"An Impossibility" William Robertson Smith. II.
As we saw in our last post, William Robertson Smith, like many New College students of the late 19th Century, was taken by A.B. Davidson's approach to Old Testament studies. The Victorians liked what was 'new', 'advanced' and 'up-to-date' (not to mention what was German), and Robertson Smith's intellect embraced the new critical theories. He supplemented his studies at New College with visits to Germany, where he could drink in the new teaching from its source.
Robertson Smith graduated from New College in 1870. Instead of going to a pstoral charge, as would have been wise and usual, the brilliant young man was appointed to the chair of Hebrew and Old Testament in the Free Church College, Aberdeen, the chsir having just been rendered vacant by the death of the previouas professor. Some in the Free Church had doubts as to the wisdom of appointing such a young man to such a post, but their fears were calmed by glowing letters of reccommendation from Professor Davidson, and from Robert Rainy, the sagacious and statesmanlike Principal of New College. Rainy was to bitterly regret that letter.
A.B. Davidson was a cautious man by nature, perhaps too cautious (he never married because he was never able to pluck up enough courage to propose to any of the young ladies to whom he was attracted. One was actually expecting a proposal from him, but she got tired of waiting). William Robertson Smith, on the other hand, was a dashing, courageous young man, full of fervour, a man who never did anything by halves. He embraced the Higher Criticism with gusto. Robertson Smith became convinced that the old Scottish Calvinist orthodoxy was not incompatible with the new Criticism. While he did not go far beyond Davidson's views in 1870, he was willing to broadcast them to the world with all the evangelistic zeal he could muster. His friends, who held the same views, were delighted. At last their views were being heard in Aberdeen, the tiny, ultra-conservative Free Church college. The day could not be far distant when the Free Church was wholly Higher Critical.
Despite radical and surprising statements made by Robertson Smith in his inaugural lecture, his appointment failed to cause much of a stir in the Free Church. Looking back, we can see that the cause was not so much that most Free Church ministers agreed with him, or were willing to be silent, but that the energy of the conservative party in the Free Church was at that time consumed in fighting a proposed union between the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church (the Union that would finally be consumated in 1900). Smith's undoubted intellectual brilliance and his scholarship also gave something of a lustre to the Free Church when the young professor was appointed to the Old Testament Company of the body that was engaged in producing the Revised Version of the Bible. There he joined two other Free Church professors, his mentor Davidson, and the staunchly conservative George C. M. Douglas.
Smith was considered, in fact, one of the chief ornaments of the Free Church in many quarters. Right up until, on December 7th, 1875, the third volume of the 9th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica appeared. One of the articles in the volume was entitled 'Bible', and Robertson Smith was the author of it. The article touched off a veritable fire storm in the Free Church.
Of which more next time, God willing)
Robertson Smith graduated from New College in 1870. Instead of going to a pstoral charge, as would have been wise and usual, the brilliant young man was appointed to the chair of Hebrew and Old Testament in the Free Church College, Aberdeen, the chsir having just been rendered vacant by the death of the previouas professor. Some in the Free Church had doubts as to the wisdom of appointing such a young man to such a post, but their fears were calmed by glowing letters of reccommendation from Professor Davidson, and from Robert Rainy, the sagacious and statesmanlike Principal of New College. Rainy was to bitterly regret that letter.
A.B. Davidson was a cautious man by nature, perhaps too cautious (he never married because he was never able to pluck up enough courage to propose to any of the young ladies to whom he was attracted. One was actually expecting a proposal from him, but she got tired of waiting). William Robertson Smith, on the other hand, was a dashing, courageous young man, full of fervour, a man who never did anything by halves. He embraced the Higher Criticism with gusto. Robertson Smith became convinced that the old Scottish Calvinist orthodoxy was not incompatible with the new Criticism. While he did not go far beyond Davidson's views in 1870, he was willing to broadcast them to the world with all the evangelistic zeal he could muster. His friends, who held the same views, were delighted. At last their views were being heard in Aberdeen, the tiny, ultra-conservative Free Church college. The day could not be far distant when the Free Church was wholly Higher Critical.
Despite radical and surprising statements made by Robertson Smith in his inaugural lecture, his appointment failed to cause much of a stir in the Free Church. Looking back, we can see that the cause was not so much that most Free Church ministers agreed with him, or were willing to be silent, but that the energy of the conservative party in the Free Church was at that time consumed in fighting a proposed union between the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church (the Union that would finally be consumated in 1900). Smith's undoubted intellectual brilliance and his scholarship also gave something of a lustre to the Free Church when the young professor was appointed to the Old Testament Company of the body that was engaged in producing the Revised Version of the Bible. There he joined two other Free Church professors, his mentor Davidson, and the staunchly conservative George C. M. Douglas.
Smith was considered, in fact, one of the chief ornaments of the Free Church in many quarters. Right up until, on December 7th, 1875, the third volume of the 9th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica appeared. One of the articles in the volume was entitled 'Bible', and Robertson Smith was the author of it. The article touched off a veritable fire storm in the Free Church.
Of which more next time, God willing)
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