William Ralph Inge was born in Yorkshire, England in 1860.  He attended Eton and King's College, Cambridge .  He was assistant master at Eton from 1884 to 1888, and became a fellow at Oxford in 1888.  Inge was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church in 1892.  He served as Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London from 1911 until his retirement in 1934.  Inge received numerous honorary degrees and honors during his lifetime.
 
A prolific writer, Inge engaged in both political and religious debates.  His focus in the area of theology was Christian mysticism, Plotinus and neoplatonism.  In the political realm, Inge was known for his acerbic tongue.  He was an outspoken critic of industrialism and social change.  Because of the pessimistic attitude ever present in his writings and speeches, he was nicknamed, “The Gloomy Dean.”  Inge died in February 1954.

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