Harry Emerson Fosdick (May 24, 1878 – October 5, 1969) was an American pastor. Fosdick became a central figure in the
Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy within American Protestantism in the 1920s and 1930s and was one of the most prominent
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
ministers of the early 20th century. Although a Baptist, he was called to serve as pastor, in New York City, at
First Presbyterian Church in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
's
West Village
The West Village is a neighborhood in the western section of the larger Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City.
The traditional boundaries of the West Village are the Hudson River to the west, 14th Street (Manhattan ...
, and then at the historic, inter-denominational
Riverside Church
Riverside Church is an interdenominational church in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, on the block bounded by Riverside Drive, Claremont Avenue, 120th Street and 122nd Street near Columbia University's Mornin ...
in
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
Morningside Heights is a neighborhood on the West Side of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west. Morningside H ...
.
Career
Born in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
, Fosdick graduated from
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...
in 1900 and from
Union Theological Seminary in 1904. While attending Colgate University he joined the
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon (), commonly known as DU, is a collegiate men's fraternity founded on November 4, 1834 at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is the sixth-oldest, all-male, college Greek Letter Organizations#Greek letters, Greek-let ...
fraternity. He was ordained a
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
minister in 1903 at
Madison Avenue Baptist Church
The Madison Avenue Baptist Church is a Baptist church located in Manhattan, New York City. It is affiliated with the Alliance of Baptists, the American Baptist Churches USA, the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, and the Baptist P ...
at 31st Street, Manhattan.
He was
called as minister to First Baptist Church,
Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As ...
, in 1904, serving until 1915. He supported US participation in the First World War (later describing himself as a "gullible fool" in doing so), and in 1917 volunteered as an Army chaplain, serving in France.
In 1918, he was called to First Presbyterian Church, and on May 21, 1922, he delivered his famous sermon ''Shall the Fundamentalists Win?'', in which he defended the
modernist
Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
position. In that sermon he presented the Bible as a record of the unfolding of God's will, not as the literal
"Word of God". He saw the
history of Christianity
The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teach ...
as one of development, progress, and gradual change.
Fundamentalists
Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishing ...
regarded this as rank
apostasy
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...
, and the battle-lines were drawn.
Fosdick's sermon prompted a response from the Rev.
Clarence Edward Macartney of
Arch Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia on July 13, 1922, with a sermon entitled "Shall Unbelief Win?". Like Fosdick's sermon, Macartney's sermon was published and sent to church leaders across America. "There are not a few," said Macartney, "who do not think of themselves as either 'Fundamentalists' or 'Modernists', but as Christians, striving amid the dust and the confused clamor of this life to hold the Christian faith and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who will read this sermon with sorrow and pain."
The national convention of the General Assembly of the old
Presbyterian Church in the USA
The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...
in 1923 charged his local
presbytery in New York to conduct an investigation into Fosdick's views. A commission began an investigation, as required. His defense was conducted by a lay elder,
John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles (, ; February 25, 1888 – May 24, 1959) was an American diplomat, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. He served as United States Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959 and was briefly ...
(1888–1959, future
Secretary of State under President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
in the 1950s), whose father was a well-known liberal Presbyterian seminary professor. Fosdick escaped probable censure at a formal trial by the 1924 General Assembly by resigning from the
First Presbyterian Church (historic "Old First") pulpit in 1924. He was immediately called as pastor of a new type of Baptist church ministry at Park Avenue Baptist Church, whose most famous member was the industrialist, financier and philanthropist
John D. Rockefeller Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller.
He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in M ...
Rockefeller then funded the famed
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
Riverside Church
Riverside Church is an interdenominational church in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, on the block bounded by Riverside Drive, Claremont Avenue, 120th Street and 122nd Street near Columbia University's Mornin ...
(later a member of the
American Baptist Churches
The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline protestant, mainline/Evangelicalism, evangelical Baptist Christian denomination within the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Valley For ...
and
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximately 4 ...
denominations) in Manhattan's northwestern
Morningside Heights
Morningside Heights is a neighborhood on the West Side of Upper Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west. Morningside ...
area near
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, where Fosdick became pastor as soon as the doors opened in October 1930.
