Archibald Alexander (theologian)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Archibald Alexander (1772-1851)

Archibald Alexander (born April 17, 1772 in South River , Rockbridge County , Colony of Virginia , United States , † October 22, 1851 ) was an American Presbyterian theologian who taught as a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary . He served nine years as president of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and 27 years as first rector of Princeton Theological Seminary (1812-1840).

Life

Alexander was born in South River, Rockbridge , Virginia. He grew up under the guidance of the Presbyterian clergyman William Graham (1745-1799), who in turn had been trained theologically by John Witherspoon . His grandfather of Scottish descent moved from Ireland to Pennsylvania in 1736 and on to Virginia in 1738 . Archibald's father, William, was a farmer and trader. At age ten, Archibald was sent to William Graham's Academy at the Timber Ridge meetinghouse (later Washington and Lee University ) in Lexington . At the age of 17 he became a tutor in the family of General John Posey, 19 kilometers west of Fredericksburg . After a few months, however, he resumed his studies with his former teacher. At that time he was influenced by the remarkable movement that was still going by the name "The Great Awakening" (it was the second wave of the " Great Awakening "). Alexander began to devote himself to studying theology. On October 1, 1791, he received permission to preach. On June 9, 1794, he was ordained by the Hanover County Council of Elders (presbytery) . For seven years he was an itinerant pastor in Counties Charlotte and Prince Edward .

At the age of 21, Alexander was a preacher in the Presbyterian Church . He was named President of Hampden-Sydney College, where he served from 1797 to 1806 and from where he was called to the Third Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia . The Princeton Theological Seminary was founded in Princeton (New Jersey) in 1812 , Alexander was appointed its first professor and solemnly inaugurated on August 12, 1812. In 1824 he founded the "Chi Phi" student association with Robert Baird and Charles Hodge . In 1843 he returned to Washington College to deliver a speech for the former students. It was published as one of his many publications.

Samuel Miller became the second professor in the seminary. For 37 years, Alexander and Miller were considered the pillars of the Presbyterian Church who upheld the teachings of their church. Charles Hodge , famous student and successor to Alexander, named his son Archibald Alexander Hodge after his academic mentor.

Family and descendants

Archibald Alexander

On April 5, 1802, Alexander married the daughter of the preacher James Waddel (1739-1805), Janetta Waddel. His eldest son, James Waddel Alexander (1804-1859), studied at Princeton and was a Presbyterian pastor. He wrote the biography of his father and published his posthumous works. His second son, William Cowper Alexander (1806–1874), was President of the New Jersey Senate and the first President of the Equitable Life Insurance Company . His third son was Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860), a Bible scholar.

His grandson William C. Alexander (1848-1937) was a manager at the Equitable Life Assurance Society , author and founder of the student fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha. His great-grandson James Waddell Alexander II (1888–1971) was a famous mathematician and topologist .

Collection of the writings of Alexander

The Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia owns a collection of Archibald Alexander's personal writings from 1819 to 1851, which includes official correspondence, manuscripts, and notes from his lectures.

Works

  • Christ's gracious invitation
  • Biographical sketches of the founder, and principal alumni of the Log college: together with an account of the revivals of religion, under their ministry
  • Outlines of moral science
  • Love to an unseen savior
  • A history of the Israelitish nation, from their origin to their dispersion at the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans
  • A history of colonization on the western coast of Africa
  • Some problems of philosophy
  • An address to candidates for the ministry: on the importance of aiming at eminent piety in making their preparation for the sacred office
  • A day at a time: and other talks on life and religion
  • Suggestions in vindication of Sunday schools, but more especially for the improvement of Sunday school books, and the enlargement of the plan of instruction
  • The evidences of Christianity
  • The glory in the gray: forty-two talks on every-day life and religion by Arch. Alexander
  • Theories of the will in the history of philosophy
  • Thoughts on the education of pious and indigent candidates for the ministry
  • Thoughts on religious experience
  • Thoughts on religious experience 'To which is added an appendix, containing "Letters to the aged," & c., & C
  • A discourse occasioned by the burning of the theater in the city of Richmond, Virginia, on the twenty-sixth of December, 1811. By which lawful calamity a large number of lives were lost. Delivered in the Third Presbyterian church, Philadelphia, on the eighth day of January, 1812, at the request of the Virginia students attached to the medical class in the University of Pennsylvania
  • The canon of the Old and New Testaments ascertained
  • The canon of the Old and New Testaments ascertained; or, The Bible, complete, without the Apocrypha and unwritten traditions

Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1851 by AW Mitchell in the office of the Clerk of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania:

  • Evidences of the authenticity, inspiration and canonical authority of the Holy Scriptures
  • Practical sermons to be read in families and social meetings
  • Practical truths
  • A brief compend of Bible truth
  • A brief outline of the evidences of the Christian religion
  • A dialogue between a Presbyterian and a "Friend"
  • A theory of conduct
  • A Memorial of Mrs. Margaret Breckinridge
  • Love to an unseen savior
  • Remarks on a paragraph in the Rev. Doctor Davidson's History of the Presbyterian Church in Kentucky: in reference to the character of the late Mr. John Lyle, ruling elder in the Timberridge Church, Virginia
  • The way of salvation familiarly explained: in a conversation between a father and his children
  • A pocket dictionary of the Holy Bible. Containing, a historical and geographical account of the persons and places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments: and also a description of other objects, natural, artificial, civil, religious, and military; together with a copious reference to texts of scripture under each important word.
  • Thomas Aquinas and the Encyclical Letter. In: The Princeton Review, Vol. 1, pp. 245-261. Accessed October 9, 2014.
  • Reminiscences of Patrick Henry. In: Southern literary messenger; devoted to every department of literature and the fine arts, Vol. 16/6, pp. 366-368 (June 1850). Accessed October 9, 2014.

Sermons

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Patrick W. Carey, Joseph T. Lienhard: Biographical Dictionary of Christian Theologians . Greenwood Press, Westport, CT 2000, ISBN 978-0-313-03344-5 , pp. 12-13.
  2. ^ Robert Benedetto: Historical Dictionary of the Reformed Churches. Rowman & Littlefield: Blue Ridge Summit (Pasadena) 2nd edition 2010, ISBN 978-0-8108-7023-9 , pp. 6-7.
  3. ^ Archibald Alexander's personal writings
personal data
SURNAME Alexander, Archibald
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American Presbyterian theologian
DATE OF BIRTH April 17, 1772
PLACE OF BIRTH South River (Virginia) , County Rockbridge , Virginia , United States
DATE OF DEATH October 22, 1851