectures preached before the University of Oxford 1866" (published 1867)

Canon Liddon: A Memoir
with his five last sermons (1890)
Henry Parry Liddon papers, 1879-1889
at Pitts Theology Library,

Candler School of Theology Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in Atlanta metropolitan area, metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates Minister (Christi ...

*Liddon Hous
papers
at

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Liddon, Henry Parry 1829 births 1890 deaths People educated at King's College School, London Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford People from North Stoneham 19th-century English Anglican priests English Anglican theologians English Anglo-Catholics Chancellors of St Paul's Cathedral Dean Ireland's Professors of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture English male non-fiction writers 19th-century English theologians Anglo-Catholic theologians Anglo-Catholic clergy 19th-century English male writers Burials at St Paul's Cathedral