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55 Cards in this Set
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Clement of Rome |
1st Century - 30-100AD
Bishop of Rome who wrote an epistle to the Corinthians stressing the importance of Apostolic succession. Considered to be the 4th pope (third successor of Peter) by the Roman Catholic Church. Likely martyred under Dominitian in 100 AD. Clement was the leader of the catechetical school in Alexandria. He combined theology with philosophy, teaching a form of subordinationism: personal subsistence of the logos, oneness with the father, eternal generation. He distinguished the real logos of God from the incarnate son-logos. From the beginning, the logos mediates the divine revelation by stamping divine wisdom on the works of creation, imparting to men the light of reason, and special disclosures of the truth by his incarnation in Jesus Christ. He held to the ransom theory of the atonement, but often his writings imply that Christ was merely a Lawgiver and teacher. |
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Ignatius of Antioch
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2nd Century 35-107
Bishop of Antioch, famous for his letters of encouragement to the churches, he often spoke of the privilege of martyrdom. His main theological contributions were his insistence on the true divinity and true humanity of Christ, of the historicity of the saving events, and of the episcopate He wrote seven letters giving insight into Christians' attitudes toward persecution. Opposed Gnosticism. First to distinguish between bishops and elders. Martyred under Trajan. |
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Polycarp
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2nd Century 69-155
Disciple of the apostle John, and later became Bishop of Smyrna. He seems to have been the leading Christian figure in Roman Asia in the middle of the 2nd century and his long life is thus an important link between the apostolic age and the great Christian writers who flourished in the 2nd century. A defender of orthodoxy opposing Marcion and other Gnostic teachers. As a leader of the church in Anatolia, he visited Rome to discuss with its bishop the disputed date for the celebration of Easter. It was agreed that the Eastern and Western churches would continue their divergent usages. After his return to Smyrna, Polycarp was arrested and burned to death. |
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Marcion
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2nd Century 84-160
Heretic. Son of the Bishop of Sinope. Beginning around 145, Marcion taught that Jehovah, the god of the OT was an arbitrary and vindictive god distinct from the God and Father of Jesus of the NT He believed that the Father's purpose was to create only a spiritual world, but Jehovah, out of evil intent or ignorance made the physical world and placed mankind in it. The God of the NT sent Jesus because he is a God of love, and in the end there will be no judgment because of his love. In order to support these views Marcion produced his own canon, rejecting the OT and accepting only the book of Luke and certain edited versions of Paul's letters. He was extremely antiJewish, He believed that the gospel had been corrupted by mixing it with the Law. The OT was the revelation of lesser god (Demiurge) who had created the universe, made to the Jews. He believed the NT god was good and merciful, and revealed himself in Christ, who is not Messiah, but who abrogated the Law and system of the Demiurge. |
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Justin the Martyr
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Justin zealously took up the task of making a reasoned defense of Christianity to outsiders. He is considered to be one of the great apologist of the 2nd century.
Personally opposed Marcion. He was the first orthodox writer to evaluate the relationship between Christianity and Philosophy. He taught that all truth belongs to Christians, and developed the doctrine of the logos. His remaining authentic works are two apologies: "Dialogue with Trypho the Jew", and fragments of "On the Resurrection" He was beheaded in Rome under Marcus Aurelius. |
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Irenaeus
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2nd century c. 140-160 died c.200. Born in Anatolia
The father of Catholic theology, as he taught "apostolic succession through the bishop. He is arguably the most important theologian of the 2nd century AD. In his youth, he became a disciple of Polycarp of Smyrna. Later he served as Bishop of Lugdunum (Lyon) in Gaul. Irenaeus is known through several existing works, (such as "Unity of God" & "Origin of Evil") as well as by his influence on later Christian writers of the patristic era. He was a man of peace and of tradition. His major efforts were spent in combating Gnosticism, and his great work, Adversus haereses (Against Heresies) was written for this purpose. He developed the doctrine of recapitulation of all things in Jesus Christ in opposition to the teachings of Gnostics such as Valentinus and Basilides. First Father of the Church to systematize the religious and theological traditions of the church, so far as they existed. In the Quartodeciman controversy over the date for the observance of Easter, he argued for diversity of practice in the unity of faith. |
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Tertullian
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2nd - 3rd century 160-225
He was the first major Christian author to write in Latin. He was therefore the first to use many of the technical words common in later Christian theological debates. Tertullian lived most, if not all, his life in Carthage, capital of the Roman province of Africa. He vigorously opposed heresies in the church such as Marcionism, and was an advocate for purity and holiness in the church. Was a major apologist, argued that the Roman persecution of the Christians was legally and morally absurd. He saw a vast division between worldly wisdom (philosophy) and Christianity ("what has Athens to do with Rome? Nothing!"). He was the first to formulate the doctrine of the Trinity, although he retained some subordinationism (there is a time when Christ was not). He was the first to formulate the doctrine of original sin. |
