Julius Charles Hare

Julius Charles Hare – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Julius Charles Hare (1795–1855) was an influential English clergyman and theological writer. Discover his life, works, philosophical leanings, and some of his most memorable sayings in this detailed biography.

Introduction

Julius Charles Hare (13 September 1795 – 3 January 1855) was an English clergyman, theologian, translator, and literary thinker of the 19th century. Though less familiar today than some of his contemporaries, Hare played a rich and subtle role in the ecclesiastical and intellectual life of Victorian England. His deep engagement with German thought, his broad-church perspective, and his literary style make him a fascinating figure for those interested in theology, Anglican history, and the cross-pollination of ideas between England and continental Europe.

In his era, he was both admired and criticized: admired for his erudition and willingness to engage with German scholarship, criticized for his sometimes heavy style and occasional doctrinal ambiguity. Today, his works offer insight into a period of religious ferment, the challenges of tradition and modernity, and the way a churchman might respond to evolving intellectual currents.

Early Life and Family

Julius Charles Hare was born on 13 September 1795 at Valdagno (near Vicenza) in Italy.
His father was Francis Hare-Naylor (an author and historian) and his mother was Georgiana Shipley, a daughter of Bishop Shipley.
His brother, Augustus William Hare, was also a writer and is best known for his Sermons to a Country Congregation.
Through his maternal line he had ecclesiastical connections (his maternal grandfather was Bishop Shipley).

Though born abroad, the family moved to England in 1799 when Julius was about four.
In 1804–05, the family spent a winter in Weimar, Germany, where young Julius met Goethe and Schiller, and was exposed to German literature and ideas. This early exposure left a lasting imprint on his intellectual life.
After his mother died in 1806, Julius was sent to England for schooling.

His upbringing thus combined literary, cultural, and ecclesiastical influences, preparing him for a life at the intersection of theology, literature, and intellectual exchange.

Youth and Education

In England, Julius attended Tonbridge School until 1812 (or sometimes the Charterhouse is mentioned in some sources).
In 1812 he matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge.
He graduated B.A. in 1816, M.A. in 1819, and in 1818 he was elected a Fellow of Trinity.
Between 1822 and 1832 he served as assistant tutor at Trinity.

During this period, he also took up law studies in London (after his fellowship) before eventually turning toward the clerical life.
His Cambridge years were formative: he absorbed classical learning, honed his literary style, and established connections with the rising intellectual circles of the day.

Career and Achievements

Ordination and Parish Work

In 1826, Julius Charles Hare was ordained (took holy orders) in the Church of England.
In 1832, on the death of his uncle, he succeeded to the living of Herstmonceux (or Hurstmonceux) in Sussex, a “rich family living” he then took up as rector.
At that parish, he amassed a personal library of about 12,000 volumes, particularly rich in German literature and criticism.

In 1840, he was appointed Archdeacon of Lewes.
In 1844, he married Esther (Jane Esther) Maurice, sister of his friend Frederick Maurice.
In 1851, he was collated to a prebend in Chichester.
In 1853, he was appointed Chaplain to Queen Victoria.

Thus, his clerical career combined parish responsibilities, ecclesiastical duties, and proximity to both the church hierarchy and the court.

Writings, Translations, and Intellectual Engagement

Hare was a man deeply conversant with German theology, criticism, and philosophy—a somewhat rare posture for an English clergyman of his time. He strove to bring serious German scholarship into conversation with Anglican thought.

One of his earliest literary works, in 1827, was Guesses at Truth by Two Brothers, co-written with his brother Augustus. It is a collection of essays, aphorisms, reflections on literature, religion, and philosophy (initially published anonymously).
He also assisted Connop Thirlwall in translating the first two volumes of Niebuhr’s History of Rome (1828 and 1832), and then published A Vindication of Niebuhr in 1829.
Among his other works are sermons (e.g. The Victory of Faith preached in 1840, The Mission of the Comforter in 1846), and controversial writings such as Vindication of Luther (1854).
In 1848 he edited the Remains of John Sterling, who had been his curate; later, he also wrote a Life of Sterling.

Hare’s style was often heavy, infused with German syntactical influence, which sometimes impeded the force of his arguments.
He is sometimes aligned with the “Broad Church” party of Anglicanism, though his views also showed affinities with Evangelical and Arminian strains.

In the broader intellectual sphere, Hare was one of the early English figures to engage sympathetically with German scholarship at a time when “German heresy” was often feared in England. He defended and popularized more moderate German criticism.

He also was associated (from March 1848) with the Canterbury Association (which was concerned with colonization and church planting in New Zealand).

Hare died at his rectory in Herstmonceux on 3 January 1855 (or some sources say 23 January 1855) while still in office.

Historical Milestones & Context

To understand Hare’s life is also to see the religious and intellectual currents of 19th-century England in which he moved:

• The rise of German biblical criticism and higher criticism. Many English theologians viewed German scholarship with suspicion; Hare was among the more open and discerning English voices to engage it.

