John Lewis British Unitarian preacher, Christian socialist Date of Birth: 01.02.1889 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of John Lewis
2. Early Life and Education
3. Shift to Marxism and Unitarian Ministry
4. Political and Intellectual Engagement
5. Involvement in Leftist Intellectual Circles
6. Contributions and Controversies

Biography of John Lewis

John Lewis was a British Unitarian preacher, Christian socialist, and later a philosopher-marxist. He was also a prolific author, writing extensively on philosophy, anthropology, and religion.

Early Life and Education

Lewis's father, a successful architect, came from a deeply religious Welsh family of Methodist farmers. However, young John's beliefs contradicted those of his father, leading to heated debates and ultimately resulting in his disinheritance. He studied theology and obtained a bachelor's degree, eventually converting from the Methodist church to the Congregationalist church. He further pursued his theological studies at Cambridge and in 1916 was appointed to a Presbyterian parish in Gravesend, Kent. In 1924, he moved to Birmingham to serve in another church.

Shift to Marxism and Unitarian Ministry

Lewis obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Birmingham, defending a dissertation on the works of Karl Marx, which led to his own conversion to Marxism. By 1929, his views again clashed with his religious denomination, prompting him to move to Ipswich to become a Unitarian preacher. Here, his left-leaning sermons attracted the youth but alienated the older and more conservative congregants. Complaints from the latter group led to a meeting where the majority voted against his removal from the pulpit.

Political and Intellectual Engagement

From 1916 onwards, Lewis actively participated in the anti-war movement, collaborated with the local Trades Union Council, and took part in demonstrations advocating for the unemployed. He sympathetically viewed the Bolshevik revolution, which motivated him to study the Russian language. He also engaged with the Scout movement, serving as a scout group leader and often traveling to Switzerland for scouting activities. Despite his political involvement, Lewis was unsuccessful in the 1935 parliamentary elections as a Labour Party candidate for Great Yarmouth.

Involvement in Leftist Intellectual Circles

In 1936, Lewis actively participated in the activities of the immensely popular Left Book Club, founded by journalist Victor Gollancz. As a result, Lewis relinquished his preaching position and focused on establishing a national network of discussion groups for the club, which eventually developed into a party-like organization for individuals disillusioned with traditional left-wing parties such as the Labour Party and the Communists.

Contributions and Controversies

During World War II, Lewis worked as a lecturer for the British army, serving in the Army Education Corps and the Army Bureau of Current Affairs. He was considered an expert on the Soviet Union. From 1946 to 1953, he served as the editor of the Marxist journal "The Modern Quarterly." Lewis frequently engaged in debates with notable philosophers of his time, with Louis Althusser being one of his well-known opponents. In his book "Science, Faith, and Skepticism," he expressed views aligned with positivism. In the 1950s and 1960s, several of his books were published in Russian translation in the Soviet Union, with one of the translators being Stalin's daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva.