Controversies
Barnes's episcopate was marked by a series of controversies stemming from his outspoken views and unorthodox religious beliefs. In 1940, he lost a libel case in which he had attacked the Cement Makers' Federation for allegedly holding up the supply of cement, for their own profit at a time of great national need, in the construction of air-raid shelters. Undaunted by this set-back, Barnes returned to his accusations on the cement ring in a speech he delivered in the House of Lords the following year. As a theological author, Barnes's book The Rise of Christianity (1947) aroused such fierce opposition and criticism from more orthodox members of the Church that it was strongly suggested he should renounce his episcopal office, which Barnes refused to do.
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