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Troublesome Priests: Christianity and Marxism in the Church of England, 1906-1969

Poole, Edward

[Thesis]. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester; 2014.

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Abstract

This thesis argues that the relationship between Anglican Christianity and Marxism in Britain between 1906 and 1969 has been far more complex than is commonly understood. It is often assumed that the relationship between religious organisations and Marxism has often been acrimonious, the latter famously rejecting religion as the ‘opium of the people’, and religion resisting the revolutionary nature of Marxism.Taking a biographical approach, examining four Church of England clergymen, Robert Cummings, Conrad Noel, Hewlett Johnson and Alan Ecclestone, this thesis shows that some Anglicans saw a philosophical connection between Christianity and Marxism. For these individuals, and others like them, Marxism constituted a strategy to achieve political and economic change, but also a mechanism to actualise the foundation of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Additionally, this thesis considers these clergymen in light of their position as Church of England clergy. Between 1906 and 1969, each of them held livings as vicars of various parishes, with Johnson becoming Dean of first Manchester and then Canterbury. This affords the opportunity to consider the responses of the Church and the nature of the Church of England in tolerating radical priests.The commitments that these clergymen made to Marxism grew from their Christian beliefs, and these commitments differentiate these individuals from previous and contemporaneous generations of Christian Socialists. Christian Marxism represented a distinct branch of Anglican theology and defined the theology and political philosophy of the group examined herein, influenced their ministry and their social and theological work.This thesis provides a new perspective on the interaction between radical politics and the Church of England in the twentieth century, and demonstrates the new character of the theology and political outlook of the individuals concerned. It also exploits new avenues for research at the intersection between the relevant areas of study. It is based on evidence taken from personal papers, published and unpublished material, official documents and interviews conducted specifically for this study.