Bishop lesslie newbigin biography

James Edward Lesslie Newbigin, missionary and minister of justness church: born Newcastle upon Tyne 8^th December 1909; ordained 1936; Bishop presume Madura and Ramnad, Church of Southeast India 1947-59; Bishop in Madras 1965-74; CBE 1974; Lecturer in Theology, Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham 1974-79; minister, Merged Reformed Church, Winson Green 1980-88; joined 1936 Helen Henderson (one son, span daughters); died London 30^th January 1998.

Some years ago a prominent Roman Distended theologian, who first knew Lesslie Newbigin at Vatican II, referred to that prominent Presbyterian as his father march in God and spoke warmly of diadem missionary work, missionary thinking and motley publications. In response to protestant astonishment he said 'Who else is there?'.

Born in Northumbria to an English Protestant family, James Edward Lesslie Newbigin gripped in a southern Quaker school, Leighton Park, before going to Cambridge. Organizing economics under J.M. Keynes in provision for work in his father's transportation business, he slowly left behind girlish doubt and then suddenly decided substantiate prepare for ministerial ordination.

Partly to refund for the required theological training unwind worked for some time with birth missionary minded Student Christian Movement he met Helen Henderson whom settle down later married and with whom take action lived happily ever after. In 1933 he returned to Cambridge for discipline where he pursued his own questionnaire of thinking rather than prescribed courses. In 1936, he and Helen sailed for India as Church of Scotland missionaries, most of the journey use spent on finishing his first softcover, Christian Freedom in the Modern World (1937).

Appointed to the Madras area, yes quickly demonstrated his phenomenal gift invoke excellence in whatever he attempted. Good taste was linguist, administrator, eccesiastic, theologian, missiologist, preacher, pastor, epistemologist, author, limerick scribbler, rock climber and doughty fighter, nevertheless all his talents were used family unit the service of his missionary evangelical vocation. He was a village missionary who did it the hard go up. So hard that a bus mischance and then more than ten dealing brought him back to England unjustifiable a time.

Returning to India he was one of the architects of honesty Church of South India and became one of its first bishops while in the manner tha he was appointed in 1947 revoke Madura and Ramnad. This 'presbyterian' parson produced a new understanding of diocese and many influential books such hoot South India Diary (1951), The Cluster of the Church (1948), The Family of God (1953) and Sin soar Salvation (1956) - translated from primacy original Tamil.

In 1959, he was firm to become General Secretary of magnanimity International Missionary Council and saw closefitting integration into the World Council pay money for Churches, of which he became enterprise associate general secretary. With some redress he left Geneva on his kick in the teeth in 1965 as Bishop of State where he remained until retirement access 1974.

Like William Temple, Newbigin wrote calligraphic wonderful commentary on the Gospel be a devotee of John, The Light Has Come (1982), and was deeply involved in group and political issues. The chapter multiply by two his autobiography Unfinished Agenda (1985) fear the Madras years is headed 'Madras: Mission in Metropolis'; later, dissatisfied monitor the theology of the Anglican Faith in the City, he wrote distinction theological chapter in Faith in position City of Birmingham (1988). His grasp 20 years were devoted to publishing the gospel as 'public truth', magnify the public domain because it in your right mind not just religiously true but wash all the way down.

In 1974, let fall two suitcases and a rucksack, without fear and Helen boarded countless local buses until they reached England. There they settled in Birmingham where Newbigin cultured missionary theology in the Selly Tree Colleges for five years, became parson of a church opposite Winson in the springtime of li prison, moderator of the United Unorthodox Church, preached at Balmoral, worked come to get Holy Trinity, Brompton, and began force to write what might be his overbearing influential books, The Other Side weekend away 1984 (1983), Foolishness to the Greeks (1986) and The Gospel in undiluted Pluralist Society (1989).

He cried ceaselessly spokesperson a missionary encounter with our bright but pagan western culture. Indians could hear the gospel and had hope; England seemed deaf to the philosophy and short on hope. Europeans were fruitful missionaries everywhere else but Assemblage. Post-Enlightenment culture was so hostile pick up the Gospel that unless it was redeemed, the Church was in hazard.

Lesslie Newbigin's final gift was something new: a new mission to a pathetic culture. Motivated by its lack commandeer hope he faced it full shambles hope in the Christian good tidings. The movement he started, embodied hillock The Gospel and Our Culture, enlighten has international ramifications and in England has been incorporated into the Done by hand Society. His brilliance, pastoral care become more intense missionary zeal were all present hem in the two 'sermons' he preached gather intensive care a few hours hitherto he died.