Elizabeth Templeton

Theologian Born: June 8, 1945; Died: April 17, 2015.

ELIZABETH TEMPLETON, who has died after a short illness at the age of 69, was one of the foremost Scottish theologians of her time.

She spent 10 years teaching philosophy of religion at New College in Edinburgh University, and could have retained a role as an influential figure in academic life.

She preferred, however, to direct her energies to expounding the methods and themes of theology among what she called “ordinary people in their ordinary lives”.

She opened in Edinburgh a “shopfront” centre for theological exploration, where a wide variety of people dropped in to discuss theology in relation to their everyday problems. And she became much sought after as a speaker at conferences and as a leader at consultations.

Born when her family lived in Drumoyne, she grew up with her younger brother Peter. Named Elizabeth Anne Maclaren, she was always Anne to the family.

Their mother Elizabeth was a primary school teacher in Govan, their father Peter had been a clerk with the Glasgow Corporation but went to university as a mature student under the special recruitment scheme for teachers. During the War he was a conscientious objector, sentenced to prison by tribunals. One term in Barlinnie prison lasted most of 1942.

In their childhood, Elizabeth and Peter used to go with their father to buy penny and ha’penny stamps to put on the wrappers that carried Peace News to a list of subscribers.

Moving to Cardonald, Mr and Mrs Maclaren attended church at St Mark’s, Oldhall, at Ralston. Elizabeth aged 13 went to a Scripture Union camp in Aberfeldy, and experienced “a conversion”. She came home from the camp and announced to the family that she could no longer eat at the same table as them, since they were heathens. This intense phase of her thinking was quite short, and an uncomfortable memory.

When she was 15, her parish minister Gilbert George gave her books by the mystics, The Cloud Of Unknowing, Francis de Sales, Evelyn Underhill, von Hugel. “That got me through,” she said.

Elizabeth went to Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Hutchie, where she was Dux of the School, and where she formed lifelong friendships. At Glasgow University she studied philosophy. Robin Downie, her philosophy tutor, was an agnostic.

Elizabeth accepted the tight regime of logical positivism, with its strict principles of verification and falsification, and its clear criteria for establishing truth. And there seemed no ground for faith. But she went on to New College to study theology, where one professor described her as “the most brilliant student he had ever taught”.

While Elizabeth was a student there, Douglas Templeton joined the staff of the New Testament Department. On graduating, Elizabeth accepted a post lecturing in philosophy of religion. These two able scholars and teachers were married in 1977.

When the family arrived, Elizabeth left her work in New College to concentrate on life as a mother to their three children. The course of family life was always full of interest and could be unconventional.

Elizabeth and Douglas were both in demand as speakers and lecturers. The whole family spent six months in Greece when Douglas was doing research for a book; twice as a family they went to the United States for similar scholarly episodes.

Elizabeth, instead of returning to university teaching, began trying to make theology accessible outside academia. She helped to set up Threshold, in Edinburgh’s Tollcross, a drop-in shop for theology and philosophy, trying to “decode” theology, and to make it intelligible and valuable to daily life

She could explain the most complex philosophical and theological issues for people, and was an inspiration both to distinguished scholars and to people with only the most basic educational experience.

For eight years, she was the director of the Religious Education Movement, preparing and delivering discussion materials for secondary schools in Scotland. She wrote books and delivered lectures and was a leading speaker at conferences. She was in demand as a stimulating thinker in many countries. She made voyages to Eastern Europe and made lasting friendships there.

She was committed to ecumenical action. She was an outstanding speaker at the Church of England’s Lambeth Conference in 1988. She edited the volume of essays in honour of Alastair Haggart, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. She was a devoted supporter of Scottish Churches House in Dunblane, campaigning for its survival and then for the continuation of its vision and achievements.

She always responded to invitations to speak and to take part in broadcast programmes on radio and television. After Douglas retired they moved to Perthshire. Elizabeth continued to give lectures, and to preach and lead worship in Perthshire churches and elsewhere.

Their son Alan went missing late in 2006. Not knowing if he was dead or if he had simply wanted to cut off all contact, the family lived with uncertainty for six years.

During and after Alan’s absence, Elizabeth was tireless in supporting and advertising the work of the charity known as Missing People. And when Alan’s body was finally found in the cliffs on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Elizabeth and Douglas saw to it that he was laid to rest in the hillside churchyard on Gigha.

And still Elizabeth continued her public life, regularly speaking and preaching. Before she fell ill, she had entered training to become an ordained local minister.

She is survived by her husband, by t hei r t wo ch i ld r en and t hei r granddaughter.