Marcus Dods (theologian)
Encyclopedia
Marcus Dods was a Scottish
divine and biblical
scholar. He was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
.
, the youngest son of Rev. Marcus Dods
, minister of the Scottish church of that town.
He studied at Edinburgh Academy
and Edinburgh University, graduating in 1854. Having studied theology for five years he was licensed in 1858, and in 1864 became minister of Renfield Free Church, Glasgow
, where he worked for twenty-five years. In 1889 he was appointed professor of New Testament
Exegesis
in the New College, Edinburgh
, of which he became principal
on the death of Robert Rainy
in 1907.
from Edinburgh University.
He edited Johann Peter Lange
's Life of Christ in English (Edinburgh, 1864, 6 vols.), Augustine
's works (1872–1876), and, with Alexander Whyte
, Clark's Handbooks for Bible Classes series. In the Expositors Bible series he edited Genesis and 1 Corinthians, and he was also a contributor to the 9th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica
and Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
.
Among other important works are:
Apart from his services to Biblical scholarship he takes high rank among those who have sought to bring the results of technical criticism
within the reach of the ordinary reader.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
divine and biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
scholar. He was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the "Disruption of 1843"...
.
Life
He was born at Belford, NorthumberlandBelford, Northumberland
Belford is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England about halfway between Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed, a few miles inland from the east coast and just off the Great North Road, the A1...
, the youngest son of Rev. Marcus Dods
Marcus Dods (theologian born 1786)
-Life:Dods was born near Gifford in East Lothian, and educated at Edinburgh. In 1810 he was ordained presbyterian minister at Belford, Northumberland, where he remained for the rest of his life...
, minister of the Scottish church of that town.
He studied at Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
and Edinburgh University, graduating in 1854. Having studied theology for five years he was licensed in 1858, and in 1864 became minister of Renfield Free Church, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where he worked for twenty-five years. In 1889 he was appointed professor of New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
Exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
in the New College, Edinburgh
New College, Edinburgh
New College was opened in 1846 as a college of the Free Church of Scotland, later of the United Free Church of Scotland, and from the 1930s has been the home of the School of Divinity of the University of Edinburgh...
, of which he became principal
Principal (academia)
The Principal is the chief executive and the chief academic officer of a university or college in certain parts of the Commonwealth.-Canada:...
on the death of Robert Rainy
Robert Rainy
Robert Rainy , was a Scottish Presbyterian divine; his father, Dr Harry Rainy, Professor of Forensic Medicine in the University of Glasgow, was the son of a Sutherland minister....
in 1907.
Works
Throughout his life, both ministerial and professorial, he devoted much time to the publication of theological books. Several of his writings, especially a sermon on Inspiration delivered in 1878, incurred the charge of unorthodoxy, and shortly before his election to the Edinburgh professorship he was summoned before the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, but the charge was dropped by a large majority, and in 1891 he received the honorary degree of DDDoctor 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....
from Edinburgh University.
He edited Johann Peter Lange
Johann Peter Lange
Johann Peter Lange , was a German Calvinist theologian of peasant origin.-Biography:...
's Life of Christ in English (Edinburgh, 1864, 6 vols.), Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
's works (1872–1876), and, with Alexander Whyte
Alexander Whyte
Alexander Whyte was a Scottish divine. He was born at Kirriemuir in Forfarshire and educated at the University of Aberdeen and at New College, Edinburgh....
, Clark's Handbooks for Bible Classes series. In the Expositors Bible series he edited Genesis and 1 Corinthians, and he was also a contributor to the 9th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
and Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible was a five-volume Biblical encyclopaedia published 1898—1904.-First edition:The full title was A Dictionary of the Bible, dealing with the Language, Literature and Contents, including the Biblical Theology. It was edited by James Hastings, with the assistance...
.
Among other important works are:
- The Epistle to the Seven Churches (1865)
- Israel's Iron Age (1874)
- Mohammed, Buddha and Christ (1877)
- Handbook on Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi (1879)
- The Gospel according to St John (1897), in the Expositors Greek Testament
- How to Become Like Christ (1897), Available from Gutenberg
- The Bible, its Origin and Nature (1904)
- the Bross Lectures, in which he gave an able sketch of the use of Old TestamentOld TestamentThe Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
criticism, and finally set forth his Theory of Inspiration.
Apart from his services to Biblical scholarship he takes high rank among those who have sought to bring the results of technical criticism
Criticism
Criticism is the judgement of the merits and faults of the work or actions of an individual or group by another . To criticize does not necessarily imply to find fault, but the word is often taken to mean the simple expression of an objection against prejudice, or a disapproval.Another meaning of...
within the reach of the ordinary reader.