Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (17 February 1888 – 24 August 1957) was an English Catholic priest,

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, author, and radio broadcaster. Educated at Eton and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...

, where he earned a high reputation as a

classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Cla ...

, Knox was ordained as a priest of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

in 1912. He was a fellow and chaplain of

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

until he resigned from those positions following his conversion to

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in 1917. Knox became a Catholic priest in 1918, continuing in that capacity his scholarly and literary work. Knox served as

Catholic chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intelligence ...

at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

from 1926 to 1939. He completed the "

Knox Bible ''The Holy Bible: A Translation From the Latin Vulgate in the Light of the Hebrew and Greek Originals'' is a Catholic version of the Bible in three volumes (later published in one volume editions) translated by Monsignor Ronald Knox, the English ...

", a new English translation of the

Latin Vulgate Bible The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels ...

that was used in Catholic services during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1951, Pope

Pius XII Pius ( , ) Latin for "pious", is a masculine given name. Its feminine form is Pia. It may refer to: People Popes * Pope Pius (disambiguation) * Antipope Pius XIII (1918-2009), who led the breakaway True Catholic Church sect Given name * Pius ...

appointed Knox

protonotary apostolic In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic (PA; Latin: ''protonotarius apostolicus'') is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pop ...

''ad instar'', which entitled Knox to the honorific "

monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ...

". Knox published extensively on religious, philosophical, and literary subjects. He also produced several popular works of

detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as sp ...

. He is remembered for his "Ten Commandments" for detective stories, which sought to codify a form of crime fiction in which the reader may participate by attempting to find a solution to the mystery before the fictional detective reveals it.

Early life and education

Ronald Knox was born into an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

family in

Kibworth Kibworth is an area of the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England, that contains two civil parishes: the villages of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt . At the 2011 census, Kibworth Beauchamp had a population of 5,433 and Kibw ...

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire ...

, England. His father was the Rev.

Edmund Arbuthnott Knox Edmund Arbuthnott Knox (6 December 1847 – 16 January 1937) was the fourth Bishop of Manchester, from 1903 to 1921. He was described as a prominent evangelical. Born in Bangalore, the second son of the Reverend George Knox and Frances Mary Anne ...

, who later became the

Bishop of Manchester The Bishop of Manchester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.'' Crockford's Clerical Directory 2008/2009 (100th edition)'', Church House Publishing (). The current bishop is David Walker w ...

in the

, and who was a descendant of the 8th Viscount of Arbuthnott. Ronald was educated at Eaton House School in London and

Summer Fields School Summer Fields is a fee-paying boys' independent day and boarding preparatory school in Summertown, Oxford. It was originally called Summerfield and used to have a subsidiary school, Summerfields, St Leonards-on-Sea (known as "Summers mi"). H ...

in Oxford. He then entered

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

, where he took the first scholarship in 1900. At age 17, he privately vowed to remain

celibate Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, th ...

for life. Ronald proceeded to

, where he won the first classics scholarship in 1905. In 1908, he won the Craven, Hertford, and Ireland scholarships, as well as the

Gaisford Prize The Gaisford Prize is a prize in the University of Oxford, founded in 1855 in memory of Thomas Gaisford, Dr Thomas Gaisford (1779–1855). For most of its history, the prize was awarded for Ancient Greek, Classical Greek Verse and Prose. The priz ...

for Greek Verse Composition. He won the Chancellor's Prize for Latin Verse Composition in 1910 and was elected fellow of

. Interested in

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglica ...

ism, Knox became a key member of

Maurice Child Maurice Child was a prominent Anglo-Catholic priest in the Church of England in the inter-war years. Child was born in 1884 and educated at Sherborne, St John's College, Oxford, and Cuddesdon College. He was ordained by the Bishop of London in 1 ...

's fashionable "set". He would not begin tutorials until 1911, so during his sabbatical, he accepted the job of classics tutor to

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as " Supermac", ...

