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John Gresham MachenJohn Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was an influential American Presbyterian theologian in the early 20th century. He was the Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary between 1915 and 1929, and led a conservative revolt against modernist theology at Princeton and formed Westminster Seminary as a more orthodox alternative. This split was irreconcilable, and Machen led others to form the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Machen is considered to be the last of the great Princeton Theologians who had, since the formation of the college in the early 19th century, developed Princeton Theology - a conservative and Calvinist form of Evangelical Christianity. Although Machen can be compared to the great Princeton Theologians (Archibald Alexander, Charles Hodge, A. A. Hodge and B. B. Warfield) he was neither a lecturer in theology (he was a New Testament scholar) nor did he ever become the seminary's principal. Machen's influence can still be felt today through the existence of both institutions that he founded - Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Early Life Machen was born on July 28, 1881 in Baltimore to Arthur Webster Machen and Mary Jones Grasham. Arthur, a Baltimore Lawyer, was 45 and Mary was 24 when they married. While Arthur was an Episcopalian, Mary was a Presbyterian, and taught her son The Westminster Shorter Catechism from an early age. The family attended Franklin Street Presbyterian Church. Machen's upbringing was considered to be privileged. He attended a private college and received a classical education including Latin and Greek. Although no records exist, it was probably The University School for Boys. He was also taught the piano. Academic training In 1898, the 17-year old Machen began studying at Johns Hopkins University for his undergraduate degree, and performed sufficiently well to gain a scholarship. He majored in classics and was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. Machen was a brilliant scholar and in 1901 was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society after graduation. Despite having some indecisiveness about his future, in 1902 Machen opted to study theology at Princeton Seminary, whilst simultaneously studying a Master of Arts in Philosophy at Princeton University. He also pursued theological studies in Germany for a year. In a letter to his father, he admitted being thrown into confusion about his faith because of the liberalism taught by Professor Wilhelm Herrmann. Princeton 1906-1916 In 1906, Machen joined Princeton Seminary as an instructor in New Testament after assurances he would not have to sign a statement of faith. Among his Princeton influences were Francis Patton, who had been the prosecutor in a nineteenth century heresy trial, and B. B. Warfield, whom he described as the greatest man he had ever met. Warfield maintained that correct doctrine was the primary means by which Christians influenced the surrounding culture and he emphasised a high view of scripture and the defence of supernaturalism. It appears that under their influence Machen resolved his crisis of faith. In 1914, he was ordained and the next year he became the Assistant Professor of New Testament. World War One Machen did not serve "conventionally" during World War I, but instead went to France with the YMCA to do volunteer work near and at the front. Though not a combatant, he witnessed firsthand the devastations of modern warfare. Princeton 1918-1926 Controversies Between 1924 and 1925, relations among the Princeton faculty deteriorated when The Presbyterian questioned if there were two different parties on the faculty. In response Machen remarked that his differences with Charles Eerdman related to the importance they attributed to doctrine. He noted that Eerdman was tolerant of those in doctrinal error. Eerdman wrote privately he Moody knew that controversialists do not usually win followers for Christ. Westminster The 1929 General Assembly voted to reorganise Princeton Seminary and appointed two of the Auburn Affirmation signatories as trustees. The Auburn Affirmation was a response by liberals within the Northern Presbytery Church that condemned the General Assembly's response to the contoversy arising out of Harry Emerson Fosdick's sermon Shall the Fundamentalists Win? in May 1922. Machen and some colleagues withdrew and set up Westminster Theological Seminary to continue Old School theology. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church In 1933, Machen became concerned about liberalism tolerated by Presbyterians on the mission field and formed an independent mission board. The next Presbyterian General Assembly reaffirmed that independent mission boards were unconstitutional and gave the associated clergy an ultimatum to sever their links. When Machen and seven other clergy refused, they were suspended from the Presbyterian ministry. The controversy divided Machen from many of his fundamentalist friends including Clarence Macartney who dropped away at the prospect of schism. Ultimately, Machen withdrew from the Northern Presbyterian Church and formed the Presbyterian Church in America. Death Bibliography - Noll, M. A. (1988). John Gresham Machen. In S. B. Ferguson, D. F. Wright, and J. I. Packer (Eds.), The New Dictionary of Theology. Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester. ISBN 0830814000
- Stonehouse, Ned B. (1987). J. Gresham Machen - A Biographical Memoir (3rd ed.). The Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh. ISBN 0851515010. (Republished by the Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. ISBN 0934688974.)
- Hart, D. G. (2003). Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestantism in Modern America. P & R Publishing. ISBN 0875525636
- Machen, J. Gresham (1923). Christianity and Liberalism. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 0802811213
External Links Machen, John Gresham Machen, John Gresham Machen, John Gresham Machen, John Gresham Machen, John Gresham Machen, John Gresham
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