Austin Farrer

Austin Marsden Farrer (1904 – 29 December 1968) was an English theologian and philosopher. His activity in philosophy, theology, and spirituality lead many to consider him the outstanding figure of 20th century Anglicanism.

Life

Farrer was born 11 October 1904, the only son of the three children of Augustus and Evangeline Farrer in Hampstead, London, England. His father was a Baptist minister and Farrer was brought up in that faith. Encouraged by his father to value scholarship he nevertheless found the divisions within the Baptist church dispiriting and whilst at university, became an Anglican. He went to St Paul's School, in London where he gained a scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Finding his spiritual home at St. Barnabas church in Oxford, his theology and his spirituality became profoundly Anglo-Catholic, though centered on the Book of Common Prayer rather than details of ritual. After gaining a first in Greats, he went up to Cuddesdon Theological College where he trained with the future Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey. He served a curacy in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England after which he was invited to become chaplain and tutor at St Edmund Hall in Oxford in 1931.

He became Fellow and Chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford from 1935 to...
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