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Thomas Rawson Birks (28 September 1810 – 19 July 1883) was an English theologian and controversialist, who figured in the debate to try to resolve theology and science. He rose to be Knightbridge Professor of Moral Philosophy at the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. His discussions led to much controversy: in one book he proposed that stars cannot have planets as this would reduce the importance of Christ's appearance on this planet.


Biography

Birks was born on 28 September 1810 in
Staveley Staveley may refer to: Places * Staveley, Cumbria, village in the former county of Westmorland and now in Cumbria, England ** Staveley railway station * Staveley-in-Cartmel, village formerly in Lancashire, now in Cumbria, England * Staveley, D ...
in
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
, England, where his father was a tenant farmer under the
Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has be ...
. The family being nonconformists, Birks was educated at
Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
and then at the
Dissenting College The dissenting academies were schools, colleges and seminaries (often institutions with aspects of all three) run by English Dissenters, that is, those who Nonconformist (Protestantism), did not conform to the Church of England. They formed a sign ...
at
Mill Hill Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it became part of Greater London. Its population counted 18, ...
. He won a
sizar At Trinity College, Dublin and the University of Cambridge, a sizar is an undergraduate who receives some form of assistance such as meals, lower fees or lodging during his or her period of study, in some cases in return for doing a defined jo ...
ship and a scholarship at
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
, and in his third year gained the chief English declamation prize. As the holder of this prize he delivered the customary oration in the college hall. The subject chosen was ''Mathematical and Moral Certainty'' and Dr
William Whewell William Whewell ( ; 24 May 17946 March 1866) was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. In his time as a student there, he achieved dist ...
spoke very highly of this oration. In 1834, like Whewell before him, Birks became
second wrangler At the University of Cambridge in England, a "Wrangler" is a student who gains first-class honours in the final year of the university's degree in mathematics. The highest-scoring student is the Senior Wrangler, the second highest is the Secon ...
and second Smith's prizeman.


The church

Having joined the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
on leaving the university, Birks settled at
Watton-at-Stone Watton-at-Stone is a village in the English county of Hertfordshire, situated midway between the towns of Stevenage and Hertford in the valley of the River Beane. The 2011 census showed a population of 2,272 living in 946 households. Watton-at-St ...
as tutor and then curate to the Reverend Edward Bickersteth. During his stay there he studied the prophetic scriptures, and took the affirmative side in the warm controversy which arose on the subject of the premillennial theory of the Lord's return. In 1843-4 Birks won the Seatonian prize for the best English poem at Trinity College. Some years before he had been elected a fellow of this college. He engaged in many religious controversies, and one of these, on the future of the Lost, led to the severance of private friendships and religious connections. In his views on this subject he was equally opposed to the
universalists 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 ...
and the
annihilationist In Christianity, annihilationism (also known as extinctionism or destructionism) is the belief that after the Last Judgment, all unsaved human beings, all fallen angels (all of the damnation, damned) and Satan#Christianity, Satan himself will be t ...
s. In 1844 Birks married Bickersteth's daughter, Elizabeth, and accepted the living of
Kelshall Kelshall is a small village in North East Hertfordshire, England. It is near the town of Royston. It has a village hall and the local church is St Faith's. Kelshall is also the name of the civil parish. Kelshall also has a major road running alo ...
in
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
. Birks published ''Modern Astronomy'' in 1830 to demonstrate a harmony between science and religion; in it he attempts to join together theology and a modern understanding of astronomy. He deals with such subjects as the insignificance of man, if we are but one race alone in the universe except for the angels. How can Christ's importance be squared with the unimportance of the human race in a large universe with a multitude of stars and planets? Birks' solution was to decide that the existence of planets around other stars is only conjecture. In 1850 he published his edition of
William Paley William Paley (July 174325 May 1805) was an English clergyman, Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his natural theology exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in his work ''Natural T ...
's ''Horae Paulinae'', or the ''Truth of the Scripture History of St Paul'' with notes and a supplementary treatise entitled ''Horae Apostolicae''.


