ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Randall Davidson’s leadership of the Church of England in the years before 1914, focusing in particular on his efforts to manage the tension between its various ‘wings’. Davidson devoted a good deal of attention to the challenge posed by ‘Ritualism’ – that is the division caused within the Church of England by the efforts of some Anglo-Catholic clergy to introduce new forms of practice into Church services. Davidson also had to deal with the challenge of ‘Modernism’ – an equally vague term used to denote those like Hensley Henson who were inclined to emphasise a metaphorical understanding of such things as miracles. The Archbishop also devoted some attention to building closer relations with the various Nonconformist churches, although he was aware that such moves could exacerbate tensions within the Church of England. His fears were confirmed by the controversy that occurred during the Kikuyu crisis, which came about when two missionary Bishops in Africa gave approval for inter-denominational Communion. The subsequent furore back in Britain only died down when the outbreak of the First World War diverted attention elsewhere.
