Declaring the Death of Christ: James Denney. XIV.
James Denney's lectures at United Free Church College, Glasgow, were full of the cross. It was the centre of his whole theology.
It would be nice to be able to say that Denney was thoroughly orthodox in his theology, but unfortunately he was not. While it must be stressed that James Denney fervently believed in the deity of Christ and in the objective atonement. Unfortunately his pneumatology was somewhat lacking; it is always a shock when one comes to a section on the Holy Spirit in one of Denney's books. Denney uniformly refers to the Holy Spirit as 'It', a surprising turn of phrase when one considers that the Spirit is often referred to as 'he' in the Bible. Although he rejected much of the Higher Criticism, Denney also accepted some of it. He rejected inerrancy in favour of a vaguely defined 'infallible power to save'.
Still, his students saw him as "the great exponent of the cross," and such he was.
In 1914 Principal Thomas M. Lindsay of the United Free Church College, Glasgow, died. It was unanimously agreed that Denney would be appointed as his successor. There was no other man who was considered for the post. Denney was the first Glasgow student to have been appointed professor at the college, and now he would be the first principal of the college to be an alumnus. Denney gratefully accepted the post.
It was the crowning honour of Deney's career, and one he would hold only for a few brief years. Our next post, God willing, will be concerned with those years.
It would be nice to be able to say that Denney was thoroughly orthodox in his theology, but unfortunately he was not. While it must be stressed that James Denney fervently believed in the deity of Christ and in the objective atonement. Unfortunately his pneumatology was somewhat lacking; it is always a shock when one comes to a section on the Holy Spirit in one of Denney's books. Denney uniformly refers to the Holy Spirit as 'It', a surprising turn of phrase when one considers that the Spirit is often referred to as 'he' in the Bible. Although he rejected much of the Higher Criticism, Denney also accepted some of it. He rejected inerrancy in favour of a vaguely defined 'infallible power to save'.
Still, his students saw him as "the great exponent of the cross," and such he was.
In 1914 Principal Thomas M. Lindsay of the United Free Church College, Glasgow, died. It was unanimously agreed that Denney would be appointed as his successor. There was no other man who was considered for the post. Denney was the first Glasgow student to have been appointed professor at the college, and now he would be the first principal of the college to be an alumnus. Denney gratefully accepted the post.
It was the crowning honour of Deney's career, and one he would hold only for a few brief years. Our next post, God willing, will be concerned with those years.
Labels: James Denney
posted by Highland Host at 10:30 am
2 Comments:
It is Interesting that many people refer to the Person of the Holy Spirt as an IT. HE is not an IT but a WHO - for HE IS The Spirit of the Living God.
Amen on speaking the truth brother!!!!!!!
and thanks to for the link to the spiritual research network blog.
By the way, our new www.spiritual-research-network.com website is not online.
Chris at SRN
oooops to the previous remark,,,
The www.spiritual-research-network.com website is NOW online, not, 'not' online.
sorry!
Chris in Edinburgh
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