This prompted a
''Time'' magazine cover story on October 6, 1930 ''(pictured)'', in which ''Time'' said that Fosdick:
Fosdick outspokenly opposed racism and injustice. Ruby Bates credited him with persuading her to testify for the defense in the 1933 retrial of the infamous and racially charged legal case of the
Scottsboro Boys, which tried nine black youths before
all-white juries
Racial discrimination in jury selection is specifically prohibited by law in many jurisdictions throughout the world. In the United States, it has been defined through a series of judicial decisions. However, juries composed solely of one racial ...
for allegedly raping white women (Bates and her companion, Victoria Price) in Alabama.
Sermons and publications
Fosdick's sermons won him wide recognition. His 1933 anti-war sermon, "The Unknown Soldier",
inspired the British priest
Dick Sheppard to write a letter that ultimately led to the founding of the
Peace Pledge Union
The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is a non-governmental organisation that promotes pacifism, based in the United Kingdom. Its members are signatories to the following pledge: "War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determine ...
.
His ''Riverside Sermons'' was printed in 1958, and he published numerous other books. His radio addresses were nationally broadcast; he also wrote the hymn "God of Grace and God of Glory".
Fosdick's book ''A Guide to Understanding the Bible'' traces the beliefs of the people who wrote the Bible, from the ancient beliefs of the
Hebrews
The terms ''Hebrews'' (Hebrew: / , Modern: ' / ', Tiberian: ' / '; ISO 259-3: ' / ') and ''Hebrew people'' are mostly considered synonymous with the Semitic-speaking Israelites, especially in the pre-monarchic period when they were still no ...
(which he regarded as practically pagan) to the faith and hopes of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
writers.
Fosdick was an advocate of
theistic evolution
Theistic evolution (also known as theistic evolutionism or God-guided evolution) is a theological view that God creates through laws of nature. Its religious teachings are fully compatible with the findings of modern science, including biological ...
. He defended the teaching of evolution in schools and rejected
creationism
Creationism is the religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of divine creation. Gunn 2004, p. 9, "The ''Concise Oxford Dictionary'' says that creationism is 't ...
. He was involved in a dispute with the creationist
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...
.
Fosdick reviewed the first edition of the book
''Alcoholics Anonymous'' in 1939, giving it his approval.
AA members continue to point to this review as significant in the development of the AA movement.
Fosdick was an active member of the
American Friends of the Middle East The American Friends of the Middle East (AFME) was an American international educational organization, formed in 1951. It was founded by columnist Dorothy Thompson, Kermit Roosevelt, Jr., Harry Emerson Fosdick, and 24 other American educators, the ...
,
a founder of the
Committee for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land, and an active "
anti-Zionist
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionism. Although anti-Zionism is a heterogeneous phenomenon, all its proponents agree that the creation of the modern State of Israel, and the movement to create a sovereign Jewish state in the region of Palestine ...
".
[
.
]
He was a major influence on Martin Luther King Jr, who said that Fosdick was
the greatest preacher of this century" King drew on Fosdick's writings and sermons for some of his own sermons.
