590:
853:
559:
385:
Soper offered as a candidate for the
Methodist ministry, and while still a probationary minister (in his first appointment), he sought larger congregations by taking to open air preaching in imitation of the founders of Methodism. From 1926 until well into his nineties, he preached at London's
42:
550:
In 1967, Soper lamented that "To-day we are living in what is the first genuinely pagan age—that is to say, there are so many people, particularly children, who never remember having heard hymns at their mother's knee, as I have, whose first tunes are from
304:
His combination of modernist theology, high sacramentalism, and
Socialist politics, expressed with insouciant wit and unapologetic élan, thrilled audiences, delighted admirers, and reduced opponents to apoplectic
616:
In his last years, Soper was disabled by severe arthritis and had to use a wheelchair, but he did not allow this to stop him preaching and making public appearances. He died on 22 December 1998, aged 95.
808:
660:
555:, and not from any hymn book; whose first acquaintance with their friends and relations and other people is not in the Sunday School or in the Church at all, as mine was".
609:
in
Marylebone. In 1978 he spoke in depth about his time as a controversial figure on a soapbox at Hyde Park Corner and his hopes for the future in the BBC radio programme
883:
432:
which exercised a ministry of practical care for marginalised groups such as the homeless, unmarried mothers and alcoholics. In 1952 he was elected as the
675:
Alan
Wilkinson, ‘Soper, Donald Oliver, Baron Soper (1903–1998)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn
923:
908:
657:
918:
893:
433:
547:(he referred to it as "proof of the reality of life after death") but which he was able to use as a platform for the expression of his views.
953:
621:
338:
898:
405:
On 3 August 1929, he married Marie Dean. They had four daughters, the youngest of whom, Caroline, was the first wife of the writer
803:
Martin
Wellings, "Renewal, Reunion, and Revival: Three British Methodist Approaches to “Serving the Present Age” in the 1950s."
652:
Martin
Wellings, "Renewal, Reunion, and Revival: Three British Methodist Approaches to “Serving the Present Age” in the 1950s."
416:
and much of his preaching was concerned with the political implications of the
Christian gospel; late in life, he offended many
755:
577:
928:
888:
286:
98:
412:
Early in his ministry, Soper was radicalised by the inner-city poverty that he witnessed. He became an active member of the
933:
903:
346:
231:
490:
826:
848:
479:. After the War, Soper often appeared on radio and television shows, including becoming a regular presenter on BBC's
502:
377:, but he withdrew from cricket after he accidentally killed an opposing batsman with a fast delivery when bowling.
943:
878:
424:
were inherently incompatible with
Christianity. From 1936 until his retirement in 1978, he was the minister of
938:
606:
429:
958:
948:
544:
509:
in
England for many years until his death. For twenty years he wrote regularly for the socialist magazine
506:
698:
452:
813:
358:
241:
47:
844:
589:
323:
536:
814:"War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Education of Robert McNamara, The; Interview with Donald Soper"
624:, has a house dedicated to him – the only one to not be named after a headmaster or headmistress.
913:
633:
417:
354:
254:
572:
520:
80:
780:
516:
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873:
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460:
274:
29:
8:
852:
481:
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468:
602:
532:
421:
413:
395:
200:
839:
472:
327:
664:
563:
406:
290:
731:
540:
398:; he was often referred to as "Dr Soapbox" in honour of the outdoor preacher's
294:
61:
558:
862:
440:
425:
464:
448:
350:
322:, the first of the three children of Ernest Frankham Soper (1871–1962), an
236:
25:
699:
The Second Coming of
Paisley: Militant Fundamentalism and Ulster Politics
567:
552:
527:
from the Labour government of the day, and so was created on 12 May 1965
486:
756:
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS HL Deb 15 November 1967 vol 286 cc687-838
475:, being deemed so effective that he was banned from broadcasting on the
444:
387:
315:
223:
171:
701:, Syracuse University Press, archived 2022, accessed 19 December 2022
524:
278:
271:
456:
428:, a "Central hall" within the Methodist Church and the home of the
282:
436:, the governing body of the Methodist Church, serving in 1953–54.