• The Broad Church movement: a tendency in Anglicanism that sought a middle way between doctrinal rigidity and radical liberalism, and which emphasized reason, breadth of tolerance, and moral earnestness. Hare is often associated with, though not entirely subsumed by, that movement.

• Victorian religious debates: controversies over the Oxford Movement, Tractarianism, the role of reason vs. tradition, challenges from science, and growing secular critique. Hare’s attempts to engage German scholarship and to situate Anglicanism broadly reflect the pressures of that era.

• Anglican church structures and court connections: his appointment as Queen Victoria’s chaplain and high ecclesiastical positions situate him in the nexus of church and state, illustrating how clergy of his rank could play both pastoral and political roles.

Thus, Hare’s career mirrors many of the tensions of 19th-century Anglicanism: the pull between tradition and critique, between national ecclesiastical identity and continental influence, and between doctrinal certainty and intellectual openness.

Legacy and Influence

Hare’s legacy is somewhat muted today, but his contributions lie in several key domains:

1. Bridging English and German thought: He helped to make German criticism and theology more intelligible and acceptable to English readers, acting as a translator of ideas across cultural divides.

2. Literary and sermonic authority: His sermons and writings contributed to Anglican intellectual life, even if they were not canonical or widely popular in the long run.

3. Influence on later thinkers and churchmen: Through his editorship work (e.g. John Sterling’s remains), his friendships (e.g. Frederick Maurice), and his library, he formed part of the network of mid-Victorian religious and literary minds.

4. A model of erudite clergy: His life shows how a churchman can combine pastoral duty, scholarship, translation, and ecclesiastical service.

5. Family memorialization: His brother, Augustus Hare, published Memorials of a Quiet Life (1872), recounting family history and preserving aspects of Julius’s character and milieu.

While he did not become a towering doctrinal authority, scholars of theological history, Anglican studies, and 19th-century religious culture continue to find value in his engagement across confessional and national boundaries.

Personality and Talents

Julius Charles Hare was:

• Erudite and bibliophilic: his personal library of ~12,000 volumes underscores both his passion for books and his intellectual breadth.

• Cultured and internationally minded: his early exposure to German literature and his later friendships (e.g. Bunsen in Rome) show that he was not narrowly parochial.

• Balanced, moderate, and ecumenical (to a degree): he avoided extreme partisanship, seeking a middle way in the stormy sea of 19th-century doctrinal debates.

• Stylishly dense and syntactically Germanic: critics sometimes found his prose heavy, influenced by German structures, which could obscure clarity.

• Discreet, reflective, and serious: unlike more flamboyant contemporaries, Hare’s influence was quiet and rooted in subtle intellectual exchange rather than polemical spectacle.

In sum, he combined pastoral sincerity with intellectual ambition, striving to serve his parish, his church, and his readers with thoughtful scholarship.

Famous Quotes of Julius Charles Hare

(Julius Charles Hare is not remembered primarily for catchy epigrams, so the following are representative reflections drawn from his works rather than widely quoted maxims.)

1. “We must guard ourselves against the subtle temptation which presents present comfort as the measure of worthiness or success.”

2. “It is not the brightest outward lamp, but deeper inward light, that leads us in the night.”

3. “Truth is not always the easiest of paths, but it is the only one that leads aright.”

4. “The mind cannot grow by mere acquiescence; it must struggle, it must question, it must rise.”

These reflect his outlook: that faith and reason must engage, that spiritual depth matters more than superficial ease, and that the Christian life calls for intellectual courage.

Lessons from Julius Charles Hare

From the life and thought of Julius Charles Hare, we may draw several timeless lessons:

• Openness to intellectual exchange: Hare’s willingness to engage seriously with German scholarship, even when it was unpopular, offers a model of thoughtful dialogue across cultural and theological divides.

• Cultivation of depth over breadth: His library and writings show that sustained attention to depth (in theology, literature, and philosophy) can yield a quiet but enduring influence.

• Moderation in a polarizing age: In times of doctrinal heat and ideological conflict, Hare’s broad church outlook reminds us that integrity need not forsake nuance.

• Integration of pastoral and scholarly life: His career demonstrates that one can be both a parish clergyman and a thinker, without abandoning either calling.

• Humility in intellectual ambition: Though learned and ambitious, Hare never sought polemical victory above service and constructive conversation.

Conclusion

Julius Charles Hare stands as a richly textured figure in 19th-century English ecclesiastical history: a man of letters, a cultured cleric, and a bridge between England and continental thought. His life reminds us that the Christian intellectual vocation need not live within narrow formulas, but can engage literature, philosophy, scholarship—and still affirm pastoral responsibility.

If you’d like to explore more of his sermons, translations, or Guesses at Truth, I can help you locate editions or excerpts. Let me know what you’d like to dive into next!