Robert Lewis Dabney (March 5, 1820 – January 3, 1898) was an American

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

Southern Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

pastor,

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

, and architect. He was also chief of staff and

biographer Biographers are authors who write an account of another person's life, while autobiographers are authors who write their own biography. Biographers Countries of working life: Ab=Arabia, AG=Ancient Greece, Al=Australia, Am=Armenian, AR=Ancient Rome ...

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

. His biography of Jackson remains in print today. Dabney and

James Henley Thornwell James Henley Thornwell (December 9, 1812 – August 1, 1862) was an American Presbyterian preacher, slaveowner, and religious writer from the U.S. state of South Carolina during the 19th century. During the American Civil War, Thornwell support ...

were two of Southern Presbyterianism's most influential scholars. They were both

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

, Old School Presbyterians, and social conservatives. Some conservative Presbyterians, particularly within the

Presbyterian Church in America The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and presb ...

and the

Orthodox Presbyterian Church The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) is a confessional Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States, with additional congregations in Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyteri ...

, still value their theological writings, although some within these churches have repudiated Dabney's and Thornwell's beliefs on race and support of

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum ar ...

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

Biography

Early life

Robert Lewis Dabney was born on March 5, 1820. He was the sixth child (third son) of Charles William Dabney (1786–1833) and Elizabeth Randolph Price Dabney, and a descendant of Cornelius d'Aubigné from an extended d'Aubigné (Dabney) Huguenot family that settled in Virginia and Massachusetts in the 17th century. His brother, Charles William Dabney (1809–1895) was the captain of Company C, 15th Virginia Infantry Regiment. He graduated from

Hampden-Sydney College Hampden Sydney is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,450 at the 2010 census. Hampden Sydney is the home of Hampden–Sydney College, a private all-male college that is the tenth- ...

with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1837, and received a master's degree from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

in 1842. He graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1846.

Career

He served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Louisa County, Virginia Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,596. The county seat is Louisa. History Prior to colonial settlement, the area comprising Louisa County was occupied by severa ...

, from 1846 to 1847 and

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church The Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church, is a Presbyterian church founded in 1740, and is the oldest Presbyterian congregation in the Valley of Virginia (the Shenandoah Valley). Its historic building is listed on the National Register of Histor ...

from 1847 to 1853, being also head master of a classical school for a portion of this time. He is considered a distinguished son of Providence Presbyterian Church. It was at Tinkling Spring that he met Margaret Lavinia Morrison. They were married on March 28, 1848. They had six sons together, three of whom died in childhood from diphtheria (two in 1855, the other in 1862). From 1853 to 1859, he was professor of

ecclesiastical history __NOTOC__ Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual ...

and polity and from 1859 to 1869 adjunct 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 topi ...

in Union Theological Seminary, where he later became full professor of systematics. Dabney, whose wife was a third cousin to Stonewall Jackson's wife, participated in 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 th ...

: during the summer of 1861 he was chaplain of the

18th Virginia Infantry The 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia. The 18th Virginia completed its organiz ...

in the Confederate army, and in the following year was chief of staff to Jackson during the Valley Campaign and the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, command ...

. In 1883, he was appointed professor of mental and

moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

in the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

. By 1894, failing health compelled him to retire from active life, although he still lectured occasionally. He was co-pastor, with his brother-in-law B. M. Smith, of the Hampden-Sydney College Church 1858 to 1874, also serving Hampden-Sydney College in a professorial capacity on occasions of vacancies in its faculty. College Church HSC

Architecture

Dabney's designs for the

and for two other churches in Virginia are credited with influencing church architecture in Virginia. an
accompanying photo
Three works associated with Dabney are listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

: Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church;

Briery Church Briery Church is a historic Presbyterian Church located at Briery, Prince Edward County, Virginia. While the congregation dates as far back as 1755, the present building was designed by Rev. Robert Lewis Dabney (1820-1898) and built about 1855. ...

, in

Briery, Virginia Briery is an unincorporated community in Prince Edward County, Virginia, United States. The Briery Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal ...

; and New Providence Presbyterian Church, near

Brownsburg, Virginia Brownsburg is an unincorporated community in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States. The Brownsburg Historic District, Hays Creek Mill, Kennedy-Wade Mill, Level Loop, Mulberry Grove, and New Providence Presbyterian Church are listed on ...

Death

He died on January 3, 1898, due to complications from an acute illness.

