Trevor Huddleston : A Life

Rating:
Summary: Huddleston in a new light.
Review: This particular biography, written by one of Trevor Huddleston's brethren from the Community of the Resurrection, focuses on Huddleston the Priest as well as Huddleston the anti-apartheid veteran.

For me, as a white South African who grew up in the thick of the apartheid era and its problems, this book was an eye-opening read. Sadly, like many of my fellow White English speaking South Africans, we had been led to believe, that Huddleston, like Mandela, was the devil incarnate.

The biography brings to the fore, a man who not only passionately loved Southern Africa, but Africa in general. A priest who not only believed in the evils of what aparthaid was doing to millions of people, but believed that it could be overthrown.

The Sophiatown years are beautifully brought to life, and Robin Denniston also cleverly shows the broader context of the Johannesburg Socio-political scene in which Huddleston found himself. The references to Huddleston's time at St. Peter's in Rosettenville are an important component in getting to understand Huddleston as both priest and anti-apartheid campaigner.

As a South African though, I found the section of the book dealing with his time as Bishop of Masasi in Tanzania as one of the most fascinating times in Huddleston's life. Little did anyone realise the acute depression that Huddleston suffered from during those years, as he yearned to be back in South Africa, as well as fighting the poverty that the newly independent state of Tanzania faced.

His episcopates as Bishop of Stepney in East London and then as Archbishop of the Indian Ocean are well structured and show the ongoing desire he always had, to be back in South Africa, fighting first hand to bring about liberation.

His internal conflicts, such as obeying his Bishops and Superiors, which at times were at loggerheads with his personal wishes to see the liberation struggle through, also come across clearly and succinctly.

His personal tragedies are also very evident, and the pain he felt when returning to South Africa after apartheid, only to find that in many respects he was largely a forgotten figure, especially among the youth, and that the country did not seem to have time for him in his old age, especially as he had chosen to retire in Johannesburg.

Robin Denniston is to be comlimented on a fine piece of literary work, which hopefully will educate more South Africans as to who Trevor Huddleston really was, and what he stood for, and that South Africa has much to thank him for.