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Origen
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2nd Century 253 or 254
Pupil and successor of Clement. He held philosophy in very high esteem. His teaching led to high standards of moral behavior. He was a proponent of the allegorical method of Biblical interpretation. He was the first to set forth a whole intellectual Christian framework in a positive sense, saw rational defense of the faith as crucial. He became a universalist. He was martyred. |
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Eusebius of Caesarea
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3rd-4th century (263-339)
Father of church history, he wrote Ecclesiastical History. Bishop of Caesarea during the Arian controversy and Council of Nicea. Eusebius dealt mainly with the succession of Christian bishops and teachers from apostolic times, heresies, the suffering of the Jews, and the persecution and martyrdom of Christians.; However he also recounted traditions about the New Testament writers and details about the canon of Scripture. |
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Constantine
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3rd to 4th Century 306 - 337
He was an emperor of the Roman Empire who before a particular battle received a vision in which he was told to place the Christian symbol “Xp” on the shields of his men. He was victorious in the battle and from that time was converted to the Christian faith. One of the most significant aspects of Constantine's rule is the Edict of Milan (313), which made the persecution of Christians illegal. |
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John Chrysostom
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[4th century] (345-407)
He was given this name (meaning "Golden mouth") after his death since he was such a great and eloquent preacher. He was considered a great orator and exegete of Scripture and was made the Bishop of Constantinople. During this time he preached the truth of Scripture including many messages calling for repentance. He was banished from the city twice and eventually exiled to an obscure village near the Black Sea where he died. |
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Jerome
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4th-5th century (347-420)
An ascetic and scholarly monk. While the private secretary of the bishop of Rome. His greatest achievement was translating the Scriptures into Latin from the original languages (Vulgate). |
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Pelagius
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4th - 5th Century 369-420
British monk who settled in Rome. An opponent of Augustine, he denied that human sin was inherited from Adam. Argued that man was free to act righteously or sinfully. Death is not a consequence of sin. Adam did not introduce sin, but merely was a bad example. Thus, it is possible not to sin. Man is able to chose salvation, and is able to live for God without the agency of the Holy Spirit. |
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Augustine
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4th - 5th century 354-430
One of the greatest and most influential leaders of the western church, Augustine lived during the disintegration of the Roman empire. He lived a pagan life until he was converted under the ministry of Ambrose. In 391 he was ordained a priest and four years later was elevated to Bishop of Hippo. His works on sin, grace and predestination laid the groundwork for the reformation. The major controversy of his life centered on the teachings of Pelagius. Against Pelgius, he asserted that Adam's sin had removed man's power to do right, and was not capable of doing good, or choosing God. Salvation was the act of God's free, sovereign, electing grace. He also battled against Donatism. His writings include The City of God and Confessions. |
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St. Patrick
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4th - 5th century (390-460)
Missionary to Ireland, Patrick brought Christianity to a land which had never belonged to the empire politically—"and he did so to such good purpose that when darkness fell over a great part of W. Europe…the true light continued to burn brightly in the island of saints and scholars and was carried forth from there to rekindle the lamps that had been extinguished" (F. F. Bruce, The Spreading Flame, 383). Patrick's ministry was used by the Lord to loosen the grip of heathenism in Ireland and to spread Christianity there. Author of The Confessions and The Letter to the Christian Subjects of the Tyrant Coroticus |
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Gregory the Great
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6th century 560-604
Considered one of the ablest men to occupy the position of Pope- some call him the father of the Medieval papacy. He became pope in 590 after previously serving many other leadership roles in the church. A strong civic and spiritual leader, he brought order to Rome and helped establish the idea that the Pope was the supreme authority in the church. Wrote The Pastoral Rule |
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Anslem
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11th Century 1033-1109