402:. He was controversial and quick-thinking, and drew large crowds.
822:], 1986, Open Vault, 27 October 1986. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
399:
370:
519:. After the abolition of the LCC, he became an alderman on the
374:
366:
365:. He was an exceptional sportsman who captained his school at
342:
319:
175:
41:
767:
331:
16:
British Methodist minister, socialist and pacifist (1903–1998)
334:
Pilcher (b. 1877), a headmistress and daughter of a builder.
818:
515:, and in 1958 was elected as an alderman (Labour) of the
476:
362:
420:
by his fiercely expressed argument that the policies of
539:. He became the first Methodist minister to sit in the
330:, the son of a tailor, and his wife, Caroline Amelia,
270:(31 January 1903 – 22 December 1998) was a British
860:
613:with priest and journalist Owen Spencer-Thomas.
827:Calling for Action: An Autobiographical Enquiry
467:), and most notably, a pacifist. He joined the
505:from its beginnings, and was president of the
798:West End Methodism: The Story of Hinde Street
471:in 1937 and preached pacifism throughout the
884:Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge
601:After he left circuit ministry he became a
851:
40:
443:. As well as being a socialist, he was a
924:Alumni of the London School of Economics
909:20th-century English Methodist ministers
710:
588:
557:
919:Presidents of the Methodist Conference
861:
800:. London: Northway Publications, 2010.
620:From 2005, his old school, now called
523:(1964–65) and accepted the offer of a
894:Members of the Greater London Council
434:President of the Methodist Conference
287:President of the Methodist Conference
99:President of the Methodist Conference
622:Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College
289:in 1953–54. After May 1965 he was a
13:
954:Life peers created by Elizabeth II
790:
300:Historian Martin Wellings states:
14:
970:
849:National Portrait Gallery, London
833:
314:Soper was born at 36 Knoll Road,
232:St Catharine's College, Cambridge
74:May 1965 – December 1998
899:Members of London County Council
503:Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
268:Donald Oliver Soper, Baron Soper
774:
760:
749:
724:
704:
691:
678:
669:
646:
111:June 1953 – June 1954
93:April 1964 – May 1965
1:
639:
607:Hinde Street Methodist Church
584:
496:
430:West London Methodist Mission
309:
929:English Christian socialists
889:Labour Party (UK) life peers
807:(2014) 53#1 pp. 21–39
768:"Home - Owen Spencer-Thomas"
720:. 14 May 1965. p. 4655.
605:(retired) minister based at
507:Fellowship of Reconciliation
7:
934:English Christian pacifists
904:English Methodist ministers
627:
453:League Against Cruel Sports
380:
10:
975:
359:London School of Economics
242:London School of Economics
845:Portraits of Donald Soper
684:Littell, Robert. (1961).
451:(he was President of the
447:, a vigorous opponent of
386:centres for free speech,
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39:
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829:, published 1 March 1996
562:Appearing (centre) with
537:London Borough of Camden
400:chief piece of apparatus
656:(2014) 53#1 pp. 21-39
634:List of peace activists
543:, an institution whose
455:from 1967 to 1997) and
355:University of Cambridge
347:St. Catharine's College
944:Alumni of Wesley House
879:People from Wandsworth
697:Jordan, R. L. (2013),
598:
581:
521:Greater London Council
461:British Royal Family's
307:
192:London, United Kingdom
141:William Russel Shearer
131:Colin Augustus Roberts
81:Greater London Council
783:Retrieved 2 July 2015
736:Spartacus Educational
592:
561:
517:London County Council
501:He was active in the
493:in Northern Ireland.
485:. He was critical of
302:
939:Methodist socialists
545:existence he opposed
361:, where he took his
30:the Right Honourable
959:English republicans
949:Methodist pacifists
482:Thought for the Day
459:(he criticised the
337:He was educated at
159:Donald Oliver Soper
717:The London Gazette
686:It Takes All Kinds
663:2016-10-03 at the
599:
582:
578:Killing With Care?
