Peter Cousins, 1928-2003

A large congregation gathered in Exeter on October 3 to say goodbye to Peter Cousins.

A giant of a man in every sense, Peter's career began in education, later moving to publishing; at the time of his death on September 24 at the age of 75, he was still editorially active.

He did a stint as editor of Third Way magazine, contributed to a range of other Christian magazines, and wrote occasional letters to local and national press, always characteristically pungent and disarmingly witty. His publications include one on young people and morality, one on the Brethren, and another, written with his wife Pam, on Christian broadcasting.

Peter's tastes were wide, his knowledge encyclopaedic. Brethren by background, he valued liturgy and church music, and revelled in cathedral architecture and ecclesiastical art. Knowledgeably enthusiastic about the great anthems of the English church, he also retained an admiration and enthusiasm for the evangelical hymn writers of past generations. Among Christian authors he admired was Isabel Cameron, whose novels about Scottish kirk life have largely been forgotten today, but whose interests - notably metrical psalms - coincided with some of his own. He was also an amateur singer and poet.

Public and private

His contribution to the Christian arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s has never been properly documented. It was both private, for he encouraged many young Christians venturing into the arts world - the home that he and Pam created was a refuge for many looking for encouragement; and public, for he wrote an influential column in Crusade magazine that brought the arts into the readership of the core UK evangelical community of the day - Crusade's editor was David Winter, who was also on the staff of the Evangelical Alliance. When Peter began his column, L'Abri was still a small fellowship based in Switzerland, Greenbelt was years in the future, Hans Rookmaaker was unknown to English students and the Arts Centre Group (ACG) was still the dream of a small group of praying people.

Peter's column took arts seriously as a legitimate area of Christian interest, when such a position was still a novelty in many evangelical circles: even the writings of such authors as C.S. Lewis were suspect for many Christians. Peter's perspective was solidly biblical, theologically astute and clearly evangelical: but he was unfailingly provocative, entertaining and challenging. He robustly attacked Christian art of sentimentality and contentless piety, insisting that people deserved better. He challenged his readers to hear the voices in the secular arts and media, and to develop strong biblical answers, in dialogue and through their own work in arts and media.

He was one of several who quietly prepared the way for the later work of the ACG, L'Abri and the like. In the upheavals of the 1960s and the hedonism of the 70s, Christians were providing biblical anchor-points for those who were bemused and perplexed.

Encourager and challenger

As evangelical Christians became more active in the arts, Peter continued to encourage and challenge, though usually less publicly. TCCF (later UCCF) sponsored a growing work among the art colleges, where lone Christian students often faced hostility in their work as well as their daily lives. Hans Rookmaaker began to speak in British art colleges and conferences, and a growing number of British visitors were arriving at L'Abri.

Peter was a familiar face on the fringe of the new activity, seen at ACG events and conferences, often as reviewer for various Christian publications: the illustration here shows him at an arts student event in London in 1971. Many who were present then were still in touch with Peter when he died. His work later took him more into publishing, but he kept his links with artists. He was an advisor to Christian arts publishers Piquant, whose directors Pieter and Elria Kwant have said: 'We feel the world has lost a man of huge, warm, colourful presence. We loved him for his strong opinions, tirelessly enquiring mind, wisdom and humour; but the aroma he left behind was that of enormous generosity with his knowledge, skills and time.'

I knew Peter as a close friend for over 40 years (he and Pam were regular visitors to my home when I was a teenager). Most months, he read this column in draft, invariably improving it by his comments.

He leaves a deep sense of loss, but also a great heritage and a great challenge. Today's arts and media are no less confusing and challenging to Christian young people and experienced practitioners alike. One hopes that many today, behind the scenes, are exercising, like Peter, a ministry of encouragement and challenge.

He was buried by his own wish in a woodland cemetery, his grave marked only by a tree. As the minister observed, it takes a very special person to ask to be buried without a headstone. There are not many in the arts world so little publicised, who have had so effective a ministry.

A tribute

Public and private

Encourager and challenger

David Porter

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