Edward Musgrave Blaiklock (1903–1983) was chair of Classics

Classics

Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...

 at Auckland University from 1947 to 1968, and champion of Christian apologetic literature in New Zealand from the 1950s until his death in 1983.

Childhood

Edward Musgrave Blaiklock was born on 6 July 1903 in Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, to Edward Blaiklock and Florence Blaiklock (née Tromans). In 1909 the family emigrated to Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, and the next year they purchased a 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) farm on the outskirts of Titirangi

Titirangi

Titirangi is a suburb in the Waitakere Ward of the city of Auckland in northern New Zealand. It is an affluent, residential suburb located 13 kilometres to the southwest of the Auckland city centre, at the southern end of the Waitakere Ranges...

. Blaiklock received his primary education

Primary education

A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...

 at Avondale

Avondale, Auckland

Avondale is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located in the Whau ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions for the Auckland Council. It is commonly considered to be part of West Auckland. It was originally called "Te Whau", which is the common name, of Māori origin, for Entelea...

 Side School and New Lynn School, and his secondary education

Secondary education

Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...

 at Auckland Grammar School

Auckland Grammar School

Auckland Grammar School is a state secondary school for years 9 to 13 boys in Auckland, New Zealand. It had a roll of 2,483 in 2008, including a number of boarders who live in nearby Tibbs' House, making it one of the largest schools in New Zealand...

.

Teaching

Blaiklock was accepted by the Auckland Education Board as a pupil-teacher and taught at Avondale School for a year, then spent 1921 and 1922 at Auckland Training College. He also spent this time studying for a BA

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree at Auckland University College. In 1921 Blaiklock attended an evangelistic meeting at Auckland Baptist Tabernacle

Auckland Baptist Tabernacle

The Auckland Baptist Tabernacle is a heritage-listed church located near the corner of Queen Street and Karangahape Road, at the edge of Auckland central business district in New Zealand.-History:...

 in Queen Street

Queen Street, Auckland

Queen Street is the major commercial thoroughfare in the Auckland CBD, Auckland, New Zealand's main population centre. It starts at Queens Wharf on the Auckland waterfront, adjacent to the Britomart Transport Centre and the Downtown Ferry Terminal, and runs uphill for almost three kilometres in a...

 where he heard Joseph Kemp

Joseph Kemp

Joseph William Kemp was a Baptist minister and preacher, a revivalist, and a leader of the Christian fundamentalist movement in New Zealand...

 preach, and became a Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 as a result. In 1923 Blaiklock was appointed as a teacher at Mount Albert School. He completed his BA in 1924, and was appointed to teach languages at Mount Albert Grammar School in 1925. While there he introduced soccer to the school and inaugurated a secondary schools soccer competition.

Classics and Lectureship

Continuing his studies at Auckland University, Blaiklock completed an MA

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 degree in Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 and French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 with first-class honours in 1925, and also a second first-class honours degree in Latin. He attracted the attention of Classics professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 A. C. Paterson who, unlike his predecessor H. S. Dettman, encouraged Blaiklock’s interest in the study of Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

, and granted him a lectureship in Classics in November 1926. Blaiklock gave his first lecture in March 1927 and over the next few years taught courses in Latin and Greek at all levels. He married Kathleen Minnie Mitchell at the Baptist Tabernacle on 13 November 1928. Edward and Kathleen went on to have two sons.

Classics chair A. C. Paterson died suddenly in 1933, and although Paterson had been grooming Blaiklock as his successor, the university preferred instead to appoint Charles Cooper. A deep divide developed between the two scholars, and in 1940 Blaiklock was made directly responsible for teaching Greek, with Cooper responsible for Latin. During this time Blaiklock published ‘The male characters of Euripides’, for which the University of New Zealand awarded him the degree of LittD in 1946. In 1945 he and his family moved to Titirangi, where Blaiklock and his wife resided for the remainder of their lives.

Chair of Classics and Leading Christian Apologist

In 1941 Blaiklock was invited to write as a columnist for the Weekly News by editor H. I. Macpherson. When the Weekly News was retired Blaiklock continued in the Sunday Herald, and then the New Zealand Herald. In 1947, upon the sudden resignation of Charles Cooper, Blaiklock was appointed to the chair of Classics. He went on to hold the office of public orator

Oratory

Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...

