John Wesley Hanson D.D. (1823–1901) was an American Universalist minister and a notable Universalist historian advancing the claim that Universalism was the belief of early Christianity. He was born at

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. He is also notable for his eyewitness accounts of his time as chaplain to one of the

Unattached Companies Massachusetts Volunteer Militia The Unattached Companies of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia were units of infantry raised for the defenses of the eastern coast of Massachusetts during the American Civil War. Twenty-six companies were mustered into the Union Army during 1864-1865, ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and for publishing his own New Testament "Hanson's edited New Testament" (1885), which was a revision of the

English Revised Version The Revised Version (RV) or English Revised Version (ERV) of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version. It was the first and remains the only officially authorised and recognised revision of the King James Versio ...

with "baptism" changed for "

immersion Immersion may refer to: The arts * "Immersion", a 2012 story by Aliette de Bodard * ''Immersion'', a French comic book series by Léo Quievreux#Immersion, Léo Quievreux * Immersion (album), ''Immersion'' (album), the third album by Australian gro ...

" and other changes. He was the eldest of five siblings. His younger sister was

Harriet Hanson Robinson Harriet Jane Hanson Robinson (February 8, 1825 – December 22, 1911) worked as a bobbin doffer in a Massachusetts cotton mill and was involved in a turnout, became a poet and author, and played an important role in the women's suffrage movement i ...

(1825–1911) wife of William Stevens Robinson (1818–1876), social reformers in Malden, Massachusetts. In 1845 he arrived in

Wentworth, New Hampshire Wentworth is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 845 at the 2020 census, down from 911 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Plummer's Ledge Natural Area, and part of the White Mountain National Forest i ...

as Universalist minister. In the 1860s he was chaplain to the Sixth regiment of Massachusetts volunteers. In the 1870s he went as a Universalist missionary to Britain, becoming the pastor of St. Paul's Universalist Church, Glasgow, Scotland. He then became minister of the Universalist New Covenant Church of Chicago, where he worked on his New Testament. He is best known for his history arguing that universalism dominated early church thought before Augustine; ''Universalism: The Prevailing Doctrine of the Christian Church'' (1899) which followed Universalist

Hosea Ballou Hosea Ballou D.D. (April 30, 1771 – June 7, 1852) was an American Universalist clergyman and theological writer. Originally a Baptist, he converted to Universalism in 1789. He preached in a number of towns in Vermont, New Hampshire, and ...

's ''Ancient History of Universalism.'' (1828) His view of early church history was carried on by George T. Knight. Hanson is cited as a primary source in the 1911 edition of the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various t ...

'', and'' New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'' (1908–14) articles on

Universalism Universalism is the philosophical and theological concept that some ideas have universal application or applicability. A belief in one fundamental truth is another important tenet in universalism. The living truth is seen as more far-reaching th ...

. Hanson and Knight's reading of church history has been challenged, but has also found defenders, such as

Ilaria Ramelli Ilaria L. E. Ramelli (born 1973) is an Italian-born historian, academic author, and university professor who specializes in ancient, late antique, and early mediaeval philosophy and theology. Academic appointments After being Professor of Roman ...

.Ilaria Ramelli: The Christian Doctrine of Apokatastasis (Brill 2013).

Works

* ''Witnesses to the Truth: Containing Passages From Distinguished Authors, Developing the Great Truth of Universal Salvation: With an Appendix, Exhibiting the Enormity of the Doctrine of Endless Misery, ''1854. * ''Historical sketch of the old Sixth regiment of Massachusetts volunteers during its three campaigns in 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1864.'' by John W. Hanson, Chaplain. Boston, Lee and Shepard, 1866. * ''Christian Chorals: A Hymn and Tune Book for the Congregation and the Home.'' 4th Edition, 1870. * ''The Greek Word Aion--Aionios, Translated Everlasting--Eternal, in the Holy Bible Shown to Denote Limited Duration.'' 1875. * ''Bible Proofs of Universal Salvation,'' 1877. * ''The Bible Hell: The Words Rendered Hell in the Bible, Sheol, Hadees, Tartarus, & Gehenna, Shown to Denote a State of Temporal Duration. All the Texts containing the Word Examined and Explained in Harmony with the Doctrine of Universal Salvation'', 1878. * ''A Brief Debate on Universal Salvation and Endless Punishment Between John Wesley Hanson. D.D., And Rev. John Hogarth Lozier'', 1879. * ''Aiōn-Aiōnios: an excursus on the Greek word rendered everlasting, eternal, etc., in the Holy Bible,'' 1880. * ''A Cloud of Witnesses Containing Selections from the Writings of Poets and Other Literary and Celebrated Persons, Expressive of the Universal Triumph of Good Over Evil'', 1880. his appears to be a later edition of ''Witnesses to the Truth.''* ''The Prayer of Prayers: Twelve Discourses On the Lord's Prayer'', 1882. * ''The New Covenant: Volume II.--Acts, the Epistles, Revelation'', 1886. * ''Bible Proofs of Universal Salvation; Containing the Principal Passages of Scripture that Teach the Final Holiness and Happiness of All Mankind'', 6th Edition, 1885. * ''Voices of the Faith A Birthday Book Containing a Selection for Every Day in the Year from Writers Expressing the Universalist Faith'', 3rd Edition, 1887. * ''A Pocket Cyclopedia: Brief Explanations of Religious Terms As Understood by Universalists'', 1892. * ''Manna: A Book of Daily Worship, Containing Brief Scripture Lessons and Prayers for Individual and Family Use, For Every Day in the Year, ''1892''.'' * ''Bible Threatenings Explained; Or, Passages of Scripture Sometimes Quoted to Prove Endless Punishment Shown to Teach Consequences of Limited Duration'', 7th Edition, 1893. * ''The World's Congress of Religions The Addresses and Papers Delivered Before the Parliament, and An Abstract of the Congresses Held in the Art Institute, ''1894. anson was the editor of this work.* ''The Life and Works of the World's Greatest Evangelist Dwight L. Moody: A Complete and Authentic Review of the Marvelous Career of the Most Remarkable Religious General in History'', 1900.

References

''The Online Books Page''

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanson, John Wesley 1823 births 1901 deaths Clergy from Boston Clergy of the Universalist Church of America People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War 19th-century Christian universalists 20th-century Christian universalists American Universalists People from Grafton County, New Hampshire 19th-century American clergy