, the brother of a friend from Eton. Macmillan's mother Nellie later dismissed Knox after discovering he was a

high-church The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originat ...

Anglican.

Church of England

Knox was ordained an Anglican priest in 1912 and was appointed

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intelligence ...

of Trinity College. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, he served in military intelligence for the British Armed Forces. In 1915,

Cyril Alington Cyril Argentine Alington (22 October 1872 – 16 May 1955) was an English educationalist, scholar, cleric, and author. He was successively the headmaster of Shrewsbury School and Eton College. He also served as chaplain to King George V and as De ...

, the headmaster of

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into ...

, invited Knox to join the teaching staff. Knox was long remembered at Shrewsbury as the highly dedicated and entertaining form master of Vb.

Conversion and ministry

In 1917 Knox converted to Roman Catholicism and resigned as Anglican chaplain, prompting his father to cut Knox out of his will. In 1918, Knox was ordained a Roman Catholic priest and in 1919 joined the staff of St Edmund's College in Ware, Hertfordshire, remaining there until 1926. Knox explained his spiritual journey in ''A Spiritual Aeneid'', published by Longmans in 1918. Knox stated that his conversion was influenced in part by G. K. Chesterton, who was a High Church Anglican at the time, but not yet a Catholic. In 1922, Chesterton converted to Catholicism and said that Knox had influenced his decision. Knox wrote and broadcast on Christianity and other subjects. While

at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

(1926–1939) and after his elevation to a

in 1936, he wrote classic detective stories. In 1929 Knox codified the rules for detective stories into a "decalogue" of

ten commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ ...

. He was one of the founding members of the

Detection Club The Detection Club was formed in 1930 by a group of British mystery writers, including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Arthur Morrison, Hugh Walpole, John Rhode, Jessie Rickard, Baroness Emma Orczy, R. ...

and wrote several works of detective fiction, including five novels and a short story featuring Miles Bredon, who is employed as a private investigator by the Indescribable Insurance Company. In 1936, directed by his religious superiors, Knox started retranslating the ''

'' into English using

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

sources. His works on religious themes include: ''Some Loose Stones'' (1913), ''Reunion All Round'' (1914), ''A Spiritual Aeneid'' (1918), ''The Belief of Catholics'' (1927), ''Caliban in Grub Street'' (1930), ''Heaven and Charing Cross'' (1935), ''Let Dons Delight'' (1939) and ''Captive Flames'' (1940). When G. K. Chesterton died in 1936, Knox delivered a

panegyric A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of gr ...

for his

Requiem Mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The site on which the cathedral stands in the City o ...

. An essay in Knox's ''Essays in Satire'' (1928), "Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes", was the first of the genre of mock-serious critical writings on

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

and mock-historical studies in which the existence of Holmes, Watson, et al. is assumed. Another of these essays, "The Authorship of ''In Memoriam''", purports to prove that

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

's poem was actually written by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

. Another satirical essay, "Reunion All Round", mocked Anglican tolerance by appealing to the Anglican Church in Swiftean literary style to absorb Muslims, atheists, and even Catholics who had murdered Irish children. In 1953 Knox visited Julian and Anne Asquith in Zanzibar and John and Daphne Acton in Rhodesia. While in Africa, Knox began his translation of ''

The Imitation of Christ ''The Imitation of Christ'', by Thomas à Kempis, is a Christian devotional book first composed in Medieval Latin as ''De Imitatione Christi'' ( 1418–1427).''An introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious studies'', by Orlando O. Esp� ...

.'' After returned to Mells in England, he started translating Thérèse of Lisieux's '' Autobiography of a Saint''. He also began a work of

apologetics Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...

intended to reach a wider audience than the student one of his ''The Belief of Catholics'' (1927). In 1957, Knox suffered a serious illness that curtailed all his work. At the invitation of Harold Macmillan, Knox stayed at

10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street in London, also known colloquially in the United Kingdom as Number 10, is the official residence and executive office of the first lord of the treasury, usually, by convention, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Along wi ...

while consulting a medical specialist in London. The doctor confirmed that Knox had

terminal cancer Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced ...