Archbishop of Canterbury and the father of scholasticism, Anselm introduced a new theory of the atonement- the satisfaction theory- saying that man’s sin is a debt to God, not the devil and that Christ’s death alone has satisfied God’s offended sense of honor. He tried to make the content of Christian faith clear to reason, though insisted that faith must come first. Developed two proofs for the existence of God; the ontological and the cosmological. Remembered for his logical proofs on the necessity of the incarnation (Cur Deus Homo) and the existence of God (the "Ontological Argument"). His ontological argument rested upon the premise: the human mind contained the idea of a being greater than which nothing can be conceived and that this is none other than the Christian God, who exists in reality, independent of the human mind. Cur Deus Homo was an attempt, based upon reason alone, to show the necessity of the incarnation for salvation. |
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Bernard of Clairvaux
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12th century (1093-1153)
The last of the church fathers; mystic, monk and theologian. He was a strong spiritual reformer- the leader of the Cistercian movement. He was the major preacher of the Second Crusade and held to a full Augustinian view |
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Francis of Assisi
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12th - 13th Century (1181/2-1226)
An innovator of the Roman system, he believed that the most serious problem in the church was worldliness and set to rebuild the church around the pattern of living like Jesus- an ascetic lifestyle, the life of poverty. In 1215, his order of Lesser Brothers received Papal approval. |
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Thomas Aquinas
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13th century (1224/25-1274)
The Great Doctor of the Catholic Church, a Dominican monk-turned teacher, Aquinas was the author of the monumental Summa Theologica, the summary of the Roman Catholic Church Dogma (Christian Faith and Aristotelian philosophy). Doctrinal distinctives: Man is a sinner, and in need of special grace from God. Christ has, by his sacrifice, secured the reconciliation of man and God. Christ won grace for man, the Church imparts it to men. Christians need the constant infusion of cooperating grace, whereby virtue is stimulated in the soul. A Christian can do works that please God and gain special merit (supererogation). Scholasticism reached its pinnacle in Aquinas’ writings. Aquinas clearly formulated the doctrine of transubstantiation. Taught that penance deals with the sin of the baptized Christian. Those Christians who followed Christ inadequately must suffer for a time after death in purgatory |
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John Duns Scotus
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13th - 14th Century (1266-1308)
A Franciscan scholastic theologian who taught at Oxford, Paris, and Cologne. He was considered one of the last great scholastic thinkers. His great dialectical ability and ingenuity won him the title subtle doctor. A critical thinker with a disruptive nature, he was often found in controversy with the teachings of his scholastic predecessors. His followers in the Franciscan order were called Scotists. The analytical precision of Thomas and the mystical element of Anselm are not found in Duns. His metaphysical subtleties and his speculative interest were hallmarks of his thinking. Later Reformers coined the term "Dunce" in response against Duns' thinking. He is most influential in that the complexity of scholastic thought reached its apex under him. His division of faith and reason would influence the nominalist William Ockham. |
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William of Ockham
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13th-14th Century (1280-1349)
A medieval English theologian best known for his nominalism. Deeply influenced by John Duns Scotus, Ockham furthered the notions of the limits of human reason in understanding God. Faith and reason are irreconcilable to Ockham. This is not a disbelieving theology, for revelation was still seen as a source of truth, but rather, reason could not establish or prove doctrine without apart from divine revelation. His anti-Thomistic approach was condemned by Pope John XXII. Ockham questioned Papal and conciliar authority. Ockham's splitting of theology from philosophy flowed into the Reformation through Luther. Theology took the side of scripture alone as the basis for doctrine, and the humanists seen separated revelation from their pursuit of unaided reason in philosophy. His writings include Summa Logicae and De Sacramento Altaris. |
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John Wycliffe
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14th Century 1330-1384
Morning Star of the Reformation. He argued that the church state of England had a divine responsibility to clean out the abuses of the church. His teaching was condemned by the Pope in 1377. He taught that each man was equal before God, and that there was no need for a mediatorial priesthood of men, for Christ was the One true and only mediator. Translated the Bible into middle English. Declared a heretic in 1382 Believed 1. the Bible is the supreme authority 2. the clergy should hold no propriety 3. there was no basis for the doctrine of transubstantiation. He was a fore-runner to the Reformation. His followers were called Lollards, who preached the gospel itinerantly throughout the English countryside. |
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John Huss
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14th Century 1371-1415
Bohemian priest who discovered Wycliffe's religious writings. Preached against the abuses of the Catholic Church, especially the morality of the priests He preached the Bible in the common language of the people (not Latin) He opposed the sale of indulgences and Papal infallibility. He wanted the church to practice Communion "in both kinds". He was excommunicated from the church and burned at the stake 1415. |
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Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam
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15th - 16th Century (1466-1536)
