A Hawk among Sparrows

Book excerpt: This first-ever biography of Austin Farrer, written with the full cooperation of the trustees of the Farrer estate, presents a lively portrait of the man and his life and assesses his contribution as philosopher, biblical scholar, and divine. As Fellow and Chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford, and later Warden of Keble College, Oxford, Farrer broke new ground with his unorthodox approach to biblical criticism and won honor as a philosopher of religion with such works as Finite and Infinite, The Freedom of the Will, and Love Almighty and Ills Unlimited. This biography includes extensive correspondence between Farrer and his father, a Baptist minister and theological college lecturer. These never-before-published letters vividly illustrate Farrer's cast of mind and distinctive views while demonstrating the integrity and creativity of his relationships with family and friends.