John Scott Lidgett

{{Short description|Methodist theologian (1854–1953)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use British English|date=July 2012}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Reverend | honorific_suffix = CH | name = John Scott Lidgett | image = Scott_Lidgett.jpg | alt = | caption = Lidgett in 1907 | office = President of the Methodist Conference | term_start = 1908 | term_end = 1909 | predecessor = John Smith Simon | successor = William Perkins | term_start2 = 1932 | term_end2 = 1933 | vice_president2 = Sir Robert William Perks | predecessor2 = Dr Henry Maldwyn Hughes | successor2 = Frederick Luke Wiseman | birth_name = | birth_date = 10 August 1854 | birth_place = Lewisham, England | death_date = {{death date and age|16 June 1953|10 August 1854}} | death_place = Epsom, England | other_names = | occupation = Methodist theologian | known_for = }}

'''John Scott Lidgett''', CH (10 August 1854 – 16 June 1953) was a British Wesleyan Methodist minister and educationist. He achieved prominence both as a theologian and reformer within British Methodism, stressing the importance of the church's engagement with the whole of society and human culture, and as an effective advocate for education within London.<ref name ="ODNB">{{cite ODNB|id=34530 |title=Lidgett, John Scott (1854–1953) |first=Martin |last=Wellings}}</ref> Lidgett was also a prominent leader of the Wesley Guild.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} He served as the first President of the Methodist Conference in 1932–33.

== Life == He was born in Lewisham, the son of John Jacob Lidgett, a shipowner, and Maria Elizabeth Scott. His maternal grandfather John Scott (1792–1868) was a prominent Wesleyan Methodist, a founder and first Principal of Westminster Training College.<ref name ="ODNB"/><ref>F. C. Pritchard ''The Story of Westminster College 1851–1951'' London:The Epworth Press 1951</ref>

Lidgett was educated at University College, London, entering in 1873, taking his BA in 1874 and his MA in 1875; he was awarded a DD by the University of Aberdeen on the strength of a book published in 1902, ''The Fatherhood of God''.

In later life Lidgett was closely involved with the University of London, serving on its Senate from 1922 until he retired in 1946 at the age of 92. He served as deputy vice-chancellor and as vice-chancellor from 1930 to 1932. He was active in supporting the development of women's colleges and, through his support for the university's relations with teacher training colleges, was instrumental in the foundation of its Institute of Education.

Lidgett died in a nursing home at Epsom on 16 June 1953.<ref name ="ODNB"/> He was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.

== Theology == By the standards of 19th-century British Methodism, Lidgett's theology was liberal; he rejected the penal substitution doctrine of the atonement, and wanted to move his denomination away from its inherited tendency to a narrow evangelical stance, towards a social gospel. He founded the Bermondsey Settlement, the only Methodist foundation among the 19th century settlements in the East End of London. Like the secular settlements such as Toynbee Hall, it aimed to bring into the neighbourhood middle-class activists who could provide social and educational facilities for the poor, rather than concentrating narrowly on evangelism like the Church's more traditional "Missions" located in poor areas of London.

Within the Church, Lidgett founded the modern Wesley Guild, a social organization aimed at young people but also offering activities to adults, which claimed over 150,000 members by 1900. He was President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference (the ruling body of the denomination) in 1908–09. He was also an early supporter of the ecumenical movement and a key architect of British Methodist Union in 1932, and was the first President of the newly united church's conference. He remained in the active work of the ministry as chairman of the London South-West Methodist District until he was 94.

Lidgett was active in London politics for much of his career. He served as an alderman of the London County Council, and was leader of the Progressive Party on the council from 1918 to 1928. He was prominent on the LCC Education Committee. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1933.

==Family== Lidgett married Emmeline Davies in 1884. They had a son (John Cuthbert Lidgett, b.1885, killed in action 1918) and a daughter (Lettice Mary Lidgett, b.1887, m. Gerald H. Davy 1911,<ref>England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office. 1911, October quarter; Vol. 12, p. 2105</ref> d.1980<ref>England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office, 1980, Vol. 16, p. 2078</ref>). Emmeline died in 1934.

==Published works== *''The Spiritual Principle of the Atonement'' (the 1897 Fernley lecture) *''The Fatherhood of God'' (1902) *''The Christian Religion, its Meaning and Proof'' (1907) *''God in Christ Jesus'' (1915) *''Sonship and Salvation'' (1921) *''The Victorian Transformation of Theology'' (the 1934 Maurice lectures) *''My Guided Life'' (1936) *''The Idea of God and Social Ideals'' (1938)

==References== {{reflist}}

==Bibliography== * Turberfield, A. F. (2002). ''John Scott Lidgett: Archbishop of British Methodism?''. Peterborough: Epworth Press. {{ISBN|978-0-7162-0571-5}}.

==External links== * [http://www.infed.org/socialaction/scott_lidgett_bermondsey_settlement.htm Lidgett and the Bermondsey Settlement]

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{succession box|title=Leader of the Progressive Party|years=1918–1928|before=John Benn|after=William Cowlishaw Johnson as leader of the Liberal Party on London County Council}} {{s-aca}} {{Succession box | before = Sir Gregory Foster | title = Vice-Chancellor of the University of London | years = 1930-1932 | after = John Leigh Smeathman Hatton }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lidgett, John Scott}} Category:1854 births Category:1953 deaths Category:People from Lewisham Category:Alumni of University College London Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Category:English educational theorists Category:Presidents of the Methodist Conference Category:Members of London County Council Category:Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour Category:Vice-chancellors of the University of London Category:Academics of Westminster College, Oxford Category:Burials at West Norwood Cemetery Category:Progressive Party (London) politicians Category:19th-century British Methodist ministers Category:20th-century British Methodist ministers