Canon James Woodward writes:
THE Revd Dr Leslie Houlden was an Anglican priest and academic who exercised an influential ministry to a wide range of students and institutions.
Born in Knutsford in 1929, he was educated at Altrincham Grammar School. After National Service, he read modern history at The Queen’s College, Oxford. This was a lifelong passion, which shaped much of his way of thinking about theological truth. Influenced at Queen’s by Dennis Nineham and David Jenkins, together with the Student Christian Movement, he retained an independence of perspective and thought, which shaped his pastoring, teaching, and writing.
The post-war years nurtured in him a measure of austerity, which made him suspicious of extravagance and waste. He retained an ordered and disciplined pattern of life. Ordained deacon in 1955 and then priested in 1956, Leslie served his title at St Mary’s, Hunslet, in the diocese of Ripon. Nurtured in Anglo-Catholic discipline and devotion, he moved to Chichester Theological College to be Chaplain, before his appointment to Trinity College, Oxford. These ten years between 1960 and 1970 as Chaplain and Fellow were among the happiest and most fruitful of his ministry. Many generations of Trinity students paid tribute to his pastoral care, academic supervision, and the spiritual life of the chapel, which provided a Christian foundation for their future life and careers.
From 1970 to 1977, Leslie was Principal of Cuddesdon and then of Ripon College, Cuddesdon, after the merger in 1975. In 1977, he moved to King’s College, London, where he taught New Testament until retirement in 1994. He was Professor of Theology from 1987, and Acting Dean between 1993 and 1994, and proved himself to be an effective and skilful academic administrator. He was editor of Theology from 1983 to 1991, a member of both the Liturgical and Doctrine Commissions, and represented London University on the General Synod.
He retired to the Foundation of Lady Katherine Leveson in 1999. Leslie contributed to the life of this community and was much loved by parishioners and residents. He continued to write, to review, and to keep in touch with a wide variety of former pupils and colleagues.
Leslie Houlden was the kind of priest the English like — friendly to everyone, but not in the least pushy, intelligent but often interested more in your view than his own. He was a careful listener. He was never an academic without being a pastor, nor a pastor whose head played no part in his human dealings. He was resolute that being a priest means that we cannot refuse the effects of our living in a historical community that flows through time and is at all points formed by its context, and we should help ourselves and others to accept that difficult, yet invigorating, gift.
Religion for Leslie was the common possession of all human beings — of those who are aware enough to stand amazed before the beauty and mystery of God. Leslie’s gratitude spilled over, and he gave us a glimpse of an intense conviction of a fundamental truth, the reality of our acceptance in Christ.
I would describe him as a poetically minded historian who believed that a modest sense of poetry would liberate us from many foolishnesses. He never believed that theological education was not part or a means of self-improvement, but always one aspect of the love of God, for which we are created.
His final great work, is an encyclopaedia of the life, times, and influence of Jesus, published in 2005 as Jesus, the Complete Guide (a title that he thought pretentious, but which was insisted on by the publisher). In it, he invited and edited the work of a wide international range of top scholars, adding 34 entries of his own.
Leslie was awarded a Lambeth Doctorate of Divinity by Dr Rowan Williams, in 2015. The citation reads: “In recognition of his contribution to New Testament scholarship as a lecturer and theologian, who has sought in many of his numerous books and articles to revisit the expression of Christian doctrine in the light of modern New Testament studies.”
He is buried in St Mary’s, Temple Balsall; on his headstone are the words Sacerdos, Amator Dei, Quaerens.
The Revd Dr Leslie Houlden died on 3 December 2022, aged 93.
