Glasgow's School of the Prophets: The Free Church College X

In the 1870s the Free Church College, Glasgow, moved inexorably to the theological left. In the place of the dogmatic Westminster Calvinism of the original faculty there came an apologetic influence, a school that conceded much to the German theology. With the addition of George Adam Smith and James Denney in the 1890s the transition was all but complete. While George C.M. Douglas remained as principal until 1902, his conservative influence was minimal after the close of his teaching career in 1892. George Adam Smith, his replacement in the Old Testament chair was an advanced liberal, notorious for (in the words of a Free Presbyterian writer) 'Sawing Isaiah in sunder' - he believed and taught that Isaiah was written by two persons. George Adam Smith's views on the nature of prophecy were appallingly low - he taught that the prophet's message came, not from God, but from his own spirit.
Denney was the most conservative of this faculty; since he did not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and accepted certain liberal positions on the dating of Scripture, this was NOT a good thing.
Denney was sent to Glasgow in 1897 to succeed James Candlish. Three years later a word would be added to the College name - 'United'. With the merger of the majority Free Church and the United Presbyterians a new era was to begin at the College.

Next time, God willing, we shall see what that entailed.