, and was a member of the New Zealand Literary Fund Advisory Committee from 1958 to 1964.

During the 1960s and 1970s Blaiklock produced a large volume of literature in the fields of biblical studies

Biblical studies

Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...

 and Christian apologetics

Christian apologetics

Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...

. He was regarded by many as New Zealand’s own champion of traditional Christian belief against the swell of modernist and liberal theology

Liberal Christianity

Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...

 occurring at that time. In 1968 he published An examination of the new theology, an answer to the claims of Lloyd Geering

Lloyd Geering

Sir Lloyd George Geering, ONZ, GNZM, CBE, born 26 February 1918, is a New Zealand theologian, who faced charges of heresy in 1967 for his controversial views. He considers Christian and Muslim fundamentalism to be "social evils"...

. The same year he retired from his university chair, but continued to write for evangelical organizations such as Scripture Union

Scripture Union

Scripture Union is an international, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian movement. It was founded in 1867, and works in partnership with individuals and churches across the world...

. His worked with his son David A. Blaiklock to produce Is It, or Isn't It?: Why We Believe in the Existence of God. E. M. Blaiklock served as president of the Baptist Union of New Zealand

Baptist Union of New Zealand

The Baptist Union of New Zealand is an association of Baptist churches in the country of New Zealand.Several Baptists settled in New Zealand in the 1840s, but the first Baptist minister, Decimus Dolamore from Yorkshire, England, did not arrive until May 1851...

 in 1971, and in 1974 was awarded an OBE for ‘services to scholarship and the community’. He also found work as a guide for tour parties to the biblical lands of the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

.

Death

Blaiklock’s wife Kathleen died in February 1978, and this affected her husband deeply. He continued for a time to lead tour parties overseas, but a few years later became a victim of cancer, and died on 26 October 1983.

Obituary

The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography

Dictionary of New Zealand Biography

The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography contains biographies for over 3,000 New Zealanders. It is available in both English and Maori. All volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography are available online....

gives Blaiklock the following description:

As a lecturer in Classics and as a lay preacher, Blaiklock…established himself as a natural communicator who could build a close rapport with an audience, carrying them along on the current of his own enthusiasm. He was helped in this by a handsome countenance, an athletic build, a strong, clear voice, and a commanding presence, backed up by a fluent command of English and a wide reading in his own and related fields.

Works

• Not Made to Die, The institute printing and publishing society, 1950.
• The Christian in Pagan Society, Tyndale, 1951.
• The Seven Churches, Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1951.
• The Male Characters of Euripides: A Study in Realism, New Zealand University Press, 1952.
• Out of the Earth: The Witness of Archaeology to the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1957, 2nd edition, 1961.
• Faith Is the Victory: Studies in the First Epistle of John, Eerdmans, 1959.
• Rome in the New Testament, Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1959.
• The Acts of the Apostles: An Historical Commentary, Eerdmans, 1959.

