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Edward Carpenter (priest)

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Edward Frederick Carpenter
Personal life
Born27 November 1910
Died26 August 1998
Religious life
ReligionChurch of England
Senior posting
Period in office1974–1985
PredecessorEric Abbott
SuccessorMichael Mayne

Edward Frederick Carpenter KCVO (27 November 1910 – 26 August 1998)[1] was an Anglican priest and author.[2]

Life

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Carpenter was a native Londoner and the city featured prominently in his life and priestly ministry. He was educated at Strode's Grammar School[3] and King's College London[4] and ordained in 1936.[5] After curacies at Holy Trinity, Marylebone and St Mary's Harrow he was Rector of Great Stanmore.[6]

After this his ministry was spent at Westminster Abbey, from 1951 firstly as a canon, then from 1963 to 1974 as archdeacon and finally, from 1974, Dean of Westminster.[7] One obituary noted "It was unfortunate for the Church that Edward Carpenter was 64 before he became Dean but he has left a legacy of tolerant, determined openness as a vital trait of 20th- century Christianity. He and his wife gave themselves unstintingly to others and contributed a happy sparkle in their home at Westminster in their laughter and scholarship."[8]

Carpenter retired to Richmond, Surrey. He has four children, David, Michael, Paul and Louise.[9]

Carpenter wrote Common Sense About Christian Ethics as part of the Common Sense series.

He was the first chairman of the Week of Prayer for World Peace, a global interfaith initiative created by the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship.[10]

In 2017, Michael De-la-Noy published a biography of Carpenter, A Liberal and Godly Dean: The Life of Edward Carpenter (Gloriette Publications).[11]

Animal welfare

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Carpenter was a vice-president of the RSPCA and president of the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals.[12]

Selected publications

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  • Common Sense About Christian Ethics (1964)
  • Cantuar: The Archbishops in their Office (1971)
  • Animals and Ethics (1981)

References

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  1. ^ NPG details
  2. ^ Amongst others he wrote "Thomas Sherlock", 1936; "Thomas Tenison, His Life and Times", 1948; "That Man Paul", 1953; "Common Sense about Christian Ethics", 1961; "The English Church", 1966; "Cantuar: the Archbishops in their office", 1971; "Westminster Abbey", "Archbishop Fisher: his life and times", 1991 > British Library website accessed 21:34 GMT 1 March 2010
  3. ^ Beeson, T. R., The Deans (London: SCM Press, 2004) ISBN 0-334-02987-2
  4. ^ “Who was Who” 1897-2007 London, A & C Black, 2007 ISBN 978-0-19-954087-7
  5. ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory1940-41 Oxford, OUP,1941
  6. ^ Independent Obituary
  7. ^ The Times, Thursday, Apr 25, 1974; pg. 1; Issue 59073; col D New Dean
  8. ^ "Obituary: The Rev Edward Carpenter". Independent.co.uk. 27 August 1998.
  9. ^ Westminster Abbey, Edward Carpenter: Writer, Priest and Dean, 1998.
  10. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ Harvey, A., "A Liberal and Godly Dean by Michael De-la-Noy: Anthony Harvey recalls Edward Carpenter’s inspired eccentricity", Church Times, Mar 2017.
  12. ^ Linzey, Andrew; Regan, Tom. (2007). Animals and Christianity: A Book of Readings. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 207. ISBN 978-1725220881
Church of England titles
Preceded by Dean of Westminster
1974–1985
Succeeded by
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by President of the Modern Churchpeople's Union
1966 – c. 1990
Succeeded by