The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Tony and Dick


I have recently realised that Anthony Crosland and Richard Crossman are two different people. I've tended to confuse them, understandably

1. Both were born in the early part of the Twentieth century and died in the seventies.
2. Both were Labour MPs
3. Both served in Harold Wilson's cabinet (Crosland also briefly under Callaghan)

I think the key thing was that CRossman was on the left and CrosLand on the right (cross the R and L).

Richard Crossman OBE (15 December 1907 – 5 April 1974), sometimes known as Dick Crossman, was a British Labour Party MP and diarist, as well as a key figure among the party's Zionists and anti-communists. He served as MP for Coventry East. He occupied the cabinet positions of Secretary of State for Social Services, Leader of the House of Commons and Minister of Housing and Local Government. He was earlier Chair of the Labour Party (1960 and 61). Late in his life, Crossman was editor of the New Statesman. He is remembered today for his highly revealing three-volume Diaries of a Cabinet Minister.
Crossman cemented his role as a leader of the left-wing of the parliamentary Labour Party in 1947 by co-authoring the Keep left pamphlet, and later became one of the more prominent Bevanites.

Anthony Crosland (29 August 1918 – 19 February 1977), sometimes known as Tony Crosland, was a British Labour Party MP and author. He served as MP for South Gloucestershire and later for Great Grimsby. Throughout his long career he occupied the cabinet positions of Secretary of State for Education and Science, President of the Board of Trade, Secretary of State for Local Government and Regional Planning and Foreign Secretary. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's revisionists on the right, as an intellectual leader of Gaitskellism. His highly influential book The Future of Socialism (1956) argued against many Marxist notions and Labour Party orthodoxy that public ownership was essential to make socialism work. He offered positive alternatives to both right and left wings of his Labour Party. He questioned the need for public ownership of the means of production – the classic socialist formulation – and argued instead for making the highest priority the end of poverty and improved public services. He led the Labour battle to replace grammar schools with comprehensive schools that did not sort students at age 11. As foreign secretary he promoted détente with the Soviet Union.
Crosland was seen as a leader and intellectual guru of the "right wing or "social democratic" wing of the Labour Party in the 1970s.

2 comments:

Josh said...

Just popping in to say that I always get these two confused as well. In fact I came across your blog while doing some research to remind myself which was which.

Gary Brady said...

Glad it's not just me