. Knox died on 24 August 1957, and his body was brought to

. Bishop George L. Craven celebrated the Requiem Mass and Father

Martin D'Arcy Martin Cyril D'Arcy (15 June 1888 – 20 November 1976) was a Roman Catholic priest, philosopher of love, and a correspondent, friend, and adviser of a range of literary and artistic figures including Evelyn Waugh, Dorothy L. Sayers, W. H. Aude ...

preached the panegyric. Knox was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Church in Mells.

Legacy

* In 1959,

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

published T''he Life of Ronald Knox'', the first Knox biography. Waugh, an admirer of Knox's works, had obtained his friend's permission for the task. * In 1977 Knox's niece,

Penelope Fitzgerald Penelope Mary Fitzgerald (17 December 1916 – 28 April 2000) was a Booker Prize-winning novelist, poet, essayist and biographer from Lincoln, England. In 2008 ''The Times'' listed her among "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945". ''The Ob ...

, published a composite biography, ''The Knox Brothers'', about Knox and his three brothers:

E. V. Knox Edmund George Valpy Knox (10 May 1881 – 2 January 1971) was a poet and satirist who wrote under the pseudonym Evoe. He was editor of ''Punch'' 1932–1949, having been a regular contributor in verse and prose for many years. Life Knox was ...

, the editor of ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'', Dillwyn Knox, the classical scholar and cryptanalyst, and

Wilfred Knox Wilfred Lawrence Knox (1886–1950) was an English Anglicanism, Anglican priest and theologian, one of four brothers who distinguished themselves. After leaving University of Oxford, Oxford with a first-class honours degree in classics, Knox soon ...

, the New Testament scholar. * ''The Wine of Certitude: A Literary Biography of Ronald Knox'' by David Rooney was published in 2009. * This followed two recent studies, ''Ronald Knox as Apologist: Wit, Laughter and the Popish Creed'' (2007) and ''Second Friends: C. S. Lewis and Ronald Knox in Conversation'' (2008), both by Milton Walsh. * A more recent biography setting Knox in the cultural context of his times is Terry Tastard, ''Ronald Knox and English Catholicism'' (2009).

Radio hoax

In January 1926, on

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

, Knox presented ''Broadcasting the Barricades,'' a simulated live report of revolution in London. The broadcast reported the lynching of several people, including a government minister. It also mixed what it called band music from the

Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 188 ...

with sounds of the hotel's purported destruction by trench mortars. The broadcast also claimed that the

Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north ban ...

and the Clock Tower had also been destroyed. Because the broadcast occurred on a snowy weekend, newspaper delivery was unavailable to much of the United Kingdom for several days. The lack of newspapers caused a minor panic, as people believed that the broadcast events in London were to blame. In May 26, there was considerable public disorder during the

General Strike A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...

, so people were previously open to the possibility of a revolution. In a 1980s interview for his biography ''

This is Orson Welles ''This is Orson Welles'' is a 1992 book by Orson Welles (1915–1985) and Peter Bogdanovich that comprises conversations between the two filmmakers recorded over several years, beginning in 1969.Welles, Orson, and Peter Bogdanovich, edited by Jona ...

'' (1992),

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

says that the BBC broadcast gave him the idea for his own 1938

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...

dramatization of "

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

", which led to a similar panic among some American listeners. A 2005 BBC report also suggested that the Knox broadcast may have influenced Welles. The script of the broadcast is reprinted in ''Essays in Satire'' (1928) as "A Forgotten Interlude".

Knox's Ten Rules for Detective Fiction

The majority of novels of Knox's era, coined The Golden Age of Detective Fiction, were " whodunits" with codified rules to allow the reader to attempt to solve the mystery before the detective. According to Knox, a detective story

must have as its main interest the unravelling of a mystery; a mystery whose elements are clearly presented to the reader at an early stage in the proceedings, and whose nature is such as to arouse curiosity, a curiosity which is gratified at the end.

