Ut rosa flos florum …
A retired Church of England Vicar and Professor of Anatomy rambles. An explorer explores.
The blog started when he was a Rector in the Church of England, hence the name. When he became a Vicar, he kept the old name since it’s more euphonious than any alternative. Now he’s retired, it’s Rambling Rector Retired.
RR’s rambles arise from a background of 30 years teaching anatomy and embryology, 40 years as a church musician, and in Holy Orders since 2006. He looks at theology through biological lenses. We are creatures of this earth, mammals – apes. Many rambles are conversations between biology and theology. Theology has to fit with biology, and not the other way round. If they don’t agree, theology must be modified or ditched.
Rambling Rector
RR was born in Carlisle in 1950, raised in rural Cumberland, went to the village school in Langwathby and the (11 plus) Grammar School in Penrith. This was followed by university in Cambridge and medical school in London. He taught anatomy in medical schools in Nottingham, Dublin and Derby. He was trained in church music at Carlisle Cathedral and has been organist and choirmaster at churches in London, Nottingham and Dublin.
RR was ordained in 2006. He served in parishes in Derbyshire until 2011 when he moved to be Rector of Portlaoise (Ireland). In 2014 RR became Vicar of Burton upon Trent. He retired in October 2019 and remains in Burton. RR is married to SWMBO and they have a daughter and a son in Dublin, and another son who lived in Texas but died in 2015 leaving a widow and daughter. RR is increasingly deaf. His left eye sees nothing and his right eye sees through a glass increasingly darkly (glaucoma).
RR’s views are his own. They do not represent the official position of any organization, and certainly not the Church of England, the official position of which on many things is increasingly ludicrous in his not-at-all-humble opinion.
Rambling Rector Retired 
I have a blog called “the rambling rector.blogspot.com”. I am a retired Episcopal priest living in Troy, MI, USA. Peace be with you. Jonathan Sams+
Thank you. I shall read it. Greetings.
Hello Stanley, I am great admirer of Stephen Parsons blog, ‘Surviving Church’. I do not contribute but I am fascinated by how similar the problems are with errors and failings in the medical world, cover-ups, lost documents, blame the victim (patient in my case). So I was very interested when I realised that you have a foot in both camps. I should very much value hearing a little more about your experiences and if possible sharing some of my long tricky saga.
With all best wishes
Kate Griffin
Good evening Stanley! Didn’t realise you lived so near!! We are in Chilwell just down the road!
It would be good to make contact!!! Sorry can’t meet at the moment!!! Anne Barker (Mounsey)
PS Over 50 years since you played at our wedding – did manage to have Widor Toccata at our daughter’s wedding at St. Mary’s Attenborough!
I’ve sent you an email
Good, Father, to meet you on your web-site. Mine is accessible at kiwianglo. We are fellow commenters on Thinking Anglicans. Agape.
If you are the Father William from Thinking Anglicans: Yes, certainly. Use the rewritten hymn by all means. With best wishes from Brussels, Chris Martin
Many thanks.
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post