Cleland Boyd McAfee (September 25, 1866 – February 4, 1944) was an American
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
,
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
minister and
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...
writer, best known for penning the gospel hymn, "Near to the Heart of God," and its tune called "McAfee". He wrote the song after the concurrent deaths of two of his young nieces, caused by
diphtheria
Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...
. He also is believed to be the creator of the acronym TULIP, which represents the
Five Points of Calvinism
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calv ...
.
McAfee was born in
Ashley, Missouri
Ashley is a census-designated place in Pike County, Missouri, United States. It is located on Route 161, approximately six miles south of Bowling Green.
Ashley was platted in 1836. The community was named for William Henry Ashley
William ...
, in 1866, as one of five children. His father, John Armstrong McAfee, was the founder of
Park College in
Parkville, Missouri and its president from 1875 until his death in 1890. The son graduated from Park College in 1884, and later graduated from
Union Theological Seminary in New York. McAfee went on to serve as a professor of philosophy, choir director, pastor and dean of Park College until 1901, when he left to minister at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago. McAfee moved from First Presbyterian in 1904, to pastor the Lafayette Avenue Church of Brooklyn, in Brooklyn, New York. McAfee also taught systematic theology at
McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary is a private Presbyterian seminary in Chicago, Illinois. It shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, bordering the campus of the University of Chicago. A letter of intent was signed on May ...
, from 1912 to 1930.
In 1912, McAfee authored the treatise, "The Greatest English Classic: A Study Of The King James Version Of The Bible." He was moderator of the General Assembly of
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) was the first national Presbyterian denomination in the United States, existing from 1789 to 1958. In that year, the PCUSA merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North Americ ...
, and led the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions from 1930 to 1936. He died in 1944.
On August 10, 1892, McAfee married Harriet "Hattie" Lawson Brown; they had three children, Ruth Myrtle, Katharine Agnes, and Mildred Helen.
Mildred Helen McAfee Horton went on to become president of
Wellesley College
Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial ...
(1936-1949) and the first director of
WAVES
Waves most often refers to:
* Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass.
* Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water.
Waves may also refer to:
Music
*Waves (ban ...
(Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(1942–46).
References
External links
*
*
Cleland Boyd McAfeeat
Open Library
Open Library is an online project intended to create "one web page for every book ever published". Created by Aaron Swartz, Brewster Kahle, Alexis Rossi, Anand Chitipothu, and Rebecca Malamud, Open Library is a project of the Internet Archive, ...
1866 births
1944 deaths
American Calvinist and Reformed theologians
20th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ministers
Union Theological Seminary (New York City) alumni
20th-century Calvinist and Reformed ministers
People from Pike County, Missouri
Park University alumni
Park University faculty
20th-century American clergy
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