Widower

In 1856 Birks' wife, Elizabeth, died at the age of 46. His widowhood led to the suspension of his writing for several years. Nevertheless, ''The Bible and Modern Thought'' was published in 1861 at the request of the committee of the
Religious Tract Society The Religious Tract Society was a British evangelical Christian organization founded in 1799 and known for publishing a variety of popular religious and quasi-religious texts in the 19th century. The society engaged in charity as well as commerci ...
. Birks subsequently enlarged his work by a series of notes on the evidential school of theology, the limits of religious thought, the Bible and ancient Egypt, the human element in Scripture, and Genesis and geology. In 1862 he published ''On Matter and Ether, Or, The Secret Laws of Physical Change'' which dealt with issues of physics.


Cambridge and second marriage

Birks left Kelshall in 1864. In 1866 he accepted the important charge of
Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge Holy Trinity Church is a church in Market Street, Cambridge, Market Street, central Cambridge, England, on the corner with Sidney Street, Cambridge, Sidney Street. Its current vicar is Stuart Browning. Theologically, it stands within the charism ...
; and on 17 May 1866 married his second wife, Georgina Agnes Beresford, widow of Major James Douglas. At the time of the
disestablishment of the Church of Ireland The Irish Church Act 1869 (32 & 33 Vict. c. 42) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which separated the Church of Ireland from the Church of England and disestablished the former, a body that commanded the adherence of a small min ...
, Birks came forward with a lengthy treatise on ''Church and State'' which was an elaboration of a treatise written thirty years before, and was now republished as bearing upon the ecclesiastical change proposed by
William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
and carried into effect by Parliament. Birks was installed honorary canon of
Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The presen ...
in 1871, and in 1872, on the death of the Rev.
F. D. Maurice John Frederick Denison Maurice (1805–1872), known as F. D. Maurice, was an English Anglican theologian, a prolific author, and one of the founders of Christian socialism. Since the Second World War, interest in Maurice has expanded."Fre ...
, he was elected
Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy The Knightbridge Professorship of Philosophy is the senior professorship in philosophy at the University of Cambridge. There have been 22 Knightbridge professors, the incumbent being Rae Langton. One of the oldest professorships in Cambridge, the ...
. This appointment led to a stormy controversy. It was regarded as a retrograde step by the large body of liberal thinkers who sympathised with the views of Maurice. As pastor at Cambridge, Birks gave religious instruction to the undergraduates, to older members of the university, and also to the residents in the town. In the year of his appointment he published his ''Scripture Doctrine of Creation '' and ''The Philosophy of Human Responsibility''. His inaugural lecture as professor of moral philosophy was on ''The Present Importance of Moral Science''(1872). In 1873 Birks published his ''First Principles of Moral Science'' which was a course of lectures delivered during his professorship. This work was followed in 1874 by ''Modern Utilitarianism'' in which the systems of
William Paley William Paley (July 174325 May 1805) was an English clergyman, Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his natural theology exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in his work ''Natural T ...
,
Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham (; 15 February 1748 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_February_1747.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 4 February 1747">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.htm ...
and
John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to ...
were examined and compared. In 1876 he delivered the annual address to the
Victoria Institute The Victoria Institute, or Philosophical Society of Great Britain, was founded in 1865, as a response to the publication of ''On the Origin of Species'' and ''Essays and Reviews''. Its stated objective was to defend "the great truths revealed in ...
, his subject being ''The Uncertainties of Modern Physical Science''. In 1876 he published his work on ''Modern Physical Fatalism and the Doctrine of Evolution''. It contained the substance of a course of lectures devoted to the examination of the philosophy unfolded in
Herbert Spencer Herbert Spencer (27 April 1820 – 8 December 1903) was an English philosopher, psychologist, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his hypothesis of social Darwinism. Spencer originated the expression "survival of the fittest" ...
's ''First Principles''. Birks held the views expressed by Spencer to be unsound and opposed to the fundamental doctrines of Christianity and even the existence of moral science. To the strictures upon his ''First Principles'' Spencer replied at length, and this led to the re-publication, in 1882, of Birks's treatise, with an introduction by
Charles Pritchard Reverend Charles Pritchard (29 February 1808 – 28 May 1893) was a British astronomer, clergyman, and educational reformer. He founded the Clapham Grammar School in 1834 and included sciences in the curriculum. A chapel was erected in 184 ...
,
Savilian professor of astronomy The position of Savilian Professor of Astronomy was established at the University of Oxford in 1619. It was founded (at the same time as the Savilian Professor of Geometry, Savilian Professorship of Geometry) by Henry Savile (Bible translator), S ...
at
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, in which Spencer's rejoinder was dealt with, and the original arguments of Birks illustrated and further explained. Birks resigned the vicarage of Trinity in 1877, and in the same year published a volume on ''Manuscript Evidence in the Text of the New Testament'', which was an endeavour to bring "mathematical reasoning to bear on the probable value of the manuscripts of different ages, with a general inference in favour of the high value of the cursive manuscripts as a class". In the same year Birks issued his ''Supernatural Revelation'', being an answer to a work on '' Supernatural Religion'' which had given rise to much criticism. Birks's treatise was again republished at a later period by Pritchard, with a reply to objections that had been urged against it.


