St John the Divine, Kennington
Encyclopedia
St John the Divine, Kennington is an Anglican
church in London. The parish of Kennington
is within the Anglican Diocese of Southwark
. The church was designed by the architect George Edmund Street
(who also built the Royal Courts of Justice
on Strand, London
) in the Decorated Gothic style, and was built between 1871 and 1874. Today it is a grade I listed building.
The church stands on Vassall Road, Kennington, in Vassall Ward in the London Borough of Lambeth
. It is near Oval tube station
and the Oval
Cricket Ground. The spire can be seen clearly for miles around.
The church is regarded as a fine example of Victorian Gothic
. The general construction is of red brick, but all parapet
s, window openings, doorways, etc. are dressed with stone. The upper part of the spire is entirely of stone. At over 260 feet, it is the highest spire in south London and can be seen for miles around. The poet John Betjeman
remarked that St John the Divine was "the most magnificent church in South London."
The original church interior was designed by GF Bodley, and was fitted out in a highly ornate style typical of the Victorian era
and of Anglo-Catholic
churches, including stone carvings by Thomas Earp
, wrought iron altar rails
, stained glass
windows, and a carved reredos
painted by Clayton and Bell
. A new organ by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd
was installed in 1875.
The church suffered severe bomb damage in 1941 during the Blitz
, and most of the original interior fittings were lost. After years of restoration work under the direction of H. S. Goodhart-Rendel, St John the Divine re-opened in September 1958.
s and gargoyle
s was added. Many of the carvings are in the form of caricature
representations of members of the church congregation, the British Royal Family
or the clergy. The Queen
, Prince Charles
, Prince William
and Archbishop Michael Ramsey
are among the better-known figures depicted.
has survived, including the west window and two windows in the south aisle. The windows at the east end are also original.
During restoration, new windows designed and crafted by W. T. Carter Shapland were installed in the All Souls Chapel.
in a floral garden. A central panel is decorated with lilies and roses - traditional Marian symbols. The right-hand panel is a pietà
, with Mary holding the body of the crucified Christ, and instead of a floral border it is framed with thorns, representing the Crown of Thorns
.
iconostasis
, it depicts various figures from the Christian Gospel
s. It was dedicated as a memorial to Bishop Charles John Corfe
, who founded the Anglican Church of Korea
in 1890.
and the Virgin Mary. It is the work of sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger
(1885–1934), who also designed the Royal Artillery Memorial
in London's Hyde Park Corner, and was completed in 1929.
The sculpture was originally commissioned by the Society of the Sacred Mission
(SSM) for the Great Chapel at Kelham Hall in Nottinghamshire. The sculpture then stood in the SSM Priory in Willen
near Milton Keynes, before being moved to St John the Divine.
The original plan to suspend the sculpture above the high altar was not put into effect. It has, instead, been placed at floor level in full and close view of the congregation (see pictures below).
Since its foundation in 1871, St John the Divine has been affiliated with the Anglican High Church
. The second vicar, Rev. Charles Edward Brooke, was associated with the Oxford Movement
and its work in poorer parishes. At this time, ritualistic practices in the Church of England were being limited by the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
.
The High Church traditions continue today, and services in this church are generally in the Anglo-Catholic style, with an emphasis on sacraments, liturgy
and ceremony. On Sundays and holy days, clergy wear decorated robes, a choir sings the Mass
, and incense
is used. Through the week, Mass is said daily. The liturgy is usually based on the Common Worship
prayer book (2000).
The High Anglican style of worship is reflected in the design and decoration of the church, with the presence of devotional statues, icon
s, sanctuary lamp
s and the Reserved sacrament
.
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...
church in London. The parish of Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
is within the Anglican Diocese of Southwark
Anglican Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 44 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was formed on May 1, 1905 from part of the Diocese of Rochester...