The "leading Christian humanist of the Reformation era, who wished to reform the church through scholarly effort" and was regarded as the "Prince of Humanists." Erasmus believed that in order for the church to be reformed Christians to practice a decent, moderate and balanced life (the humanist spirit) and abandon the evil examples set by the popes of the Renaissance. Erasmus rejected the monastic idea but agreed with its spirit of complete obedience. For him, complete obedience was of more value than doctrine (not did value doctrine and and traditional Christian orthodoxy). His desire for the improvement of the church was seen in his published work of the "Greek New Testament together with his own Latin translation." Early into the Protestant Reformation he encouraged Luther, but after the Leipzig debate in 1519 he criticized him. Erasmus broke with Luther publicly in his "Diatribe on Free Will" in 1524. |
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Martin Lutther
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15th - 16th Century 1487-1546
Credited the father of the Reformation for his posting of the 95 thesis on the church door in Wittenburg, Germany 1517. Excommunicated from the Catholic church when he refused to recant his positions after the Diet of Worms. An accomplished preacher, author, and hymn writer. Father of the Lutheran church Disagreed with Calvin on the issue of communion as he believed "consubstantiation." |
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Ulrich Zwingli
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15th-16th Century 1484-1531
Swiss Reformer. Disagreed with Luther over issue of whether or not we may do what the Bible does not forbid. Luther said we may, Zwingli says no. Fought the “Radical Reformation” over the pace (he wanted slower) of the Reformation. Believed that Christ's presence in the Lord's Supper was symbolic not spiritual or physical. |
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William Tyndale
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15th-16th Century 1949-1536
An English Bible translator. responsible for translating the NT into English using the Greek text, the Vulgate, and Luther's German translation. Later he added to it a large portion of the OT using Hebrew, the Vulgate, the Septuagint and Luther's Bible. His translations were of major significance in the translation of the King James Version. The 1611 King James Version is 90% the work of Tyndale. He wrote The Parable of the Wicked Mammon in which he affirmed justification by faith alone. Martyred for his opposition to the Pope in 1536. |
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Philip Melanchthon
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15th-16th Century (1497-1560)
An associate of Luther who brought a soft gentle nature to Luther's very course mannerisms. Wrote Loci Communes and Augsburg Confession. Shifted toward Erasmus; theology of salvation and towards Calvin's view of the Lord's Supper (Christ not present for the sake of the bread, but for the sake of man). |
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John Calvin
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16th century (1509-1564)
Born French, he was suddenly" converted sometime between 1532-34. First published his Institutes in 1536. Final edition of the Institutes published in 1559. Served as pastor in Geneva, expelled, and returned three years later Some think he set up a theocratic dictatorship there, but that is untrue. He had a major effect on the organization and expression of what we call Reformed Theology. Died in 1564. |
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John Knox
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16th Century 1515-1572
Bishop of Rochester. Upon the ascendancy of Mary Stuart as queen of Scots, he fled to the Continent where he was influenced by Calvin. In 1559, he returned to Scotland, and became the leader of the Scots Reformation. He helped draft the Scots Confession of Faith, and the Book of Discipline. He is remembered as the founder of Presbyterianism and theories on liberty and government. |
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Arminius
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16th Century 1560-1609
A progressive Protestant Dutch theologian, Arminius was the author of a brand of theology known as Arminianism developed as a reaction against what he saw as the sternness of Calvinism. Arminius discarded the idea of unconditional predestination and taught that man had freedom to choose or reject salvation. He was the first to urge that the state tolerate all religions and emphasized the more practical aspects of faith instead of the creedal. |
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Covenanters
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17th Century 1638-1688
Name applied to those Scottish Presbyterians who signed the National Covenant and the Solemn League (as their followers). They resisted the Episcopal, "system of church government and the divine right of Kings (conflicting with the Stuart dynasty). |
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Amyraut and the School of Saumur
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17th century
French theologian and preacher, developed the doctrine of "hypothetical universalism" known as Amyraldianism. It taught that God wills all men to be saved, but because of inherited corruption, men reject him, so God wills to save his elect by grace. |
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Richard Baxter
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17th Century 1615-1691
Puritan preacher. Many read him for his evangelism, spiritual counsel and church renewal, but think that he is missing grace centered living. He wrote The Reformed Pastor, A Call to The Unconverted, and A Christian Directory. |
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John Owen
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17th Century 1616-1683
