Eric Waldram Kemp
Encyclopedia
Eric Waldram Kemp was a Church of England
bishop. He was the Bishop of Chichester
from 1974–2001 and one of the leading Anglo-Catholics of his generation and one of the most influential figures in the Church of England in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
and Exeter College, Oxford
, graduating with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts
in 1936, Master of Arts in 1940, Bachelor of Divinity
in 1944 and Doctor of Divinity
in 1961. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
in 1951 and received an honorary DLitt
from the University of Sussex
.
from 1936-39 where he later chaired the House Council. He was ordained deacon in 1939 and priest in 1940. He served as assistant curate of St Luke's Church in Newtown
from 1939-41. He moved back to Oxford
, where he remained for almost 31 years, first as Priest Librarian of Pusey House, Oxford
(1941–46) and Chaplain of Christ Church, Oxford
(1943–46) and then as Fellow, Tutor and Chaplain of Exeter College, Oxford
from 1946-69. He was Dean of Worcester
from 1969–74 and Bishop of Chichester
from 1974-2001. He was ordained a bishop before the introduction of a mandatory retirement age and was able to continue in the post for as long as he chose. As a result, on his retirement he was one of the oldest and one of the longest-serving diocesan bishops in Church of England
history. He had also held subsidiary appointments as Chaplain to the Queen (1967–69) and Canon and Prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral
(1952–2001). In April 1998 he was appointed Chanoine d'Honneur (Canon of Honour) of Chartres Cathedral. Following his retirement he was made Bishop Emeritus of Chichester.
, was Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology
in the University of Oxford
and Bishop of Oxford
. Kemp wrote a book about Kirk and in 2001 presented his letters and papers to Lambeth Palace Library
. He and his wife Patricia had five children.
and the Methodist Church of Great Britain
. He was a former member of the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved
. In 1998 a volume of essays on English Canon Law was published in his honour.
He had special concern for homeless people
and those suffering with HIV and Aids
and was a supporter of the campaign to save the French Convalescent Home
in Brighton
. In 1994 he became President of the National Liberal Club
.
He was one of only four bishops in the United Kingdom who declined to sign the Cambridge Accord
, affirming the human rights
of homosexuals.
He encouraged women to serve in the perpetual diaconate in his diocese but he was an opponent of the ordination of women to the priesthood
and women priests were not licensed in the Diocese of Chichester
during his episcopate. The first woman to be licensed in the diocese, following the appointment of Kemp's successor, John William Hind
, was the Reverend Pat Sinton who was licensed as priest-in-charge of St Mary's Shipley in November 2001. In Kemp's time women were able to work within the diocese through the approval of the Archbishop of Canterbury
.
Contributions
Edited
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
bishop. He was the Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
from 1974–2001 and one of the leading Anglo-Catholics of his generation and one of the most influential figures in the Church of England in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
Education
Kemp was educated at Brigg Grammar SchoolSir John Nelthorpe School
The Sir John Nelthorpe School is a comprehensive school on Grammar School Road in Brigg, North Lincolnshire.-Admissions:The is for ages from 11 to 18. The is on Wrawby Road.-Grammar school:...
and Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, graduating with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1936, Master of Arts in 1940, Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
in 1944 and Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1961. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...
in 1951 and received an honorary DLitt
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
from the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
.
Ministry
Kemp trained for ordination at St Stephen's House, OxfordSt Stephen's House, Oxford
St Stephen’s House, Oxford , is an Anglican theological college and one of six religious Permanent Private Halls of the University of Oxford, England...
from 1936-39 where he later chaired the House Council. He was ordained deacon in 1939 and priest in 1940. He served as assistant curate of St Luke's Church in Newtown
Newtown, Hampshire
Newtown is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire, located just south of Newbury.-History:The mediaeval borough of Newtown was formed from part of the parish of Burghclere, and flourished in the 13th and 14th centuries. Sandleford Priory in Berkshire was founded between 1193...
from 1939-41. He moved back to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, where he remained for almost 31 years, first as Priest Librarian of Pusey House, Oxford
Pusey House, Oxford
Pusey House is a religious institution located in St Giles', Oxford, immediately to the south of Pusey Street. It is firmly rooted in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England...
(1941–46) and Chaplain of Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
(1943–46) and then as Fellow, Tutor and Chaplain of Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
from 1946-69. He was Dean of Worcester
Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, England; situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester...
from 1969–74 and Bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
from 1974-2001. He was ordained a bishop before the introduction of a mandatory retirement age and was able to continue in the post for as long as he chose. As a result, on his retirement he was one of the oldest and one of the longest-serving diocesan bishops in Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
history. He had also held subsidiary appointments as Chaplain to the Queen (1967–69) and Canon and Prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
(1952–2001). In April 1998 he was appointed Chanoine d'Honneur (Canon of Honour) of Chartres Cathedral. Following his retirement he was made Bishop Emeritus of Chichester.
