Bishop Hensley Henson and the post-war social problem1918-1926

Abstract

Upon examination of the Church of England during the period after the Great War, one cannot help but notice the internal division which existed amongst Churchmen. This discord was especially apparent as the Church attempted to aid in the mitigation of the social problems created by industrialism in the nineteenth century, and highlighted by the political divisions and economic depression of the post-war years. This study examines the Church's struggle to answer the social questions of the period. It traces the development of prevailing social thought from the mid-nineteenth century through the First World War and examines the movements within the Church which attempted to aid in the cure of the ills experienced by the industrial working-classes. It then studies the Church as it emerged from the war and dissects the programmes and policies which best reflected dominant social thinking. More specifically, this study examines one Churchman, Hensley Henson, and his criticisms of the prevailing social thought within the Church. Henson's criticisms of specific programmes are studied in depth in order that we might better understand the assumptions behind his views as they had developed into a manifesto for dissenting social attitudes in the 1920s. It is in such a study that we are able to uncover the theological, ecclesiastical, and intellectual contributions of one of the most prominent leaders of dissenting thought within the Church during the post-war period. Most importantly, this thesis examines the range of internal division in a specific area within the Church of England as it struggled with the pressures placed upon it by the external post-war world.