The Calvin of England. A leader of the Congregationalists. The greatest of Puritan scholars. Dean of Christ Church and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Desired for England’s Parliament to be made up of godly men to rule the country. His writings included: Sin and Temptation, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Indwelling Sin in Believers and The Mortification of Sin |
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Jonathan Edwards
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18th Century 1703-1757
Theologian and pastor. Perhaps America's best theologian remembered for stressing the inseparability of an intellectual Reformed faith from "experimental" religion. His writings include: "Charity and its fruits, Religious Affections, The Freedom of the Will" and "Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God.” |
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Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
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18th Century 1700-1760
The founder of the Moravian Church. A German count whose importance lies in the creation of a missionary, service-oriented, ecumenical free church based upon a common experience of salvation and mutual love, and the emphasis upon deep, emotional religious expression which was intended to breathe new life into Protestantism. |
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John Wesley
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18th Century 1703-1791
An Arminian revivalist and itinerant preacher who, with the help of his brother Charles, founded Methodism as a movement within the Anglican Church. Greatly influenced by the German Moravians, Wesley was one of the major forces behind the Evangelical revival in England. The Methodists stressed personal piety and devotion, as well as man's free choice to receive God's grace. Wesley emphasized the teaching of justification by faith alone and the pursuit of holiness to the point of "Christian perfection." |
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George Whitefield
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18th Century 1714-1770
An English Calvinistic revivalist who was a major figure in the Great Awakening. Known for his eloquence and incredible speaking voice, he would preach to thousands gathered in the countryside. He was influential in the founding of orphanages across the colonies. His eloquence and intelligence earned him the friendship of such notables as Benjamin Franklin. |
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Marrow Controversy
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18th Century 1717 and 1722
A controversy in the Church of Scotland over rival theological views of legalism and merit in contrast to God's grace in Jesus Christ. The basis of the controversy was over a book, The Marrow of Modem Divinity, which advocated strongly Calvinistic doctrines and was held to favor antinomianism. |
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David Brainerd |
18th Century 1718-1747
He was a missionary to the Indians in New England for 5 years. His journal made a large impact on Christian missions. Was credited with awakening or confirming the missionary call of William Carey and Henry Martyn. Died of disease (TB) at a young age in his difficult labor to Native Americans. Jonathan Edwards so admired him that he later wrote his biography. |
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Wiliam Carey
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18th-19th Century 1762-1834
Shoemaker turned missionary, Carey had a vision for the church to be involved in foreign missions. His was the first real attempt at foreign missions by the Protestant church. In 1793 the Baptist Missionary Society sent Carey to India. Stationed near Calcutta, he and his colleagues translated the Bible into many of the native languages, set up printing presses, and colleges. His life inspired other missionaries to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, adopting his motto: "Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God." |
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Thomas Chalmers
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18th - 19th Century 178-1847
“Presbyterian minister, theologian, author, and social reformer who was the first moderator of the Free Church of Scotland.” His deep concern for human social problems led to his attempt to apply Christian ethics to economic issues. After spending time working among the poor in Glasgow, he wrote "Christian and Civic Economy of Large Towns" which contained his economic views. His most important theological work is his Institutes of Theology (1849). |
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George Müller
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19th Century 1805 -1898
Greatly influenced by Pietism and known mainly for his orphanage work in Bristol England. When his second orphanage was built, he and his wife began to travel around the world preaching the gospel. He was known for his "faith mission" principle in which he received miraculous answers to prayer. |
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Charles Finney
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19th Century 1792-1875
After training to be a lawyer, Finney became a Presbyterian revivalist, and the father of the New School movement. He employed "New measures" of pragmatic techniques such as the anxious seat, to win souls. He was a key force in the Northern section of the Second Great Awakening of the first half of the 19th century. |
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Charles Hodge
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19th Century 1797- 1878
The best-known proponent of the Princeton theology and noted polemicist, Hodge is remembered for his rational defense of the Reformed faith, and for his defense of creationism against naturalistic evolution. Hodge's theology grew out of his commitment to an authoritative Bible, his respect for Reformed confessions and for the European Reformed theologians of the 17th century, and his belief in the necessity of living piety. Hodge's contribution to biblical work is best noted in his Commentary On Romans. The Way of Life and his Conference Papers showed his teaching on the Christian Life. However, Hodge is best remembered for his three vol. Systematic Theology published 1872-1873. |