491:Free Presbyterians
469:Peace Pledge Union
79:Councillor of the
840:BBC News obituary
805:Methodist History
654:Methodist History
593:Bust of Soper in
463:association with
422:Margaret Thatcher
265:
264:
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855:
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778:
772:
771:
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758:
753:
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728:
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708:
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695:
689:
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673:
667:
650:
473:Second World War
392:Speakers' Corner
390:and (from 1942)
328:marine insurance
324:average adjuster
189:
186:22 December 1998
178:, United Kingdom
168:
166:
150:Personal details
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128:
118:
109:
91:
72:
44:
21:
20:
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858:
836:
793:
791:Further reading
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696:
692:
688:. Reynal. p. 76
683:
679:
674:
670:
665:Wayback Machine
651:
647:
642:
630:
611:Quest into 1978
595:Wesley's Chapel
587:
564:Charlotte Hough
499:
407:Terence Blacker
383:
312:
285:. He served as
246:
197:Political party
191:
187:
170:
169:31 January 1903
164:
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136:
126:
121:Leslie Ward Kay
116:
110:
105:
92:
87:
73:
68:
51:
35:
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
972:
962:
961:
956:
951:
946:
941:
936:
931:
926:
921:
916:
914:Ordained peers
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871:
857:
856:
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835:
834:External links
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732:"Donald Soper"
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62:House of Lords
60:Member of the
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796:Alan Brooks,
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659:
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603:supernumerary
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538:
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437:
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431:
427:
426:Kingsway Hall
423:
419:
418:Conservatives
415:
410:
408:
403:
401:
397:
393:
389:
378:
376:
372:
368:
364:
360:
357:, and at the
356:
352:
348:
344:
340:
339:Aske's School
335:
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317:
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58:
54:
49:
43:
38:
31:
27:
22:
19:
817:
804:
797:
776:
762:
751:
739:. Retrieved
735:
726:
715:
706:
693:
685:
680:
671:
653:
648:
619:
615:
610:
600:
571:
549:
528:
525:life peerage
510:
500:
480:
465:horse racing
449:blood sports
439:Soper was a
438:
414:Labour Party
411:
404:
384:
351:Wesley House
336:
313:
303:
299:
267:
266:
257:, councillor
237:Wesley House
188:(1998-12-22)
137:Succeeded by
106:
88:
69:
46:Portrait by
26:The Reverend
18:
874:1998 deaths
869:1903 births
825:Soper, D.,
781:BBC Genome.
712:"No. 43650"
568:John Finnis
529:Baron Soper
487:Ian Paisley
127:Preceded by
48:Walter Bird
863:Categories
816: [
640:References
585:Retirement
576:in 1987: "
573:After Dark
497:Activities
445:teetotaler
441:vegetarian
388:Tower Hill
316:Wandsworth
310:Early life
251:Occupation
224:Alma mater
210:Marie Dean
172:Wandsworth
165:1903-01-31
553:Radio One
396:Hyde Park
341:in south
279:socialist
272:Methodist
107:In office
89:In office
70:In office
741:17 March
661:Archived
628:See also
597:, London
533:Kingsway
489:and the
457:gambling
381:Ministry
367:football
283:pacifist
275:minister
255:Minister
215:Children
847:at the
535:in the
512:Tribune
371:cricket
353:in the
293:in the
809:online
658:online
375:boxing
373:, and
343:London
320:London
207:Spouse
201:Labour
176:London
50:, 1965
531:, of
345:, at
305:fury.
743:2018
349:and
291:peer
281:and
183:Died
155:Born
28:and
819:sic
477:BBC
394:in
363:PhD
332:née
326:in
865::
734:.
714:.
566:,
409:.
369:,
318:,
297:.
277:,
174:,
770:.
745:.
580:"
218:4
167:)
163:(
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