Family
Kemp's father-in-law, Kenneth E. KirkKenneth E. Kirk
Kenneth Escott Kirk was the Bishop of Oxford in the Church of England from 1937–1954. He was also an influential moral theologian, serving for five years as Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at Oxford....
, was Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology
Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology
The Regius Professorship of Moral and Pastoral Theology was founded at the University of Oxford in 1842; the initial title was Regius Professor of Pastoral Theology.*1842-1873 Charles Atmore Ogilvie*1873-1885 Edward King*1885-1892 Francis Paget...
in the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
. Kemp wrote a book about Kirk and in 2001 presented his letters and papers to Lambeth Palace Library
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
. He and his wife Patricia had five children.
Significance
Kemp was one of the leading scholars of ecclesiastical law and a participant in conversations between the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and the Methodist Church of Great Britain
Methodist Church of Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is the largest Wesleyan Methodist body in the United Kingdom, with congregations across Great Britain . It is the United Kingdom's fourth largest Christian denomination, with around 300,000 members and 6,000 churches...
. He was a former member of the Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved
Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved
The Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved is an appellate court within the hierarchy of ecclesiastical courts of the Church of England. Hearing cases involving church doctrine, ceremony, or ritual, the Court has jurisdiction over both the Province of Canterbury and the Province of York...
. In 1998 a volume of essays on English Canon Law was published in his honour.
He had special concern for homeless people
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
and those suffering with HIV and Aids
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
and was a supporter of the campaign to save the French Convalescent Home
French Convalescent Home, Brighton
The former French Convalescent Home was a seafront sanatorium and rest home built in Brighton, part of the English seaside city of Brighton and Hove, on behalf of the French government. It received patients from the French Hospital in London and served as a home for elderly French nationals...
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. In 1994 he became President of the National Liberal Club
National Liberal Club
The National Liberal Club, known to its members as the NLC, is a London gentlemen's club, now also open to women, which was established by William Ewart Gladstone in 1882 for the purpose of providing club facilities for Liberal Party campaigners among the newly-enlarged electorate after the Third...
.
He was one of only four bishops in the United Kingdom who declined to sign the Cambridge Accord
Cambridge Accord
The Cambridge Accord was an attempt to reach agreement on at least the human rights of homosexual people, notwithstanding controversy within the Anglican Communion about Anglican views of homosexuality....
, affirming the human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
of homosexuals.
He encouraged women to serve in the perpetual diaconate in his diocese but he was an opponent of the ordination of women to the priesthood
Ordination of women in the Anglican communion
The ordination of women in the Anglican Communion has become increasingly accepted in recent years.-Introduction:Some provinces within the Anglican Communion, such as the Episcopal Church in the United States of America , the Anglican Church of New Zealand, the Anglican Church of Canada and the...
and women priests were not licensed in the Diocese of Chichester
Diocese of Chichester
The Diocese of Chichester is a Church of England diocese based in Chichester, covering Sussex. It was created in 1075 to replace the old Diocese of Selsey, which was based at Selsey Abbey from 681. The cathedral is Chichester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Chichester...
during his episcopate. The first woman to be licensed in the diocese, following the appointment of Kemp's successor, John William Hind
John William Hind
John William Hind is a theologian and the Bishop of Chichester in the Church of England.-Education and career:...
, was the Reverend Pat Sinton who was licensed as priest-in-charge of St Mary's Shipley in November 2001. In Kemp's time women were able to work within the diocese through the approval of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
Publications
Author- 1948: Canonization and Authority in the Western Church (London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford University Press)
- 1956: Bishops and Presbyters at Alexandria (London: Faber)
- 1957: An Introduction to Canon Law in the Church of England (London: Hodder and Stoughton)
- 1959: The Life and Letters of Kenneth Escott Kirk, Bishop of Oxford, 1937-1954 (London: Hodder & Stoughton)
- 1961: Counsel and Consent: aspects of the government of the Church as exemplified in the history of the English provincial synods (London: SPCK)
- 1964: The Anglican-Methodist Conversations: a comment from within (London: Oxford University Press)
- 1979: Square Words in a Round World (London: Fount)
- 2006: Shy but not Retiring: the memoirs of the Right Reverend Eric Waldram Kemp; edited and prepared for publication by Jeremy Matthew Haselock (London: Continuum ISBN 082648073X)
Contributions
- 1948: E. G. Wood, The Regal Power of the Church: or, The fundamentals of the canon law (with a preface and a supplementary bibliography by E. W. Kemp (London: Dacre Press)
- 1954: N. P. Williams (London: SPCK) (sermons by Williams, with a memoir by Kemp)
- 1954: Papal Decretals Relating to the Diocese of Lincoln in the Twelfth Century (ed. with an introduction on the sources by Walther Holtzmann, with translations of the texts and an introduction on the Canon Law and its administration in the twelfth century by Eric Waldram Kemp, Publications of the Lincoln Record Society vol. 47, Hereford: Lincoln Record Society)
Edited
- 1969: Man: Fallen and Free; Oxford essays on the condition of man (London: Hodder & Stoughton)