. The church was designed by the architect George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
(who also built the Royal Courts of Justice
Royal Courts of Justice
The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is the building in London which houses the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and the High Court of Justice of England and Wales...
on Strand, London
Strand, London
Strand is a street in the City of Westminster, London, England. The street is just over three-quarters of a mile long. It currently starts at Trafalgar Square and runs east to join Fleet Street at Temple Bar, which marks the boundary of the City of London at this point, though its historical length...
) in the Decorated Gothic style, and was built between 1871 and 1874. Today it is a grade I listed building.
The church stands on Vassall Road, Kennington, in Vassall Ward in the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
. It is near Oval tube station
Oval tube station
Oval tube station in Kennington is a station on the Northern line of the London Underground between Stockwell and Kennington stations. It is the only station on the Morden branch of the Northern line whose name begins with a vowel and is one of only two stations on the London Underground with only...
and the Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
Cricket Ground. The spire can be seen clearly for miles around.
Architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
. The general construction is of red brick, but all parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s, window openings, doorways, etc. are dressed with stone. The upper part of the spire is entirely of stone. At over 260 feet, it is the highest spire in south London and can be seen for miles around. The poet John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
remarked that St John the Divine was "the most magnificent church in South London."
The original church interior was designed by GF Bodley, and was fitted out in a highly ornate style typical of the Victorian era
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
and of Anglo-Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
churches, including stone carvings by Thomas Earp
Thomas Earp
Thomas Earp was an English Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1885.Earp was the son of William Earp of Derby and his wife Sarah Taylor, daughter of James Taylor of Muskham. He was educated at the Diocesan School in Derby and became a partner in the firms of...
, wrought iron altar rails
Altar rails
Altar rails are a set of railings, sometimes ornate and frequently of marble or wood, delimiting the chancel in a church, the part of the sanctuary that contains the altar. A gate at the centre divides the line into two parts. The sanctuary is a figure of heaven, into which entry is not guaranteed...
, stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows, and a carved reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
painted by Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
. A new organ by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd
J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd
J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd is a British firm of organ builders established in 1828 by Joseph William Walker in London. Walker organs were popular additions to churches during the Gothic Revival era of church building and restoration in Victorian Britain, and instruments built by Walker are found in...
was installed in 1875.
The church suffered severe bomb damage in 1941 during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
, and most of the original interior fittings were lost. After years of restoration work under the direction of H. S. Goodhart-Rendel, St John the Divine re-opened in September 1958.
The tower and gargoyles
The spire and tower were extensively restored in 1994, and a new set of carved grotesqueGrotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
s and gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s was added. Many of the carvings are in the form of caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
representations of members of the church congregation, the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
or the clergy. The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, Prince William
Prince William of Wales
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge KG , is the elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and third eldest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and Archbishop Michael Ramsey
Michael Ramsey
Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury PC was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and was in office from June 1961 to 1974.-Career:...
are among the better-known figures depicted.
Stained glass
Much of the original stained glass was destroyed in the 1941 bombing, and it has been replaced with plain glass windows in the north and south aisles. Some original stained glass designed by Charles Eamer KempeCharles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
has survived, including the west window and two windows in the south aisle. The windows at the east end are also original.
During restoration, new windows designed and crafted by W. T. Carter Shapland were installed in the All Souls Chapel.
Murals
Behind the altar is a set of murals painted by Brian Thomas, O.B.E. in 1966. The left-hand panel depicts the Virgin Mary and JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
in a floral garden. A central panel is decorated with lilies and roses - traditional Marian symbols. The right-hand panel is a pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
, with Mary holding the body of the crucified Christ, and instead of a floral border it is framed with thorns, representing the Crown of Thorns
Crown of Thorns
In Christianity, the Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was woven of thorn branches and placed on Jesus Christ before his crucifixion...
.
The Korean Icon
Above the North door hangs the 'Korean Icon'. Designed in the style of a Greek OrthodoxGreek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
, it depicts various figures from the Christian Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s. It was dedicated as a memorial to Bishop Charles John Corfe
Charles John Corfe
The Rt Rev Charles John Corfe was the inaugural Bishop in Korea from 1889. Corfe was one of the four Bible Clerks educated as an undergraduate at All Souls College, Oxford. After graduating he had a brief spell teaching at St. Michael's College, Tenbury before being ordained in 1866. For the...