He expanded upon this definition by giving ten rules of writing detective fiction: # The criminal must be mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to know. # All

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

preternatural The preternatural (or praeternatural) is that which appears outside or beside (Latin: '' præter'') the natural. It is "suspended between the mundane and the miraculous". In theology, the term is often used to distinguish marvels or deceptive t ...

agencies are ruled out as a matter of course. # Not more than one secret room or

passage Passage, The Passage or Le Passage may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Passage'' (2008 film), a documentary about Arctic explorers * ''Passage'' (2009 film), a short movie about three sisters * ''The Passage'' (1979 film), starring ...

is allowable. # No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end. # No Chinaman must figure in the story. (Note: This is a reference to common use of heavily stereotyped Asian characters in detective fiction of the time) # No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right. # The detective himself must not commit the crime. # The detective is bound to declare any clues which he may discover. # The "

sidekick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...

" of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal from the reader any thoughts which pass through his mind: his intelligence must be slightly, but very slightly, below that of the average reader. # Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

Publications

Selected works

, a translation of the

Latin Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels us ...

*''Some Loose Stones: Being a consideration of certain tendencies in modern theology illustrated by reference to the book called "Foundations"'' (1913) *''Absolute and Abitofhell'' (1913). A satire in the manner of

Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...

on the

latitudinarianism Latitudinarians, or latitude men, were initially a group of 17th-century English theologiansclerics and academicsfrom the University of Cambridge who were moderate Anglicans (members of the Church of England). In particular, they believed that a ...

of the authors of ''Foundations'' (including William Temple, later

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...

). *''The Church in Bondage'' (1914). Sermons *''Reunion All Round'' (1914). A satire on the readiness of certain Anglicans to sink doctrinal differences with the

Nonconformist Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...

sects in the interests of Christian good fellowship.The brief description of this book is from Waugh, Evelyn (1959). ''The Life of Ronald Knox''. London: Chapman & Hall. (Paperback: London: Fontana Books, 1962). *''Bread or Stone'' (1915). Four addresses on impetrative or

petitionary prayer Supplication (also known as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someon ...

. *''A Spiritual Aeneid: Being an Account of a Journey to the Catholic Faith'' (1918) *''Patrick Shaw-Stewart'' (1920). Biography

Patrick Shaw-Stewart Patrick Houston Shaw-Stewart (17 August 1888 – 30 December 1917) was a British scholar and poet of the Edwardian era who died on active service as a battalion commander in the Royal Naval Division during the First World War. He is best remember ...

, who died on active service in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. *''Memories of the Future: Being Memories of the Years 1915–1972, Written in the Year of Grace 1988 by Lady Opal Porstock'' (1923). Combines a

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...

of the current autobiographies of women of fashion with a gentle satire on current whims — educational, medical, political and theological. *''Sanctions: A Frivolity'' (1924). A fiction in which the guests at a country-house party find all their conversations turning towards the question: what are the ultimate sanctions, social, intellectual, supernatural, which determine man's behaviour and destiny? *''Other Eyes than Ours'' (1926). A satirical tale about a hoax played on a circle of

spiritualists Spiritualism is the metaphysics, metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and Mind-body dualism, dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spir ...

. *''An Open-Air Pulpit'' (1926). Essays. *
The Belief of Catholics
' (1927). His survey of Catholic belief, considered a classic of

and a Catholic equivalent to

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...

's ''

Mere Christianity ''Mere Christianity'' is a Christian apologetical book by the British author C. S. Lewis. It was adapted from a series of BBC radio talks made between 1941 and 1944, originally published as three separate volumes: ''Broadcast Talks'' (1942), ...