Major works

*''Memoir of Rev. Dr. Francis S. Sampson'' (1855), whose commentary on

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 ...

he edited (1857) *''Life of General Thomas J. Jackson'' (1866) *''A Defense of Virginia, and Through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional Party'' (1867), an apologia for chattel slavery.
''Ecclesiastical Relation of Negroes: Speech of Rev. Robert L. Dabney, in the Synod of Virginia, Nov. 9, 1867; Against the Ecclesiastical Equality of Negro Preachers in Our Church, and Their Right to Rule Over White Christians''
(1868) *''Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric'' (1870) *''Women's Rights women'' (1871) *'' Syllabus and Notes of the Course of Systematic and Polemic Theology'' (1871; 2nd ed. 1878), later republished as ''Systematic Theology.''

(1878) *''Sensualistic Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century Examined'' (1875; 2nd ed. 1887) *''Practical Philosophy'' (1897) *''Penal Character of the Atonement of Christ Discussed in the Light of Recent Popular Heresies'' (1898, posthumous), on the satisfaction view of the atonement. *''Discussions'' (1890–1897), Four volumes of his shorter essays, edited by C. R. Vaughan.
''Theological and Evangelical''
(1890)
''Evangelical''
(1891)
''Philosophical''
(1892)
''Secular''
(1897) Also expanded later into five volumes, with the fifth volume consisting of selected shorter works, edited by J. H. Varner, published by Sprinkle Publications in 1999.
/ref>

References

Bibliography * Groce, W. Todd. "The Cassandra of Yankeedom: Robert Lewis Dabney and the Critique of the New South," in W. Todd Groce and Stephen V. Ash, eds., ''Nineteenth Century America: Essays in Honor of Paul H. Bergeron''. The University of Tennessee Press, 2005. * Hettle, Wallace (2003). "The Minister, the Martyr, and the Maxim: Robert Lewis Dabney and Stonewall Jackson Biography," ''Civil War History,'' Vol. 49, No. 4, pp. 353–369.'' * Johnson, Thomas Cary (1903)
''Life and Letters of Robert Lewis Dabney''
Richmond, Va.: The Presbyterian Committee of Publication. * Lucas, Sean Michael (2003). "'Old Times There Are Not Forgotten': Robert Lewis Dabney's Public Theology for a Reconstructed South," ''The Journal of Presbyterian History,'' Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 163–177. * Lucas, Sean Michael (2005). ''Robert Lewis Dabney: A Southern Presbyterian Life''. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Pub. See also th

by Iain D Campbell. * Nutt, Rick (1984). "Robert Lewis Dabney, Presbyterians and Women's Suffrage," ''Journal of Presbyterian History (1962–1985),'' Vol. 62, No. 4, pp. 339–353. * Simkins, Francis B. (1964). "Robert Lewis Dabney, Southern Conservative," ''The Georgia Review,'' Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 393–407. * Smith, Morton H. (1962). ''Studies in Southern Presbyterian Theology''. Jackson, Miss.: Presbyterian Reformation Society * Wilson, Charles Reagan (1981). "Robert Lewis Dabney: Religion and the Southern Holocaust," ''The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography,'' Vol. 89, No. 1, pp. 79–89. * White, Henry Alexander (1911)
"Robert Lewis Dabney."
In: ''Southern Presbyterian Leaders.'' New York: The Neale Publishing Company, pp. 382–393. * Woods, Henry M. (1936
"Robert Lewis Dabney: Prince Among Theologians and Men"
a memorial address delivered at Stonewall Church,

Appomattox, Virginia Appomattox is a town in Appomattox County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,733 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Appomattox County. Appomattox is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The town ...

, celebrating the founding of the Southern Presbyterian Church in 1861. (

PDF Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000, is a file format developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. ...

)

External links

* *
Works by Robert Lewis Dabney
at

Hathi Trust HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally ...

*
"Christ Our Substitute"
a Dabney message later published as a

tract Tract may refer to: Geography and real estate * Housing tract, an area of land that is subdivided into smaller individual lots * Land lot or tract, a section of land * Census tract, a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census ...

. *
"Five Points of Calvinism"
by R. L. Dabney. *

Dabney's discussion of the proper day of the week for the Christian

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as G ...

. *
''A Defence of Virginia''
(scanned page images) *

(PDF download) *
DabneyArchive.com
an online repository for Dabney's works, with embedded searchable OCR. *
Robert Lewis Dabney
in ''

Encyclopedia Virginia Virginia Humanities (VH), formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, is a humanities council whose stated mission is to develop the civic, cultural, and intellectual life of the Commonwealth of Virginia by creating learning opportunities f ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Dabney, Robert Lewis 1820 births 1898 deaths Writers from Virginia Confederate States Army officers American Calvinist and Reformed theologians American biographers American male biographers Presbyterian Church in the United States ministers People of Virginia in the American Civil War American proslavery activists Union Presbyterian Seminary alumni Confederate States Army chaplains 19th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 19th-century American architects Presbyterian Church in the United States members 19th-century male writers 19th-century American clergy