Basil King

William Benjamin Basil King (1859 – 1928) was a Canadian clergyman who became a writer after retiring from the clergy.

He was graduated from the University of King's College in Nova Scotia, and served as an Anglican rector at St. Luke's Pro-Cathedral in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and later at Christ Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

King began writing in 1900 after he was forced to retire from the clergy due to loss of eyesight and thyroid disease.

The Conquest of Fear (1921) portrayed his own struggle with ill health and eventual spiritual growth, and lays out his somewhat mystical approach to religious understanding.

"Go at it boldly, and you'll find unexpected forces closing round you and coming to your aid.