, who founded the Anglican Church of Korea
Anglican Church of Korea
The Anglican Church of Korea is the province of the Anglican Communion in North and South Korea. Founded in 1889, it has over 120 parish and mission churches with a total membership of roughly 65,000 people.-Birth of the Anglican Church of Korea:...
in 1890.
The Kelham Rood
On the south side of the nave stands the Kelham Rood, a life-size bronze sculpture of Christ on the Cross together with free-standing figures of St JohnJohn the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
and the Virgin Mary. It is the work of sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger
Charles Sargeant Jagger
Charles Sargeant Jagger MC was a British sculptor who, following active service in the First World War, sculpted many works on the theme of war...
(1885–1934), who also designed the Royal Artillery Memorial
Royal Artillery Memorial
The Royal Artillery Memorial is a stone memorial at Hyde Park Corner in London, dedicated to casualties in the British Royal Regiment of Artillery in First World War. The memorial was designed by Charles Jagger and Lionel Pearson, and features a giant sculpture of a BL 9.2 inch Mk I howitzer upon a...
in London's Hyde Park Corner, and was completed in 1929.
The sculpture was originally commissioned by the Society of the Sacred Mission
Society of the Sacred Mission
The Society of the Sacred Mission is an Anglican religious order founded in 1893 by Father Herbert Kelly, envisaged such that "members of the Society share a common life of prayer and fellowship in a variety of educational, pastoral and community activities in England, Australia, Japan, Lesotho,...
(SSM) for the Great Chapel at Kelham Hall in Nottinghamshire. The sculpture then stood in the SSM Priory in Willen
Willen
Willen is a district of Milton Keynes, England and is also one of the ancient villages of Buckinghamshire to have been included in the designated area of the New City in1967...
near Milton Keynes, before being moved to St John the Divine.
The original plan to suspend the sculpture above the high altar was not put into effect. It has, instead, been placed at floor level in full and close view of the congregation (see pictures below).
Worship
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
. The second vicar, Rev. Charles Edward Brooke, was associated with the Oxford Movement
Oxford Movement
The Oxford Movement was a movement of High Church Anglicans, eventually developing into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose members were often associated with the University of Oxford, argued for the reinstatement of lost Christian traditions of faith and their inclusion into Anglican liturgy...
and its work in poorer parishes. At this time, ritualistic practices in the Church of England were being limited by the Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
Public Worship Regulation Act 1874
The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing ritualism of Anglo-Catholicism and the Oxford Movement within the Church...
.
The High Church traditions continue today, and services in this church are generally in the Anglo-Catholic style, with an emphasis on sacraments, liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
and ceremony. On Sundays and holy days, clergy wear decorated robes, a choir sings the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, and incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
is used. Through the week, Mass is said daily. The liturgy is usually based on the Common Worship
Common Worship
Common Worship is the name given to the series of services authorised by the General Synod of the Church of England and launched on the first Sunday of Advent in 2000. It represents the most recent stage of development of the Liturgical Movement within the Church and is the successor to the...
prayer book (2000).
The High Anglican style of worship is reflected in the design and decoration of the church, with the presence of devotional statues, icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
s, sanctuary lamp
Sanctuary lamp
A sanctuary lamp, altar lamp, everlasting light or eternal flame is a light that shines before the altar of sanctuaries in many denominations of Jewish and Christian places of worship. Prescribed in ] 27:20-21] of the Hebrew Bible, this icon has taken on different meanings in each of the religions...
s and the Reserved sacrament
Reserved sacrament
During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the second part of the Mass, the elements of bread and wine are considered, in some branches of Christian practice, to have been transubstantiated into the veritable Body and Blood of Jesus Christ...
.
See also
- List of churches and cathedrals of London
- List of Anglo-Catholic Churches
- Stained glass - British glass, 1811-1918