Donald Macleod (born 24 November 1940) is a Scottish theologian.

Early life

Born in 1940 in Ness, Lewis, Macleod was educated at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

and the Free Church College before being ordained as a minister of the Free Church of Scotland in 1964.Biography

Career

Choosing an academic career, he was appointed as professor of

systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topic ...

at the Free Church College in 1978, a position he held for some 33 years. In 1996, he was considering leaving the Free Church to join the Church of Scotland, and following a new career as a writer and journalist, but remained in post and in 1999 was elected as principal of the Free Church College. He retired from that post in 2010, and as a professor in 2011. In that year, a ''

Festschrift In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...

'' was published in his honour, ''The People's Theologian: Writings in Honour of Donald Macleod''. This included contributions from Richard Gaffin, Derek Thomas, and

Carl Trueman Carl R. Trueman (born 1967) is a Christian theologian and ecclesiastical historian. He was Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he held the Paul Woolley Chair of Church History. In 2018 T ...

Allegations

In 1996, Macleod was cleared of allegations that he had sexually assaulted four women between 1985 and 1991. The Sheriff court found that "the women had all lied in the witness box to further the ends of Professor Macleod's enemies in the Free Church of Scotland."Bruce McKain,
Church professor in sex case a free man
" '' The Herald'', 26 June 1996. People who believed Macleod should be put on trial by the

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then formed the Free Church Defence Association and ultimately a new denomination, the

Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (Scottish Gaelic: An Eaglais Shaor Leantainneach) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination which was formed in January 2000. It claims to be the true continuation of the Free Church of Scotland, hence its ...

. However, Johnston McKay later noted that although on the surface the split was about Macleod, in his view it was about theology, since Macleod belonged to the more "modernising" wing of the Free Church.Johnston McKay
A church born out of division

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, 21 January 2000.

Works

* The Spirit of Promise (Christian Focus, 1986) * Rome and Canterbury: A View from Geneva (Christian Focus, 1989) * Shared Life (Christian Focus, 1994) * Behold Your God (Christian Focus, 1995) * A Faith to Live By (Christian Focus, 1998) * The Person of Christ (IVP, 1998) * Jesus is Lord: Christology Yesterday and Today (Christian Focus, 2000) * From Glory to Golgotha (Christian Focus, 2002) * Priorities for the Church (Christian Focus, 2003) * The Living Past (Acair, 2006) * Christ Crucified: Understanding the Atonement (IVP, 2014) * Compel Them to Come in (Christian Focus, 2020) * Therefore the Truth I Speak: Scottish Theology 1500-1700 (Christian Focus, 2020)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macleod, Donald 1940 births Living people People from the Isle of Lewis 20th-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland Alumni of the University of Glasgow Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians Presidents of Calvinist and Reformed seminaries 20th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 21st-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 21st-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland