- Henry Preserved Smith
Henry Preserved Smith (
October 12 ,1847 –February 26 ,1927 ), was an American Biblical scholar.Smith was born in
Troy, Ohio . He graduated atAmherst College in 1869 and studiedtheology inLane Theological Seminary in 1869–1872, inBerlin in 1872–1874 and inLeipzig in 1876–1877. He was instructor in church history in 1874-1875, and in Hebrew in 1875-1876, and was assistant-professor in 1877-1879 and professor in 1879-1893 of Hebrew andOld Testament exegesis in Lane Theological Seminary.In 1892 he was tried for
heresy by the Presbytery ofCincinnati , was found guilty of teaching (in a pamphlet entitled "Biblical Scholarship and Inspiration", 1891) that there were "errors of historic fact," suppressions of "historic truths," etc., in theBooks of Chronicles , and that the "inspiration of the Holy Scriptures is consistent with the'unprofitableness of portions of the sacred writings,"--in other words, that inspiration does not imply inerrancy,and he was suspended from the ministry.Dr Smith retired from the denomination, and in 1893, upon becoming a professor at
Andover Theological Seminary , entered the ministry of theCongregational Church . From 1897 to 1906 he was a professor in Amherst College, and in 1907 became a professor in theMeadville Theological School .He published "The Bible and Islam" (1897), "Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Books of Samuel" (1899, in the "International Critical Commentary") and "Old Testament History" (1903, in the "International Theologica) Library"). In "Inspiration and Inerrancy" (Cincinnati, 1893), he reprinted the papers on which the heresy charge was made, and outlined the case. His son was
Preserved Smith .Further reading
*cite book|author=Henry Preserved Smith|title=The Heretic's Defense: A Footnote to History|date=1926|publisher=C. Scribner's sons|location=New York
*cite journal|author=Julius A. Bewer|title=Henry Preserved Smith|journal=The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures|volume=43|issue=4|date=1927|pages=249–254|doi=10.1086/370155External links
*worldcat id|lccn-no92-9715
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