Walter Robert Matthews (22 September 1881 – 4 December 1973) was an Anglican

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

, theologian, and philosopher.

Early life and education

Born on 22 September 1881 in Camberwell,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, to parents Philip Walter Matthews, a banker, and Sophia Alice Self, he was educated at

Wilson's School Wilson's School is a state boys' grammar school with academy status in the London Borough of Sutton, England. It was founded as Wilson's Grammar School in Camberwell in 1615, making it one of the country's oldest state schools. The school move ...

and trained for the priesthood at King's College London.

Ordained ministry

He was ordained deacon in 1907 and priest in 1908 and was a curate at

St Mary Abbots St Mary Abbots is a church located on Kensington High Street and the corner of Kensington Church Street in London W8. The present church structure was built in 1872 to the designs of Sir George Gilbert Scott, who combined neo-Gothic and early ...

' Kensington and St Peter's Regent Square. After that he was a lecturer in and then a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

theology 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 ...

at King's College London. From 1918 he was also Dean of the college. In 1931 he became an

Honorary Chaplain to the King An Honorary Chaplain to the King (KHC) is a member of the clergy within the United Kingdom who, through long and distinguished service, is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom. When the reigning monarch is female, Honorary C ...

and

Dean of Exeter The Dean of Exeter is the head of the Chapter of Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, England. The chapter was established by William Briwere, Bishop of Exeter (1224–44) who set up the offices of dean and chancellor of Exeter Cathedr ...

. Then in 1934 he became

Dean of St Paul's The dean of St Paul's is a member of, and chair of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in London in the Church of England. The dean of St Paul's is also ''ex officio'' dean of the Order of the British Empire. The current dean is Andrew Tremlett, ...

, a post he held for 33 years. At the time of his appointment, he was president-elect of the

Modern Churchmen's Union Modern Church is a charitable society promoting liberal Christian theology. It defends liberal positions on a wide range of issues including gender, sexuality, interfaith relations, religion and science, and biblical scholarship. In church affai ...

. He was described by his predecessor,

William Inge William Motter Inge (; May 3, 1913 – June 10, 1973) was an American playwright and novelist, whose works typically feature solitary protagonists encumbered with strained sexual relations. In the early 1950s he had a string of memorable Broad ...

, as something of an "Orthodox Modernist". On 2 June 1940 the term "miracle of Dunkirk" was used for the first time by Matthews in a speech. He was praising the rescue of thousands of British soldiers and their allies from being encircled by the German Army in France. He died on 4 December 1973.England & Wales, National Probate Calendar 1974, p. 5926

Published works

Matthews was an author. Among his works: *
Three Sermons on Human Nature and a Dissertation upon the Nature of Virtue
'. Editor. By

Joseph Butler Joseph Butler (18 May O.S. 1692 – 16 June O.S. 1752) was an English Anglican bishop, theologian, apologist, and philosopher, born in Wantage in the English county of Berkshire (now in Oxfordshire). He is known for critiques of Deism, Thom ...

. London: G. Bell and Sons. 1914. *
King's College Lectures on Immortality
'. Editor. By J. F. Bethune-Baker; A. Caldecott;

Hastings Rashdall Hastings Rashdall (24 June 1858 – 9 February 1924) was an English philosopher, theologian, historian, and Anglican priest. He expounded a theory known as ideal utilitarianism, and he was a major historian of the universities of the Middle A ...

; Wm. Brown; H. Maurice Relton. London: University of London Press. 1920. * * * * * * * *

References

Citations

Works cited

* * * * *

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Walter Robert 1881 births 1973 deaths 20th-century English Anglican priests Academics of King's College London Alumni of the Theological Department of King's College London Anglican philosophers Deans of Exeter Deans of King's College London Deans of St Paul's English Anglican theologians Fellows of King's College London Honorary Chaplains to the King Honorary Chaplains to the Queen Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour People educated at Wilson's School, Wallington