Jim Thompson (bishop)
Encyclopedia
James Lawton "Jim" Thompson (11 August 1936–19 September 2003) was an Anglican bishop
. He was firstly the area
Bishop of Stepney
(one of five Episcopal Areas of the Diocese of London
in the Church of England
) from 1978 to 1991 and later the diocesan
Bishop of Bath & Wells in succession to George Carey
who had become Archbishop of Canterbury
. He retired in 2001.
Thompson was probably best known to many as a regular contributor to the "Thought for the Day" segment on BBC Radio 4
's Today programme
. Following his death in 2003, obituaries in the national press praised his deep humanity and lively sense of humour. One obituary referred to his gift of "conveying the warmth of his physical presence in his voice and in his words", adding that "his reflection on the events of 11 September 2001 was nominated for a Sony Broadcast Award, uniquely for religious broadcasting." He used his seat in the House of Lords to express his concerns for equality and education. The Telegraph described him as "the Church of England's best known commentator on social and political matters as well as a prominent advocate of religious and racial tolerance." Thompson wrote that "a bishop who doesn't give offense to anyone is probably not a good bishop." Thompson was also an important figure in interfaith
relations in Britain, chairing the British Council of Churches
advisory committee and co-chairing the Interfaith Network for the United Kingdom. He believed that when Christians helped to create opportunities for all faiths to participate in public and in institutional life (such as in educational and health care chaplaincy) they were being good neighbours in a multi-faith world.
and was a theology
graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant
in 1959 and National service
saw him commissioned into the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
(1959–1961) with the rank of Second Lieutenant, stationed mainly in Germany. before going to Emmanuel College, Cambridge
and then Cuddesdon Theological College, Oxford
. He was ordained deacon
in 1966 and priest
in 1967. He was a curate
in East Ham
from 1966 to 1968 and became chaplain
to Cuddesdon Theological College under Robert Runcie
(then Principal
) in 1968. From 1971 he was Ecumenical Team Rector of Thamesmead. He became Bishop of Stepney
in 1978, succeeding Trevor Huddleston
. In 1991, he was translated to the historic diocesan see of Bath and Wells
. He retired in 2001 although continued to minister as an honorary assistant bishop
in the Diocese of Exeter
.
Margaret Thatcher
's decision to overrule the Church of England
's appointment procedure by not appointing him Bishop of Birmingham
(the second name on the list submitted to her was appointed). That said, he was (in later life) certainly not party political. His aim was - perhaps idealistically - to apply the values of the Kingdom of God to everyday life and issues. That caused him to stray into the political arena, whether he intended to or not; something for which he never apologized. His clergy - whether or not they agreed with him on particular issues - tended to regard him as a good man, a warm-hearted pastor and an engaging personality. Something to Celebrate, the Church of England's Board for Social Responsibility's sub-committee on family life's 1995 report, stirred controversy by suggesting that partners who are faithful in relationships outside marriage should not be thought as of living in sin. Thompson chaired the committee. From some of his colleagues, says McMurry, "he met with little support for his passionate concerns - for gay and women's rights, for Bangladeshis, for all who were marginalised".
) as moderator of the Committee for Relations with People of Other Faiths (CROPOF) working closely with Kenneth Cracknell
, executive secretary until 1987 and also with his successor, Clinton Bennett
. As moderator Thompson also sat on the council's general committee. On taking up his appointment as Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1989 he stepped down from the committee and was succeeded as moderator by David Silk
, Archdeacon of Leicester (later Bishop of Ballarat, Victoria
, Australia
). Thompson was also co-chair of the Inter-Faith Network for the United Kingdom from its formation in 1987 until 1992. He enjoyed an excellent relationship with leading members of the various faith communities, not least of all with his co-chair, Holocaust survivor and fellow Thought for the Day presenter, Rabbi Hugo Gryn
and with Zaki Badawi
, Chair of the Imam and Mosques Council. Interfaith relations
were becoming increasingly important in Britain's multi religious and multi cultural society. The Salman Rushdie affair, the 1988 Education Act's clauses on school worship and religious education and the first Gulf War
were among the many issues on the CROPOF agenda under Thompson's leadership.
in 1989 and from the University of Bath
(awarded 1 December 1998). In 1995 Exeter University gave him an honorary DD
and Queen Mary, University of London
made him an honorary fellow in 1986. In 1987, he was presented with the Sigmund Sternberg
Award for Christian-Jewish Relations. Emmanuel College, Cambridge
elected him to an honorary fellowship in 1992.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. He was firstly the area
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
Bishop of Stepney
Bishop of Stepney
The Bishop of Stepney is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Stepney, an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...
