Giants on the Earth in Those Days...
Giants on the Earth in Those Days...
Geoffrey "Woodbine Willie" Studdert Kennedy, Dick Sheppard, & Maude Royden
The period between the two world wars witnessed an explosion of Christian-based social reform in England that called for an end to militarism, a more equitable distribution of wealth, the empowerment of women, and a revitalization of the Church of England. It was an exciting time, and one I’d very much liked to have witnessed firsthand.
There were many admirable leaders of this reform. But three of them especially stand out for me. In fact, they’re my heroes. Two, Geoffrey “Woodbine Willie” Studdert Kennedy1 (1883-1929) and H.R.L. “Dick” Sheppard (1880-1937), were army chaplains during the Great War—Kennedy for the duration and Sheppard for a shorter period—who afterwards became incredibly popular champions of pacifism, economic justice, and church reform. When I was in active ministry, they were very real role models for me, although I never succeeded in living up to their examples.
Maude Royden (1876-1956) was a suffragist and pacifist whose untiring advocacy of women’s ordination in the Church of England prepared the way for the eventual shattering of that glass ceiling in 1994. She was one of the most remarkable women of the twentieth century, and certainly seen as such during her lifetime. That she’s fallen into obscurity is as bewildering as it is sad.
In a climate such as ours in which moral cynicism, spiritual weariness, and muted despair are prevalent, the voices of these giants deserve to be heard. The years haven’t done anything to water down their bracing message of hope. If anything, Studdert Kennedy, Sheppard, and Royden sound uncannily fresh and relevant.
Over the past few years, I’ve made it my labor of love to re-introduce them to as many folks as possible. In 2008, I published a collection of Studdert Kennedy’s writings, prefaced with a long introduction explaining his historical and contemporary significance. I’m happy to say that since the book’s publication, there’s been an explosion of interest in Studdert Kennedy.
In 2013, I published a critical edition, again prefaced with a long introduction, of one of Dick Sheppard’s most influential books.
I’ve just completed an anthology of Maude Royden’s writings, once more prefaced with a biographical and thematic introduction, entitled Are Women the Church's Untouchables? The Life and Message of Maude Royden. It will be released in 2026. (The publication date is nearly two years away because of copyright issues.)
Finally, I’m beginning work on an omnibus of Dick Sheppard’s writings that both will complement my earlier edition of his We Say No! and complete my task of reintroducing these three giants on whose shoulders so many of us unknowingly stand. I think that this project of helping their voices to be heard once more far outweighs in importance any of my own books. Compared to these three, I’m a tuppence ha’penny hack.
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Studdert Kennedy earned his nickname from his habit of handing out Woodbine cigarettes to troops at the front during World War I. At his funeral procession, attended by tens of thousands of mourners, veterans of the Great War tossed packs of Woodbines onto his coffin as it passed them. It was a tribute that would’ve touched him deeply.