Edward Carpenter (priest)

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

Life

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]

He retired to Richmond, Surrey. He has four children, David, Michael (whose son is the cricketer Ed Carpenter), Paul and Louise.

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.^[9]

His biography, written by Michael De-La-Noy, was only published in 2016, A Liberal and Godly Dean : The Life of Edward Carpenter. No publisher is indicated.

References