(one of five Episcopal Areas of the Diocese of London
Diocese of London
The Anglican Diocese of London forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England.Historically the diocese covered a large area north of the Thames and bordered the dioceses of Norwich and Lincoln to the north and west. The present diocese covers and 17 London boroughs, covering most of Greater...
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
) from 1978 to 1991 and later the diocesan
Diocesan bishop
A diocesan bishop — in general — is a bishop in charge of a diocese. These are to be distinguished from suffragan bishops, assistant bishops, coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, metropolitans, and primates....
Bishop of Bath & Wells in succession to George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
who had become Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. He retired in 2001.
Thompson was probably best known to many as a regular contributor to the "Thought for the Day" segment on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
. Following his death in 2003, obituaries in the national press praised his deep humanity and lively sense of humour. One obituary referred to his gift of "conveying the warmth of his physical presence in his voice and in his words", adding that "his reflection on the events of 11 September 2001 was nominated for a Sony Broadcast Award, uniquely for religious broadcasting." He used his seat in the House of Lords to express his concerns for equality and education. The Telegraph described him as "the Church of England's best known commentator on social and political matters as well as a prominent advocate of religious and racial tolerance." Thompson wrote that "a bishop who doesn't give offense to anyone is probably not a good bishop." Thompson was also an important figure in interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
relations in Britain, chairing the British Council of Churches
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland is an ecumenical organisation. The members include most of the major churches in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It was formerly known as the Council of Churches of Britain and Ireland...
advisory committee and co-chairing the Interfaith Network for the United Kingdom. He believed that when Christians helped to create opportunities for all faiths to participate in public and in institutional life (such as in educational and health care chaplaincy) they were being good neighbours in a multi-faith world.
Career
Thompson was born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and was a theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountants were the first accountants to form a professional body, initially established in Britain in 1854. The Edinburgh Society of Accountants , the Glasgow Institute of Accountants and Actuaries and the Aberdeen Society of Accountants were each granted a royal charter almost from...
in 1959 and National service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
saw him commissioned into the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
(1959–1961) with the rank of Second Lieutenant, stationed mainly in Germany. before going to Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
and then Cuddesdon Theological College, Oxford
Ripon College Cuddesdon
Ripon College Cuddesdon is a Church of England theological college in Cuddesdon, a village outside Oxford, England.-History:Ripon College Cuddesdon was formed from an amalgamation in 1975 of Cuddesdon College and Ripon Hall...
. He was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1966 and priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1967. He was a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
in East Ham
East Ham
East Ham is a suburban district of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Newham. It is a built-up district located 8 miles east-northeast of Charing Cross...
from 1966 to 1968 and became chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to Cuddesdon Theological College under Robert Runcie
Robert Runcie
Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie, PC, MC was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991.-Early life:...
(then Principal
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
) in 1968. From 1971 he was Ecumenical Team Rector of Thamesmead. He became Bishop of Stepney
Bishop of Stepney
The Bishop of Stepney is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Stepney, an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets...
in 1978, succeeding Trevor Huddleston
Trevor Huddleston
Ernest Urban Trevor Huddleston CR, KCMG was an English Anglican bishop. He was most well known for his anti-apartheid activism and his 'Prayer for Africa'...
. In 1991, he was translated to the historic diocesan see of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
. He retired in 2001 although continued to minister as an honorary assistant bishop
Assistant Bishop
An assistant bishop in the Anglican Communion is a bishop appointed to assist a diocesan bishop.-Church of England:In the established Church of England, assistant bishops are usually are retired bishops – in which case they are honorary assistant bishops...
in the Diocese of Exeter
Diocese of Exeter
The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Province of...
.
Giving offence to some
Before beginning his ministry as a bishop in 1978, Thompson, for a public figure, attracted perhaps more than the usual share of criticism - particularly from supporters of the Thatcher Government in the 1980s. This was largely due to his championing of the causes of those he viewed as disadvantaged - particularly the urban poor of East London when he was a bishop there. Some of his public comments were perceived by some as unduly political. This was undoubtedly behind Prime MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's decision to overrule the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
's appointment procedure by not appointing him Bishop of Birmingham
Bishop of Birmingham
The Bishop of Birmingham heads the Church of England diocese of Birmingham, in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The diocese covers the North West of the historical county of Warwickshire and has its see in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, where the seat of the diocese is located at the...
