Joseph Bellamy
Encyclopedia
Joseph Bellamy was an American Congregationalist pastor and a leading preacher, author, educator and theologian in New England in the second half of the 18th century.
, he graduated from Yale
in 1735 and studied theology for a time under Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Massachusetts
. He was licensed to preach when scarcely eighteen years old, and from 1740 until his death was pastor of the Congregational church
at Bethlehem, Connecticut
.
Of his 22 books, the best known was True Religion Delineated (1750), which won for him a high reputation as a theologian and was reprinted several times both in England and America. Despite the fact that with the exception of the period of the Great Awakening
, when he preached as an itinerant in several neighboring colonies, his active labors were confined to his own parish, his influence on the religious thought of his time in America was probably surpassed only by that of his old friend and teacher Jonathan Edwards.
This influence was due not only to his publications, but also to the school or classes for the training of clergymen which he conducted for many years at his home and from which went forth scores of preachers to every part of New England and the middle colonies.
In Western Connecticut, Old Light Congregationalism was more popular than New Light, and Bellamy faced opposition from many of his fellow ministers in the area. One minister, Gideon Hawley, wrote to Bellamy in 1763, asserting, "I don't know of but two clergymen however in the country that appear to like your principles."
Bellamy's system of divinity was in general similar to that of Edwards. During the American War of Independence he was loyal to the American cause. The University of Aberdeen
conferred upon him the honorary degree of D.D.
in 1768. He was a powerful and dramatic preacher.
Bellamy married as his first wife Frances Sherman of New Haven, Connecticut
, by whom he had eight children, including David Bellamy, a prominent local merchant and Connecticut legislator. After her death in 1785, Rev. Joseph Bellamy married in 1786 as his second wife Abiah (Burbank) Leavitt Storrs, who had previously been married to Rev. Freegrace Leavitt and Rev. Andrew Storrs. Joseph Bellamy's son David married Silence Leavitt, daughter of another prominent local merchant and legislator, David Leavitt.
, an Old Light minister and a longtime critic of Bellamy, gave this negative assessment of the man:
According to an article in the Boston Evening Transcript in 1935, Bellamy contributed quite a lot to the town of Bethlehem:
Life
Born in Cheshire, ConnecticutCheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
, he graduated from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
in 1735 and studied theology for a time under Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
. He was licensed to preach when scarcely eighteen years old, and from 1740 until his death was pastor of the Congregational church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
at Bethlehem, Connecticut
Bethlehem, Connecticut
Bethlehem is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. The town center was designated in the 2000 census as a census-designated place ....
.
Of his 22 books, the best known was True Religion Delineated (1750), which won for him a high reputation as a theologian and was reprinted several times both in England and America. Despite the fact that with the exception of the period of the Great Awakening
First Great Awakening
The First Awakening was a Christian revitalization movement that swept Protestant Europe and British America, and especially the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American religion. It resulted from powerful preaching that gave listeners a sense of personal...
, when he preached as an itinerant in several neighboring colonies, his active labors were confined to his own parish, his influence on the religious thought of his time in America was probably surpassed only by that of his old friend and teacher Jonathan Edwards.
This influence was due not only to his publications, but also to the school or classes for the training of clergymen which he conducted for many years at his home and from which went forth scores of preachers to every part of New England and the middle colonies.
In Western Connecticut, Old Light Congregationalism was more popular than New Light, and Bellamy faced opposition from many of his fellow ministers in the area. One minister, Gideon Hawley, wrote to Bellamy in 1763, asserting, "I don't know of but two clergymen however in the country that appear to like your principles."
Bellamy's system of divinity was in general similar to that of Edwards. During the American War of Independence he was loyal to the American cause. The University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
conferred upon him the honorary degree of D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1768. He was a powerful and dramatic preacher.
Bellamy married as his first wife Frances Sherman of New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, by whom he had eight children, including David Bellamy, a prominent local merchant and Connecticut legislator. After her death in 1785, Rev. Joseph Bellamy married in 1786 as his second wife Abiah (Burbank) Leavitt Storrs, who had previously been married to Rev. Freegrace Leavitt and Rev. Andrew Storrs. Joseph Bellamy's son David married Silence Leavitt, daughter of another prominent local merchant and legislator, David Leavitt.
Estimations of Bellamy
The day Bellamy died, the Reverend Ezra StilesEzra Stiles
Ezra Stiles was an American academic and educator, a Congregationalist minister, theologian and author. He was president of Yale College .-Early life:...
, an Old Light minister and a longtime critic of Bellamy, gave this negative assessment of the man:
- He was of a haughty domineering temper and till of late years uncensorious of his brethren in the ministry and others who opposed him ... he was ... of a dogmatical and overbearing disposition ... his numerous noisy writings have blazed their day, and one generation more will put them to sleep.
According to an article in the Boston Evening Transcript in 1935, Bellamy contributed quite a lot to the town of Bethlehem:
- Dr. Bellamy not only named the town, but he virtually founded it, guided it through its first early years, became its wealthiest resident, owned the biggest house in it, put the town on the map through his own reputation as a scholar and a divine [devoted to God], attracted many theological students to it who spent money on board and room, and left it at his death a well established and flourishing community.