• The Century of the New Testament, Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1962.
• (Contributor) James D. Douglas, editor, New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale, 1962.
• (Contributor) Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Zondervan, 1962.
• Our Lord's Teaching on Prayer, Zondervan, 1964.
• From Prison in Rome: Letters to the Philippians and Philemon, Zondervan, 1964.
• Ten Pounds an Acre, A. H. & A. W. Reed, 1965.
• Cities of the New Testament, Pickering & Inglis, 1965.
• The Young Man Mark: Studies in Some Aspects of Mark and His Gospel, Paternoster Press, 1965, published as In the Image of Peter, Moody, 1969.
• Cities of the New Testament, Revell, 1965.
• (Under pseudonym Grammaticus) Hills of Home, Tri-Ocean, 1966.
• St. Luke, Eerdmans, 1966.
• Understanding the New Testament, Scripture Union, 1966.
• (Contributor) Dictionary of Practical Theology, Eerdmans, 1967.
• (Under pseudonym Grammaticus) Green Shade, A. H. & A. W. Reed, 1968.
• The Way of Excellence: A New Translation and Study of I Corinthians 13 and Romans 12, Pickering & Inglis, 1968.
• St. Luke, Scripture Union, 1968.
• (With son, David A. Blaiklock) Is It, or Isn't It?: Why We Believe in the Existence of God, Zondervan, 1968 (published in England as This Faith or That, Pickering & Inglis, 1969).
• Layman's Answer: An Examination of the New Theology, Judson, 1968.
• (Editor and contributor) Pictorial Bible Atlas, Zondervan, 1969.
• Word Pictures from the Bible, Pickering & Inglis, 1969, Zondervan, 1971.
• The Archaeology of the New Testament, Zondervan, 1970, revised edition, 1975, revised and updated edition, Nelson, 1984.
• The Psalms of the Great Rebellion: An Imaginative Exposition of Psalms 3 to 6 and 23, Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1970.
• The Archaeology of the New Testament, Zondervan, 1970,1974.
• Romans, Eerdmans, 1971.
• (Editor and contributor) Why I Am Still a Christian, Zondervan, 1971.
• The Pastoral Epistles: A Study Guide to the Epistles of I and II Timothy and Titus, Zondervan, 1972.
• (With D. A. Blaiklock) Why Didn't They Tell Me?, Zondervan, 1972.
• The Pastoral Epistles, Zondervan, 1972.
• Who Was Jesus?, Moody, 1974.
• The Positive Power of Prayer, Regal Books, 1974.
• Blaiklock's One Volume Commentary on the Bible, Revell, 1977.
• Letter to Children of Light: A Bible Commentary for Laymen in 1, 2, 3 John, Regal Books, 2nd edition, 1977.
• First Peter, Word Books, 1977.
• Commentary on the Psalms, Scripture Union, 1977, Volume I: Psalms for Living: Psalms 1-72, Volume II: Psalms for Worship: Psalms 73-150
• Commentary on the New Testament, Hodder & Stoughton, 1977.
• The Answer's in the Bible, Hodder & Stoughton, 1978.
• Romans, Scripture Union, 1978.
• Luke, Scripture Union, 1978.
• Meditations on the Psalms, four volumes, Scripture Union, 1979.
• Acts: The Birth of the Church, Revell, 1979.
• Between the valley and the sea The Dunmore Press, 1979.
• The World of the New Testament, Arc Publishing, 1979, reprinted as: The Compact Handbook of New Testament Life, Bethany House, 1989.
• Blaiklock's Handbook to the Bible, Revell, 1980, reprinted as: Today's Handbook of Bible Characters, Bethany House, 1987.
• (Translator) Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Nelson, 1980.
• Between the morning and the afternoon, The Dunmore Press, 1980.
• Still a Christian, Hodder and Stoughton, 1980.
• Eight Days in Israel, Ark Press, 1980.
• Kathleen: A Record of Sorrow, Hodder & Stoughton, 1980.
• Between the foothills and the ridge, The Dunmore Press, 1981.
• Blaiklock's Book of Bible Persons, Ark Press, 1981.
• (Translator) Thomas a Kempis, Brother Lawrence, Thomas Nelson, 1982.
• (Translator) The Practice of the Presence of God: Based on the Conversations, Letters, Ways, and Spiritual Principles of Brother Lawrence, as well as on the Writings of Joseph de Beaufort, Thomas Nelson, 1982.
• The Confessions of Saint Augustine: A New Translation with Introductions, Thomas Nelson, 1983.
• (Editor with R. K. Harrison) The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology, Zondervan, 1983.
• Jesus Christ six weeks to Eternity, Anzea, 1983.
• Jesus Christ Man or Myth?, Anzea, 1983, Thomas Nelson, 1984.
• The best of Grammaticus: Writings of Professor E. M. Blaiklock, Ed. David More, Wilson & Horton, 1984. ISBN 0-86864-069-7.
• (Translator with C.C. Keys) The Little Flowers of Saint Frances: The Acts of Saint Francis and His Companions, Servant Books, 1985.
• Two letters from Prison, The Institute Press.
• No Mists Above, The institute Printing & Publishing Society.
• (Biography) EM Blaiklock: A Christian Scholar by Trevor Shaw, Hodder & Stoughton, 1986.

Also author of monographs on classical and religious subjects; archaeological editor of Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Zondervan. Columnist, under pseudonym Grammaticus, in Auckland Weekly News, 1942-. Contributor of editorials, articles, and reviews to classical journals in United States and United Kingdom and to New Zealand newspapers.