Charles Hodge (1797-1878) was one of nineteenth-century America's leading theologians, owing in part to a lengthy teaching career, voluminous writings, and a faculty post at one of the nation's most influential schools, Princeton Theological Seminary. Surprisingly, the only biography of this towering figure was written by his son, just two years after his death. Paul Gutjahr's book, therefore, is the first modern critical biography of a man some have called the "Pope of Presbyterianism. " Hodge's legacy is especially important to American Presbyterians. His brand of theological conservatism became vital in the 1920s, as Princeton Seminary saw itself, and its denomination, split. The conservative wing held unswervingly to the Old School tradition championed by Hodge, and ultimately founded the breakaway Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The views that Hodge developed, refined, and propagated helped shape many of the central traditions of twentieth- and twenty-first-century American evangelicalism. Hodge helped establish a profound reliance on the Bible among evangelicals, and he became one of the nation's most vocal proponents of biblical inerrancy. Gutjahr's study reveals the exceptional depth, breadth, and longevity of Hodge's theological influence and illuminates the varied and complex nature of conservative American Protestantism.

About the Author
Associate Professor of English, American Studies, and Religious Studies

Reviews
Gutjahr offers a contextual reading of the theologian in his original setting, based on deep research in the Princeton University archives. ... makes for a highly readable account. Gutjahr offers fresh insight into Hodge's compromised position on slavery, which the Princeton scholar first defended on scriptural grounds before belatedly joining the abolitionist cause. * Andrew Atherstone, Churchman *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199895526
Author Paul C. Gutjahr
Format Paperback
Page Count 518
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 717g
Dimensions(mm) 156mm * 234mm * 26mm