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James Henley Thornwell
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19th century 1812-1862
A Southern Presbyterian theologian who converted to Calvinism through reading the Westminster Confession of Faith. A passionate defender of the Westminster Standards and labeled a hyper-Calvinist. He purged South Carolina College of strong deist and Unitarian influences. While serving as South Carolina College's president he endeavored to bring reason and faith, theology and philosophy, dogma and ethics, into systematic unity. He contended for the two-office system and Presbyterian committee views of church government. Best known for his ecclesiology, he opposed church involvement in social reform, defended slavery, and was a founder of the Southern Presbyterian Church denomination which separated at the onset of the War between the States. |
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R.L. Dabney
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19th century (1820-1898)
A prominent Southern Old School Presbyterian pastor and professor. He propounded Scottish CommonSense Realism, and is noted for his careful adherence to and use of Scripture in his argumentation. |
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John Girardaeu
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19th Century 1825-1898
A pastor in Charleston and Columbia South Carolina. He dedicated a significant part of his life to evangelizing the poor, low-country African American population. After completing seminary, he was called to pastor the Anson Street Mission of the Presbyterian Church. Later, it would become the particular congregation of Zion Presbyterian Church, growing to be the largest Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, and possessing the largest building in of any denomination in that state. After serving as a military chaplain in the War between the States, the Zion church began to falter as newly-freed African Americans left white denomination to form their own. Girardeau would go on to pastor several other churches in Charleston, and would eventually be called to a pastorate and professorship in Columbia. |
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Charles Spurgeon
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19th Century 1834-1892
Calvinistic Baptist preacher and avid reader of the Puritans, known fondly as "The Prince of Preachers." In 1854 he became the pastor of a large congregation in London which built the Metropolitan Tabernacle to hold the crowds that came to hear him preach. He likely has more sermons published than any other preacher in history. |
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Dwight L. Moody
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19th Century 1837-1899
Dispensationalist revivalist, famous for his "sinking ship" theory: the world is lost, and Christians must endeavor only to save as many souls as they can before the end. Moody's emphasis led to the rampant separationism of the fundamentalist movement. |
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Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield
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19th-20th Century 1851-1921
One of the last of the great Princeton theologians, respected for his scholarly defense of Augustinian Calvinism. He is remembered for his intellectual defense of Biblical inerrancy in the face of Scheierrnacherian and Ritschlian liberalism. His writings include: “An Introduction to the Textual Criticism of the New Testament, The Lord of Glory, The Plan of Salvation, The Acts and Pastoral Epistles, and Counterfeit Miracle.” |
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J. Gresham Machen
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19th-20th century (1881-1937)
Born into a Southern Presbyterian Baltimore family. His father was a lawyer and grandfather had been a pastor. Machen was educated at Johns Hopkins and studied theology at Princeton Seminary and later in Germany where he was exposed first hand to the liberalism of W. Herrman. In 1906 he became professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary. After conservative control of Princeton Seminary was broken in 1929 and the liberals reorganized, Machen resigned. In the same year he founded Westminster Seminary, which was dedicated to teaching conservative Reformed doctrine. Machen began the Independent Board of Presbyterian Missions 1933. for which the Presbyterian Church charged him with insubordination and defrocked him in 1935. A year later he started the Presbyterian Church of America which later became the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In his popular work, Christianity and Liberalism, he argues that liberalism is a distinct religion from Christianity. He discusses the concepts of doctrine, God and Man, the Bible, Christ, Salvation, and the Church and presents the Christian belief over against the faith of Liberalism. His writings include: “The Christian View of Man” |
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Charles A. Briggs
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19th-20th Century
A professor at Union Theological Seminary, who, in his inaugural address, affirmed three modes of revelation: Scripture, reason and tradition. He also denied Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, affirmed multiple authors for the book of Isaiah, believed sanctification continued after death, and that the Bible contained factual errors. He was tried before the Presbytery of New York in 1891 and 1893. Both times he was acquitted and allowed to continue in the professorship. Union Seminary, concerned about undue control of its theological freedom by the GA, sought and obtained dissolution of that relationship in 1893. |
