Douglas Feaver

Douglas Russell Feaver ( May 22nd, 1914 in Bristol, † November 9, 1997 in Bruton, Somerset ) was a British Anglican theologian. He was from 1972 to 1984 Bishop of Peterborough in the Church of England.

Career

Douglas Feaver studied history and theology at Keble College, Oxford, graduated from with honors and received the Liddon Studentship. In 1938 he was ordained a deacon and priest in the following year. From 1938 to 1958 he worked at the St. Albans, first as curate, then as Canon and Sub - Dean. Was interrupted this activity during the Second World War, where he served as a chaplain in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. During this time he became seriously ill in Egypt and while he lay in the hospital bed, he heard his grave was dug in front of the hospital already, but he recovered. In 1958 he became Vicar and Rural Dean of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham. From 1972 to 1984 he was Bishop of Peterborough. His Episcopal church was the Cathedral of Peterborough.

Douglas Feaver was married twice. With his first wife he had three children. After her death in 1987 he married a second time.

Feaver as Bishop

Feaver engaged intensively in his diocese; Meetings such as those of the General Synod, however, he avoided because he had little sympathy for the central church administration and the growing bureaucracy. When he was not only unexpectedly present at a synod in 1972, but also made ​​a request, this caused amusement among the bishops, albeit with the limitation " though none laughed at the time" ( German: " However, no one laughed in this moment "). Since this application is all agreed, wrote the reporter: "So we arguably had an egg on our faces. " ( German: "As we were probably stupid there." ) Feavers particular interest was the clerical offspring, to ensure that this solid training received and further developed. As a traditionalist, he felt the Book of Common Prayer bound. About the modern The Alternative Service Book of 1980, he said: " Taste it and spit out. " ( German: " Probiers and Spuck again. " ) For twelve years, he wrote book reviews for the Church Times.

" Male Stermann in the Church"

Feaver was in his time as one of the " most colorful " personalities of the Church of England, have been handed down from the countless anecdotes and sayings. In 1985 some of his witticisms were published under the title Purple Feaver as a book. So he said after a wedding " I prefer funerals " ( German: "I prefer funerals before " ) and female colleagues in the Synod that they had " seething bosoms but nothing above" ( German: " billowing bosom, but nothing about it " ).

The Independent wrote in his obituary, Feaver was a man of great intellect and solid and informed opinion been provided with hearty prejudices pronounce he had never shied. Often the tall church man had acted like a " bird of prey just before Crashing ". For his clerical colleagues Eric Abbott he was known as "the rudest one in the Church of England " ( German: " the rüdeste man in the Church of England "). When meeting of bishops and other eminent persons his sharp tongue was feared, he also had no patience with procrastinators, but be comfortable with contradiction. Behind it a friendly, warm and humorous person I hid that neither himself nor others have taken too seriously, and Feaver have always taken care of for fun.