''. Authorized new edition published in 2022 (Providence, RI: Cluny Media). *''Essays in Satire'' (1928). Contains his Anglican humorous writings, with some subsequent literary essays." *''The Mystery of the Kingdom and Other Sermons'' (1928). *''The Church on Earth'' (1929). *''On Getting There'' (1929). Essays. *''Caliban in Grub Street'' (1930). A satire on the religious opinions of some of the chief popular writers of the day (including

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...

and Sir

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

). *''Broadcast Minds'' (1932). A criticism of the religious opinions of some of the leading scientific publicists of the time (including

Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century modern synthesis. ...

and

Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British mathematician, philosopher, logician, and public intellectual. He had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, ...

). *''Difficulties: Being a Correspondence About the Catholic Religion'', with

Arnold Lunn Sir Arnold Henry Moore Lunn (18 April 1888 – 2 June 1974) was a skier, mountaineer and writer. He was knighted for "services to British Skiing and Anglo-Swiss relations" in 1952. His father was a lay Methodist minister, but Lunn was an agn ...

(1932). An exchange of letters with Lunn about the Catholic Church. Lunn later converted. *''Heaven and Charing Cross: Sermons on the Holy Eucharist'' (1935) *''

Barchester Pilgrimage ''Barchester Pilgrimage'' is a 1935 novel by Ronald Knox, published in London by Sheed and Ward, in which Knox picks up the narrative of the original Chronicles of Barsetshire where Anthony Trollope breaks off. Knox follows the fortunes of the c ...

'' (1935). A sequel to the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'' written in the style of Trollope. It follows the fortunes of the children and grandchildren of Trollope's characters up to the time of writing, with some gentle satire on the social, political and religious changes of the 20th century. It was reprinted in 1990 by the Trollope Society. *''Let Dons Delight'' (1939). One of Knox's most famous works, though currently out of print. Taking as its subject the history of Oxford from the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

to shortly before World War II, it traces the disintegration of a common culture though the conversations of the dons of Simon Magus, a fictional college, first in 1588, and then by fifty-year intervals until 1938. *
Captive Flames
' (1940). Twenty-one homilies on some of Knox's favourite saints, including St Cecilia, St Dominic, St

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...

and St

Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...

. Authorized new edition published in 2022 (Providence, RI: Cluny Media). *''In Soft Garments'' (1942). Addresses to Oxford students on faith in the modern world. *''God and the Atom'' (1945). An ethical and philosophical analysis of the shock of the

atomic bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...

, its use against

Hiroshima and Nagasaki The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and remain the onl ...

and the moral questions arising therefrom. *
The Mass in Slow Motion
' (1948). A book of talks for schoolgirls which, with its two successors, became the most popular of all Knox's writings. Authorized new edition published in 2022 (Providence, RI: Cluny Media). *
The Creed in Slow Motion
' (1949). The second book of his talks for schoolgirls. Authorized new edition published in 2022 (Providence, RI: Cluny Media). *''On Englishing the Bible'' (1949). Book of 8 essays about re-translating the Bible from the Latin Vulgate, with Hebrew/Greek sources. *
The Gospel in Slow Motion
' (1950). The final book of his talks for schoolgirls. Authorized new edition published in 2022 (Providence, RI: Cluny Media). *''St Paul's Gospel'' (1950). A series of

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

en sermons preached that year by Knox in Westminster Cathedral. *''Enthusiasm: A Chapter in the History of Religion with Special Reference to the XVII and XVIII Centuries'' (1950). Knox's own favourite book,Waugh, ''The Life of Ronald Knox'', 1962, p. 274. it is a study of the various movements of Christian men and women who have tried to live a less worldly life than other Christians, claiming the direct guidance of the

Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

, and eventually splitting off into separate sects. Quietism and

Jansenism Jansenism was an early modern theological movement within Catholicism, primarily active in the Kingdom of France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. It was declared a heresy by th ...

seemed to be the primary foci. *''Stimuli'' (1951). A selection of his monthly contributions to ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

''. *''The Hidden Stream: Mysteries of the Christian Faith'' (1952). Addresses to Oxford students in which Knox evaluates fundamental

dogmas Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam o ...

and stumbling blocks of Catholicism. *''Off the Record'' (1953). A selection of fifty-one letters addressed to individual inquirers on religious topics of general interest. *''In soft garments; a collection of Oxford conferences'' (1953). *''The Window in the Wall and Other Sermons on the Holy Eucharist'' (1956) *''Bridegroom and Bride'' (1957). Wedding addresses. *''Lightning Meditations'' (1959).