Other activities

For twenty-one years Birks served as honorary secretary to the
Evangelical Alliance The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a national evangelical alliance, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Founded in 1846, the activities of the Evangelical Alliance aim to promote evangelical Christian beliefs in government, media and societ ...
, but he resigned when the committee failed to agree with his views on eternal punishment.New York Times obituary
July 1883, accessed 24 March 2008
He was an examiner for the theological examination at Cambridge in 1867 and 1868, and was a member of the board of theological studies. He took an active part in all university affairs during his connection with Cambridge, was appointed to preach the Ramsden sermon in 1867, and was frequently a select preacher before the university.


Illness and death

Early in 1875 Birks suffered from a paralytic seizure, and this was followed by a second stroke in 1877. He still took a deep interest in questions of the day, and was able to dictate various works. In April 1880, while residing in the
New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...
, he was paralysed for a week,New York Times
1880, accessed 24 March 2008
his third attack. He was conveyed home to Cambridge, where he lingered for three years incapable of intellectual effort. He died on 19 July 1883 at his home and he was buried in Cambridge.


Family

By his first marriage to Elizabeth Bickersteth, Birks had eight children. His eldest son, Edward Bickersteth Birks, also became a theologian and succeeded him as a fellow of Trinity.


Works

In addition to the works named in the course of this article, Birks was the author of a considerable number of treatises on prophecy and other subjects connected with the older revelation, as well as his ''Memoir of the Rev. Edward Bickersteth''. *
First Elements of Sacred Prophecy: Including an Examination of Several Recent Expositions, and of the Year-Day Theory
' (London: William Edward Painter, 1843). *
The Four Prophetic Empires and the Kingdom of the Messiah: Being an Exposition of the First Two Visions of Daniel
' (London: Seeley, Burnside and Seeley, 1844). *
Outlines of unfulfilled prophecy, an inquiry into the Scripture testimony respecting the 'good things to come'.
' (London: Seeleys, 1854). *
The Victory of Divine Goodness: Reply to Strictures (on the Above-named Work) in Two Recent Works (i.e. “Religious Tendencies of the Times” by James Grant, and “God's Purpose in Judgments” by Robert Baxter).
' (London: Rivingtons, 1869). *
The Victory of Divine Goodness: Including I. Letters to an Inquirer on Various Doctrines of Scripture : II. Notes on Coleridge's Confessions of an Inquiring Spirit : III. Thoughts on the Nature of the Atonement and of Eternal Judgment
' (London: Rivingtons, 1870). *
Commentary on the Book of Isaiah: Critical, Historical, and Prophetical; Including a Revised English Translation, with Introduction and Appendices
' (London: McMillan & Co., 1878). *
Thoughts on the times and seasons of sacred prophecy
' (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1880). *
Essay on the Right Estimation of Manuscript Evidence In the Text of the New Testament
' (1878)


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Birks, Thomas Rawson 1810 births 1883 deaths People from Staveley, Derbyshire 19th-century English Anglican priests Second Wranglers Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Knightbridge Professors of Philosophy