Biography of J. Gresham Machen

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Biography of J. Gresham Machen

John Gresham Machen was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 28th 1881 to parents Arthur Webster and Mary Hones Gresham. From an early age Machen was taught lessons of the bible and of Jesus. His family attended a Presbyterian church called Franklyn Street Presbyterian. (Wikipedia) Machen's father was a lawyer and therefore Machen was considered to be brought up in a rather privileged home. He attendee a private college where he was educated in classics such a Greek and Latin.

Machen began his education at John Hopkins University in 1898 where he majored in Classics. In college he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity and was also a member of academic societies. After graduation he began studying theology at Princeton Seminary while also pursuing a Master's Degree in Philosophy at Princeton University. (Haykin) In 1905, Machen studied theology abroad in Germany. "His time in Germany and his engagement with Modernist theologians led him to reject the movement and embrace conservative Reformed theology more firmly than before.

(Wikipedia) In early 1906 Machen began teaching Ned Testament Theology at Princeton Seminary as a general instructor. It was in 1915 that he was named Assistant New testament Professor. Interestingly, during WW1, Machen traveled to France with the YMCA where he did volunteer work near the front line of battle. After the war, Machen returned to his post as ‘New Testament Scholar' at Princeton Seminary. During this time he gained a reputation as being a strong opponent to Modernism and Liberal theology. In 1921 Machen wrote The Origin of Paul's Religion, a work that defended that Paul was a firm follower of Jesus. Modernists tried to originate his re...

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...still wide spread. Westminster Theological Seminary has spread to many different areas of the United States and even branch in London. The Conservative movement involving Machen still lives on today. The quote "To sin by Silence when we should protest makes cowards of us all" in my opinion sums of Machen's life and his work.

Works Cited

Coray, Henry W. Henry W. Coray on J. Gresham Machen.

Haykin, Michael. Defenders of the Faith: John Gresham Machen and the defense of Christian Truth.

Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity and Liberalism. Reprint. Grand Rapids: Edmans

Publishing Company, 1923, 1977.

Machen, J. Gresham. What Is Faith?. Grand Rapids: Edmans

Publishing Company, 1925.

Piper, John. J. Gresham Machen's Response to Modernism. January 26,1993.

Wikipedia.com. ‘J. Gresham Machen'.

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