Ernest William Barnes was born on 1 April 1847 in Altrincham, England. As Bishop of Birmingham, his deviation from traditional Christian doctrine was viewed as unorthodox, isolating him from his peers. Appointed Fellow of Trinity College in 1898, he was made Lecturer in 1902 and Tutor in 1908. He was ordained by the Bishop of London in 1902 and served as Junior Dean in 1906. Leaving his career as a mathematician in 1915, he became Master of the Temple in London, then Canonry of Westminster in 1918, and finally, Bishop of Birmingham in 1924.
Made Fellow of King’s College, London in 1919, he received honorary degrees from the universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Making it his mission to provide a worldview based on the natural sciences instead of a traditionally scriptural one, he preached what were known as ‘gorilla’ sermons, supporting evolutionary theory. Important works include Religion and Science (1923), Freedom and Authority (1924), Man (1932), A Christian Approach to Peace (1945), Patriotism and Christianity (1945), The Rise of Christianity (1947), and Religion Amid Turmoil (1949).
