Aubrey Lackington Moore (1848–1890) was an English

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 ...

priest and one of the first Christian Darwinians. He has been described as "the clergyman who more than any other man was responsible for breaking down the antagonisms towards Evolution then widely felt in the English Church".Lane, Christopher (2011).
Christopher Lane on Christian Darwinism
" Yale Press Log.

Life

Moore was born on 30 March 1848 in Camberwell, England, the second son of Daniel Moore, vicar of Holy Trinity,

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...

, and prebendary of St Paul's. He was educated at St Paul's School from 1860 to 1867, which he left with an exhibition, matriculating as a commoner of

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

, 1867, whence, after obtaining first-class honours in classical moderations and ''literae humaniores'', he graduated B.A. in 1871 (M.A. 1874). He was fellow of St John's College, Oxford, 1872–1876; became a lecturer and tutor (1874); was assistant tutor at

Magdalen College Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

(1875); and was rector of Frenchay, near Bristol, from 1876 to 1881, when he was appointed a tutor of

Keble College Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to ...

. He became examining chaplain to Bishops

John Mackarness John Fielder Mackarness (3 December 1820 – 16 September 1889) was a Church of England bishop. Life He was born in Islington (then in the county of Middlesex, now in Greater London) on 8 December 1820, the eldest son of John Mackarness, a Wes ...

and

William Stubbs William Stubbs (21 June 182522 April 1901) was an English historian and Anglican bishop. He was Regius Professor of Modern History at the University of Oxford between 1866 and 1884. He was Bishop of Chester from 1884 to 1889 and Bishop of O ...

of Oxford, select preacher at Oxford 1885–1886, Whitehall preacher 1887–1888, and hon. canon of Christ Church 1887. A few weeks before his death, he accepted an official fellowship as dean of divinity at Magdalen College, Oxford, and when nominated simultaneously to examine in the final honour schools of theology and ''literae humaniores'', accepted the latter post. He died after a very brief illness on 17 January 1890 and was buried in

Holywell Cemetery Holywell Cemetery is next to St Cross Church in Oxford, England. The cemetery is behind the church in St Cross Road, south of Holywell Manor on Manor Road and north of Longwall Street, in the parish of Holywell. History In the mid 19th cen ...

. At Oxford, Moore had a unique position as at once a theologian and a philosopher of recognised attainments in natural science, dealing fearlessly with the metaphysical and scientific questions affecting theology. He lectured mainly on philosophy and on the history of the Reformation. Though rendered constitutionally weak by physical deformity, he had great powers of endurance and hard work, was a brilliant talker and preacher, and distinguished as a botanist.

Family

He married in 1876 Catherine, daughter of Frank Hurt, by whom he left three daughters. A fund of nearly £1,000 was subscribed to his memory by friends, from which an 'Aubrey Moore' studentship (for theological research), open to graduates of Oxford, was founded in 1890.

Theology

Moore argued that Darwinism was not in conflict with Christianity. He differed from other religious figures of the time by accepting the theory of natural selection, incorporating it into his Christian beliefs as merely the way God worked. He wrote that evolution Moore was curator of the

Botanical Gardens A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

in England in 1887. He wrote two books: ''Science and Faith'' (1889) and ''Essays Scientific and Philosophical'' (1890), and was a contributor to '' Lux Mundi'' (1889). H. O. Wakeman's ''History of the Church of England'' (1897) is dedicated to Moore.

Selected works

''Essays Scientific and Philosophical''
(1890) * ''Evolution and Christianity'' (1889)
''Lectures and Papers on the History of the Reformation in England and on the Continent''
(1890) * ''Note on the Philosophy of Chuang Tzŭ''
''Science and Faith''
(1893) * ''Theology and Law'' (1884)

References

Citations

Works cited

* This article incorporates text from this public-domain publication. * * * * *