Detective fiction

Novels

*''The Viaduct Murder'' (1925) *''The Three Taps'' (1927) – features Miles Bredon. *''The Footsteps at the Lock'' (1928) – features Miles Bredon. Serialised, Westminster Gazette, 1928 *''The Body in the Silo'' (1933) – features Miles Bredon. *''Still Dead'' (1934) – features Miles Bredon. *''Double Cross Purposes'' (1937) – features Miles Bredon.

Short stories

* "Solved by Inspection" (1931) – features Miles Bredon. * "The Motive" (1937) * "The Adventure of the First Class Carriage" (1947) – a

pastiche.

Collaborative works by the Detection Club

*''

Behind the Screen ''Behind the Screen'' is a 1916 American silent short comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, and also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. The film is in the public domain. Plot The film takes place in a si ...

'' (1930) (six contributors including Knox) *''

The Floating Admiral ''The Floating Admiral'' is a collaborative detective novel written by fourteen members of the Detection Club in 1931. The twelve chapters of the story were each written by a different author, in the following sequence: Canon Victor Whitechurch ...

'' (1931) (fourteen contributors including Knox) *''Six Against the Yard'' (1936) (six contributors including Knox)

References

Sources

* Corbishley, Thomas; Speaight, Robert. ''Ronald Knox, the priest the writer'' (1965
online free
* Dayras, Solange. "The Knox Version, or the Trials of a Translator: Translation or Transgression?." ''Translating Religious Texts'', edited by David Jasper, 44-59. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 1993. * Duhn, Hugo R. ''A Thematization and Analysis of the Spirituality in the Writings of Ronald A. Knox, 1888-1957'', STD dissertation, Studies in Sacred Theology, 2nd Series, No. 284, Catholic University of America, 1981. * Marshall, George. "Two Autobiographical Narratives of Conversion: Robert Hugh Benson and Ronald Knox." ''British Catholic History'' 24.2 (1998): 237-253. * Rooney, David M. ''The Wine of Certitude: A Literary Biography of Ronald Knox'' (San Francisco: Ignatius Press. 2009). * Tastard, Terry. ''Ronald Knox and English Catholicism'' (Leominster: Gracewing, 2009).

External links

* * *
The Ronald Knox Society of North America
* *
BBC: Radio 4: The Riot That Never Was
(report on Knox's radio hoax)

(article about Knox's radio hoax) * ttp://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?search=ss&sText=ronald+knox&LinkID=mp02585&rNo=0&role=sit National Portrait Gallery: Ronald Arbuthnott Knox(various portraits)
The Internet Bible Catalog: Ronald A. Knox
(his translations of the New Testament and Old Testament)
BibleGateway Knox-Bible
(The Complete Knox Bible with his notes)

(the text of one of his most famous works)

(the text of his exposition of the Apostles Creed, originally given as a series of sermons to the girls' school of which he was chaplain during World War II)
"Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes"
Blackfriars, June 1920 (PDF at University of Minnesota Libraries) {{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Ronald 1888 births 1957 deaths Military personnel from Leicestershire British military personnel of World War I 20th-century English Anglican priests 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English Roman Catholic priests 20th-century English theologians 20th-century translators Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Anglican priest converts to Roman Catholicism Anglo-Catholic clergy Anglo-Catholic writers Burials in Somerset Deaths from cancer in England Christian apologists English Anglo-Catholics English crime fiction writers English mystery writers English Roman Catholic writers English science fiction writers English satirists English sermon writers Fellows of Trinity College, Oxford Members of the Detection Club People educated at Eton College People educated at St Edmund's College, Ware People educated at Summer Fields School People from Kibworth The Sunday Times people Translators of the Bible into English Presidents of the Oxford Union