Reading RH Charles (aka Bob Hank Chuck!)

Jim's retirement project has been a wonderful one for him.  He is working on a biography of a pioneer in his field-an Irish scholar named Robert Henry Charles who lived at the turn of the 20th century.   Writing a biography is different enough from what Jim usually has written--textually oriented essays and commentaries--but it is about a man who did the kind of work Jim has done and whose work Jim has used for 50 years.

A friend of ours, Jonathan Riddle, pointed out that RH Charles has three first names so he called him Bob Hank Chuck!  That name has added an element of frivolity to a very serious project! 

In his manuscript, Jim has summarized Charles' work and reviews of his work, and evaluated his legacy.  Jim has been frustrated in finding out very much about his life.  Originally we had planned a research trip to the United Kingdom but Covid 19 and Jim's cancer treatments meant those plans were changed.

   Another friend who was teaching in England, Justin Strong, took photos of Charles' tomb in Westminster Abbey and his home at the Abbey,.   That provided us with a funny story because when a group of Asian tourists saw Justin photographing the tomb, they all gathered around--assuming it was of someone very famous.   Well, famous in Jim's world--maybe not in everyone's! 
Jim also hired an Oxford graduate student to scout out some Oxford University Press Archives and some of the College archives.  She has sent Jim some very interesting letters about publishing issues and, once the archives are opened again, will send him some information.

However, there are many unanswered questions about Charles' life.   It is possible that Jim will be able to contact a family historian but for now, that has been aborted due to his family's health issues.   How did Charles support himself when it appears he had no income for some of the Oxford years?   Why was his wife's monetary legacy more than his after their deaths?   What were Charles' health issues later in his life that meant he was on his back for 18 hours a day?   What was the automobile accident he seems to have had?   Was he really a golfer?  A woodworker? How did he happen to meet his wife while studying in Heidelberg?

Besides all the textual work Charles did on apocalyptic literature and pseudepigraphic works, he was important in the so called "modern church movement" which was influeced by the higher critical theories of Scripture coming out of Germany.   Charles' writing on divorce caused controversy in his day.  His primary work was in academia, but he was also honored by becoming a "canon" at Westminster Abbey, a position that provided him with lodging and an income.  One of our favorite comments on his work there was one on his preaching in which he was said to "empty the Abbey."   Jim could understand that comment as he labored through many of Charles' published sermons.

Jim has always admired Charles' scholarship.   However,  Jim found less to admire as he despaired of Charles' arrogance in attibuting anything that didn't fit into his theories as interpolations or emendations.  Charles as a man of his time could also be very blunt and even disparaging in his comments about Catholics or Judaism.

I have been reading through a few chapters each week and making comments about Jim's manuscript.   Sometimes I ask questions when there are words that are unfamiliar to me--"stemma" or "lemma" or "corrigenda."  Vary rarely do I find typos or grammatical errors--in fact, almost never.   I try to refrain from pointing out how I would word something differently--but sometimes, I can't resist!   I appreciate how Jim is not defensive about my suggestions but is even accepting of many of them.   And I appreciate all the work that has already gone into this manuscript.

What is next?  Maybe Jim will see if a publisher would consider it as a book.   Or maybe he will ask another friend, Todd Hanneken, to put it online.  It isn't as if Jim needs to add to his resume and an online publication would make it very accessible to anyone who wants to use it--or add to it later.

As I wrote, this has been a great retirement project for Jim.  It has also been a great retirement project for me--especially in this time of social isolation when it is hard to feel useful.  My work as an "editor" has made me feel useful too and given me a great glimpse into my husband's life and work.