(the second name on the list submitted to her was appointed). That said, he was (in later life) certainly not party political. His aim was - perhaps idealistically - to apply the values of the Kingdom of God to everyday life and issues. That caused him to stray into the political arena, whether he intended to or not; something for which he never apologized. His clergy - whether or not they agreed with him on particular issues - tended to regard him as a good man, a warm-hearted pastor and an engaging personality. Something to Celebrate, the Church of England's Board for Social Responsibility's sub-committee on family life's 1995 report, stirred controversy by suggesting that partners who are faithful in relationships outside marriage should not be thought as of living in sin. Thompson chaired the committee. From some of his colleagues, says McMurry, "he met with little support for his passionate concerns - for gay and women's rights, for Bangladeshis, for all who were marginalised".
British Council of Churches and interfaith relations
In 1983, Thompson was chosen to succeed David Brown (Bishop of GuildfordBishop of Guildford
The Bishop of Guildford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Guildford in the Province of Canterbury.The title was first created as a suffragan see in the Diocese of Winchester in 1874. The suffragan bishop of Guildford assisted the Bishop of Winchester in overseeing the diocese...
) as moderator of the Committee for Relations with People of Other Faiths (CROPOF) working closely with Kenneth Cracknell
Kenneth Cracknell
Kenneth R. Cracknell is a British specialist in interfaith dialogue and the Christian theology of religions.Cracknell has written many articles and books on interfaith dialogue and other subjects, including Towards a New Relationship , Justice Courtesy and Love , An Introduction to World Methodism...
, executive secretary until 1987 and also with his successor, Clinton Bennett
Clinton Bennett
Clinton Bennett is a British scholar of religions and participant in interfaith dialogue specializing in the study of Islam and Muslim-non-Muslim encounter. An ordained Baptist minister, he was a missionary in Bangladesh before serving as the second director of interfaith relations at the British...
. As moderator Thompson also sat on the council's general committee. On taking up his appointment as Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1989 he stepped down from the committee and was succeeded as moderator by David Silk
David Silk (bishop)
Robert David Silk is an English priest of the Roman Catholic Church. He was formerly an Anglican bishop and was the Bishop of Ballarat in the Anglican Church of Australia....
, Archdeacon of Leicester (later Bishop of Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
). Thompson was also co-chair of the Inter-Faith Network for the United Kingdom from its formation in 1987 until 1992. He enjoyed an excellent relationship with leading members of the various faith communities, not least of all with his co-chair, Holocaust survivor and fellow Thought for the Day presenter, Rabbi Hugo Gryn
Hugo Gryn
Hugo Gabriel Gryn was a British Reform rabbi who was a popular broadcaster and a leading voice in interfaith dialogue....
and with Zaki Badawi
Zaki Badawi
Sheikh Mohammed Aboulkhair Zaki Badawi ,KBE, GCFO was a prominent Egyptian Islamic scholar, community activist, and promoter of interfaith-dialogue. He was the principal of the Muslim College in London, which he founded in 1986...
, Chair of the Imam and Mosques Council. Interfaith relations
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
were becoming increasingly important in Britain's multi religious and multi cultural society. The Salman Rushdie affair, the 1988 Education Act's clauses on school worship and religious education and the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
were among the many issues on the CROPOF agenda under Thompson's leadership.
Other posts and honours
Thompson chaired the Children's Society from 1997 to 2002. From 1995, he was Joint President of the English Churches Housing Trust. He was awarded a Doctor of Letters degree from the East London Polytechnic (now the University of East LondonUniversity of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
in 1989 and from the University of Bath
University of Bath
The University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
(awarded 1 December 1998). In 1995 Exeter University gave him an honorary DD
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
and Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
made him an honorary fellow in 1986. In 1987, he was presented with the Sigmund Sternberg
Sigmund Sternberg
Sir Sigmund Sternberg, is a British philanthropist, businessman and Labour Party donor.-Early life:Sternberg is Jewish and was born in Hungary. He emigrated to Britain in 1939 and was naturalised as a British citizen in 1947.-Career:...
Award for Christian-Jewish Relations. Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
elected him to an honorary fellowship in 1992.
Writings
- Thompson, Jim (1989) Docklands Redevelopment, London: Docklands Forum ISBN 1872453015
- Thompson, Jim (1986) Half Way: reflections in middle life, London: Collins ISBN 0006269672
- Thompson, Jim (1990) The Lord's Song, London: Fount ISBN 0006271065
- Thompson, Jim (1991) Stepney Calling, London: Mowbray ISBN 0264672089
- Thompson, Jim (1997) Why God? London: Mowbray ISBN 0264673883
- Thompson, Jim (2003) Good Morning!: a decade of thoughts for the day, London: SPCK ISBN 0281054983