Herbert Edward Ryle

1856-1925. Anglican bishop and preacher. Son of Bishop J.C. Ryle,* his strong Evangelical home background gave him a deep personal faith and an evangelistic outlook, although he moved away from his father's theological views. After Eton and a brilliant academic career at Cambridge, he won distinction as a moderate and cautious OT higher critic. He became principal of Lampeter College in 1886, Hulsean professor of divinity at Cambridge in 1888, and president of Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1896. Thereafter he was successively bishop of Exeter (1900) and Winchester (1903). In 1911 weak health obliged him to accept the less onerous deanery of Westminster, and his fame rests on his preaching and leadership there in World War I. His gospel sermons were called “wonderfully simple and simply wonderful.” He did much to establish the (Church of England) church assembly.