Harmony and Discord: A life of Bishop Owen Dowling 1934-2008

The Anglican Church has produced more than its share of eccentric clergy. But Owen was not one of them. The same could be said of pompous bishops. But he was not pompous. He was simply Owen.

This view - expressed by author Bruce Stevens in his short Introduction - captures essentially everything written in this short biography. It is an account that is full of warmth, sympathy, appreciation, affection and friendship. It is also the story of human frailty, occasional failure, some disappointment. It is the honest story of someone whose entire life was dedicated to the Anglican Church of Australia. We learn of his enthusiasm for liturgical development, especially in the area of music at which he excelled, and his concern for deepening spirituality in clergy and laity in Australia and beyond. The biography also reflects what was happening in the Anglican Church in those times, especially the controversy over the ordination of women to priestly orders - his part in those debates, his commitment to what he believed were God’s purposes for the church to which he dedicated his entire life. This is an honest account of a bishop remembered for his many gifts of church leadership, rich family life and innovative contributions to the life and witness of the Anglican Church of Australia.