Works
* ''The Second Mile'' (1908)
* ''The Assurance of Immortality'' (1913)
* ''The Manhood of the Master'' (1913)
* ''The Meaning of Prayer'' (1915)
* ''The Meaning of Faith'' (1917)
* ''The Challenge of the Present Crisis'' (1918)
* ''The Meaning of Service'' (1920)
* ''Shall the Fundamentalists Win?'' (1921) (Reprinted by CrossReach Publications, 2015)
* ''Christianity and Progress'' (1922)
* ''Evolution and Mr. Bryan'' (1922)
* ''Twelve Tests of Character'' (1923)
* ''Science and Religion. Evolution and the Bible'' (1924)
* ''The Modern Use of the Bible'' (1924)
* ''Adventurous Religion, and Other Essays'' (1926)
* ''A Pilgrimage to Palestine'' (1927)
* ''What Religion Means to Me'' (1929)
* ''As I See Religion'' (1932)
* ''The Hope of the World; Twenty-Five Sermons on Christianity Today'' (1933)
* ''The Secret of Victorious Living'' (1934)
* ''The Power to See it Through'' (1935)
* ''Successful Christian Living'' (1937)
* ''A Guide to Understanding the Bible: The Development of Ideas Within the Old and New Testaments'' (1938)
* ''Living Under Tension; Sermons on Christianity Today'' (1941)
* ''On Being a Real Person'' (1943)
* ''A Great Time to be Alive; Sermons on Christianity in Wartime'' (1944)
* ''On Being Fit to Live With; Sermons on Post-War Christianity'' (1946)
* ''The Man from Nazareth, as His Contemporaries Saw Him'' (1949)
* ''The Meaning of Prayer'' (1950)
* ''Rufus Jones Speaks to Our Time; An Anthology'' (1951)
* ''Great Voices of the Reformation'' (1952)
* ''A Faith for Tough Times'' (1952)
* ''Sunday Evening Sermons; Fifteen Selected Addresses Delivered before the noted Chicago Sunday Evening Club'' with Alton Meyers Meyers (1952)
* ''What is Vital in Religion; Sermons on Contemporary Christian Problems'' (1955)
* ''Martin Luther'' (1956)
* ''The Living of These Days; An Autobiography'' (1956)
* ''A Book of Public Prayers'' (1959)
* ''Jesus of Nazareth'' (1959)
* ''Dear Mr. Brown'' (1961)
* ''The Life of Saint Paul'' (1962)
* ''The Meaning of Being a Christian'' (1964)
* ''The Secret of Victorious Living'' (1966)
* ''Harry Emerson Fosdick's Art of Preaching; An Anthology'' (1971)
Works with a contribution by Fosdick
* ''Seeing the Invisible'' by Harold Cooke (Introduction by Harry Emerson Fosdick) (1932)
* ''You and Yourself'' by Albert George Butzer (Introduction by Harry Emerson Fosdick) (1933)
* ''The Complete Sayings of Jesus; The King James Version of Christ's Own Words.'' by Arthur Hinds (Introduction by Harry Emerson Fosdick) (1942)
* ''A Rauschenbusch reader, the Kingdom of God and the social Gospel'' Fosdick contributed a chapter (1957)
* ''Riverside Sermons'' (1958)
Extended family
Fosdick's brother, Raymond Fosdick, was essentially in charge of philanthropy for
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller.
He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in ...
, running the
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...
for three decades, from 1921. Rockefeller funded the nationwide distribution of ''Shall the Fundamentalists Win?'', although with a more cautious title, ''The New Knowledge and the Christian Faith''. This direct-mail project was designed by
Ivy Lee
Ivy Ledbetter Lee (July 16, 1877 – November 9, 1934) was an American publicity expert and a founder of modern public relations. Lee is best known for his public relations work with the Rockefeller Family.
His first major client was the Penns ...
, who had worked since 1914 as an independent contractor in public relations for the Rockefellers.
Fosdick's daughter,
Dorothy Fosdick
Dorothy Fosdick (April 17, 1913 – February 5, 1997) was an American foreign policy expert.
Early life and education
She was the daughter of Harry Emerson Fosdick, who was the first pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City. She graduated f ...
, was foreign policy adviser to
Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson, a
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
from
Washington state
Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. She also authored a number of books.
He was the nephew of Charles Austin Fosdick, a popular author of adventure books for boys, who wrote under the pen name
Harry Castlemon
Charles Austin Fosdick (September 6, 1842 – August 22, 1915), better known by his ''nom de plume'' Harry Castlemon, was a prolific writer of juvenile stories and novels, intended mainly for boys. He was born in Randolph, New York, and received ...
.
See also
*
List of people on the cover of Time Magazine: 1920s
References
External links
*
*
*
''A Guide to Understanding the Bible''text online
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' article*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fosdick, Harry Emerson
Colgate University alumni
1878 births
1969 deaths
20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States
American Christian theologians
Baptist writers
Critics of creationism
Theistic evolutionists
Baptists from New York (state)
People from Buffalo, New York