![The grave of Marcus Dods, Dean Cemetery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/The_grave_of_Marcus_Dods%2C_Dean_Cemetery.jpg)
Marcus Dods (11 April 1834 – 26 April 1909) was a
Scottish divine and controversial
biblical scholar. He was a minister of the
Free Church of Scotland. He served as Principal of
New College, Edinburgh
New College is a historic building at the University of Edinburgh which houses the university's School of Divinity. It is one of the largest and most renowned centres for studies in Theology and Religious Studies in the United Kingdom. Students ...
.
Life
He was born at
Belford, Northumberland
Belford is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, about halfway between Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed, a few miles inland from the east coast and just off the Great North Road, the A1. At the 2001 census it had a population of ...
, the youngest son of Rev
Marcus Dods, a minister of the Church of Scotland and his wife, Sarah Pallister.
[Ewing, William ''Annals of the Free Church'']
He attended
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, is now part of the Senior School. The Junior School is located on Arboretum Ro ...
and then studied divinity at
Edinburgh University
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...
, graduating in 1854 and being licensed in 1858. He had a difficult probationary period, being refused by 23 churches. In 1864 he became minister of Renfield Free Church,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, where he worked for twenty-five years.
In 1889 he was appointed professor of
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 Chri ...
Exegesis
Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...
in the
New College, Edinburgh
New College is a historic building at the University of Edinburgh which houses the university's School of Divinity. It is one of the largest and most renowned centres for studies in Theology and Religious Studies in the United Kingdom. Students ...
, of which he became
principal on the death of
Robert Rainy
Robert Rainy (1 January 1826 – 22 December 1906), was a Scottish Presbyterian divine. Rainy Hall in New College, Edinburgh (the Divinity faculty in Edinburgh University) is named after him.
Life
He was born on New Year's Day 1826 at 28 M ...
in May 1907.
He became part of the
United Free Church of Scotland
The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...
on its formation in 1900, and in 1901 was elected Moderator of its General Assembly in 1902.
He declined the position, stating that "he cannot see his way to undertake the duties".
It was assumed he felt that being a neutral moderator, he would not be able to express his opinions on certain doctrinal points due to be discussed.
In later life he lived with his children and grandchildren in a huge Georgian townhouse, 23 Great King Street, in
Edinburgh's Second New Town.
In spring of 1907 he filled in for Rev
Robert James Drummond Robert James Drummond (1858–1951) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Free Church of Scotland in 1918. He served as Chaplain to the King (George V) in Scotland.
Life
He was born on 1 June 18 ...
preaching at Lothian Road UF Church while the Drummonds visited the
Holy Land.
[The History of Lothian Road UF Church (Turnbull & Spears)]
On 26 April 1909, he died in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
. He was buried in the
Dean Cemetery. The grave lies in the eastern part of the original north extension. He is buried with his wife and youngest son, Francis Palliser Dods (1879-1910).
Family
In 1871, he married Catherine Swanston (1844-1901), daughter of James Swanston.
They had three sons and one daughter. Their eldest son, an advocate, was also named Marcus Dods.
His sister Mary Frances Dods married the antiquarian Rev
George Wilson of Glenluce
George Wilson of Glenluce FSAS (31 October 1823–18 February 1899) was a Scottish minister of the Free Church of Scotland who was also an antiquarian and archaeologist, remembered for his investigations at Old Luce.
Life
He was born on 31 O ...
.
[
]
Works
Throughout his life, both ministerial and professorial, he devoted much time to the publication of theological books.
Several of his writings, especially a sermon on ''Inspiration'' delivered in 1878, incurred the charge of unorthodoxy, and shortly before his election to the Edinburgh professorship he was summoned before the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, but the charge was dropped by a large majority, and in 1891 he received the honorary degree of DD from Edinburgh University.
He edited Johann Peter Lange
Johann Peter Lange (; 10 April 1802 in Sonnborn (now a part of Wuppertal) – 9 July 1884, Bonn), was a German Calvinist theologian of peasant origin.
Biography
He was born at Sonnborn near Elberfeld, and studied theology at Bonn (from 1822) ...
's ''Life of Christ in English'' (Edinburgh, 1864, 6 vols.), Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North A ...
's works (1872–1876), and, with Alexander Whyte
''For the British colonial administrator, see Alexander Frederick Whyte''
Rev Alexander Whyte D.D.,LL.D. (13 January 18366 January 1921) was a Scottish divine. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland in 1898.
...
, ''Clark's Handbooks for Bible Classes'' series. In the ''Expositors Bible'' series he edited Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
and 1 Corinthians, and he was also a contributor to the 9th 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 ''Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
''Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible'' was a five-volume Biblical encyclopaedia published 1898–1904.
First edition
The full title was ''A Dictionary of the Bible, dealing with the Language, Literature and Contents, including the Biblical Theology ...
''. He published a translation of Augustine's '' City of God'' in 1871.
Among other important works are:
*''The Epistle to the Seven Churches'' (1865)
*
An Introduction to the New Testament
'
*
Israel's Iron Age
' (1874)
*
Mohammed, Buddha and Christ
' (1877)
*''Handbook on Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi'' (1879)
*''The Gospel according to St John'' and ''Hebrews'' (1897), in the ''Expositors Greek Testament'', Robertson Nicoll Editor, New York, n.d. St. John in Vol 1, p.7, and Hebrews in Vol 4, p. 9. cited as author
*
The Parables of Our Lord
' (1895)
*
Forerunners of Dante
'
*
How to Become Like Christ
' (1897)
Available from Gutenberg
*
The Bible, its Origin and Nature
' (1904)
*the ''Bross Lectures'', in which he gave an able sketch of the use of Old Testament criticism, and finally set forth his ''Theory of Inspiration''.
Apart from his services to Biblical scholarship he takes high rank among those who have sought to bring the results of technical criticism within the reach of the ordinary reader.
References
;Attribution
Sources
*
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dods, Marcus
1834 births
1909 deaths
People educated at Edinburgh Academy
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
British biblical scholars
Academics of the University of Edinburgh
Scottish Christian theologians
Scottish encyclopedists
British academic administrators
People from Belford, Northumberland
19th-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland