07/12/2011
A controversial churchman: essays on George Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand and Lichfield, and Sarah Selwyn. Allan K. Davidson, editor. Bridget Williams Books, 2011.
New Zealand’s first Anglican bishop, George Selwyn, was a towering figure in the young colony. Denounced as a ‘turbulent priest’ for speaking out against Crown practices that dispossessed Maori, he brought a vigorous approach to Episcopal leadership. His wife Sarah Selwyn supported all her husband’s activities, in a life characterised as one of ‘hardship and anxiety’, she expressed independently her sense of outrage over the Waitara dispute. ….
His place in Treaty history as a political commentator and source of historical information is recognised. George Selwyn left a large imprint on New Zealand church and society. This collection both honours and critiques a controversial bishop.
The book, launched on December 7 at St John’s Theological College, was published with the support of St John’s College Trust Board.
