H. Wheeler Robinson
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Henry Wheeler Robinson, known universally as H. Wheeler Robinson, was born on 7 February 1872 at Northampton
, United Kingdom
and died on 12 May 1945 in Oxford
, United Kingdom.
, the University of Edinburgh
, Mansfield College, Oxford
, and the Universities of Marburg and Strasbourg
.
He began his ministry at Pitlochry
and then at St Michael's, Coventry
.
In 1926, he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity
honoris causa from the University of Edinburgh
.
He became Principal of Regent's Park Baptist College
, then still in London, and was responsible for moving the college to its present location at Oxford
. When he came to Oxford as Principal of Regent’s Park College, he was the most outstanding British Old Testament scholar of the day. The Faculty of Theology immediately appointed him as an examiner, and he became a Reader in Biblical Criticism in 1934 and the Old Testament tutor for Mansfield College (F.M. Turner, The History of the University of Oxford. Vol. VIII: The Twentieth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994, 297).
He was President of the Society for Old Testament Study in 1929 and Acting President 1941-45.
, an undated letter from Freddy Hood, a member of the Chapter, and later Principal, of Pusey House, to John Betjeman
, in which he wrote,
(John Betjeman
was not, of course, an Irvingite
).
, but rather in the concept of the invasion of the human psyche by the divine Spirit. Wheeler Robinson had found that this concept in fact originated in animism, though it was subsequently developed to much greater religious depth in Hebrew thought. The sociological and anthropological material on which Wheeler Robinson drew was later discredited. However, Mason believed that Wheeler Robinson's main concepts were drawn from his study of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures themselves, and that his use of comparative material from the ancient Near East served mainly as an illustration, rather than a source, for his ideas. In conclusion, Mason found that Wheeler Robinson anticipated subsequent developments in Old Testament scholarship, and especially those developments that were critical of "Biblical Theology" - a movement that Mason claims Wheeler Robinson himself would have rejected. Wheeler Robinson left an enduring legacy and is still considered a major scholar whose influence on Old Testament studies is felt long after his own time.
A building at Regent's Park College, Oxford
, Wheeler Robinson House, is named in his honour.
and Margherita van Raalt, on 31 October 1959.
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and died on 12 May 1945 in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, United Kingdom.
Career
H. Wheeler Robinson was educated at Regent's Park Baptist College, then still in LondonRegent's Park College, Oxford
Regent's Park College is a Permanent Private Hall in the University of Oxford, situated in central Oxford, just off St Giles.The College admits both undergraduate and graduate students to take Oxford degrees in a variety of Arts, Humanities and Social Science subjects...
, the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Mansfield College, Oxford
Mansfield College, Oxford
Mansfield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Of the colleges that accept both undergraduate and graduate students Mansfield College is one of the smallest, comprising approximately 210 undergraduates, 130 graduates, 35 visiting students and 50...
, and the Universities of Marburg and Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
.
He began his ministry at Pitlochry
Pitlochry
Pitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564....
and then at St Michael's, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
.
In 1926, he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
honoris causa from the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.
He became Principal of Regent's Park Baptist College
Regent's Park College, Oxford
Regent's Park College is a Permanent Private Hall in the University of Oxford, situated in central Oxford, just off St Giles.The College admits both undergraduate and graduate students to take Oxford degrees in a variety of Arts, Humanities and Social Science subjects...
, then still in London, and was responsible for moving the college to its present location at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. When he came to Oxford as Principal of Regent’s Park College, he was the most outstanding British Old Testament scholar of the day. The Faculty of Theology immediately appointed him as an examiner, and he became a Reader in Biblical Criticism in 1934 and the Old Testament tutor for Mansfield College (F.M. Turner, The History of the University of Oxford. Vol. VIII: The Twentieth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994, 297).
He was President of the Society for Old Testament Study in 1929 and Acting President 1941-45.
Publications
- The religious ideas of the Old Testament (London: Duckworth, 1913)
- The Christian doctrine of man(2nd edn, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1913)
- Baptist principles (London: Kingsgate Press, 1925)
- The cross of Jeremiah (London: SCM, 1925)
- The cross of the servant: a study in Deutero-Isaiah (London: SCM, 1926)
- The life and faith of the Baptists (London: Methuen, 1927)
- The Christian experience of the Holy Spirit (London: Nisbet, 1928)
- The veil of God (London : Nisbet, 1936)
- Baptists in Britain (London: Baptist Union, 1937)
- The Old Testament, its making and meaning (New York: Abingdon Press, 1937)
- The cross of Job (2nd edn, London: SCM, 1938)
- Suffering human and divine(London: SCM, 1940)
- Redemption and revelation: in the actuality of history (London: Nisbet, 1942)
- Inspiration and revelation in the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946)
- Two Hebrew prophets: studies in Hosea and Ezekiel (London: Lutterworth Press, 1948)
- The history of Israel: its facts and factors (London: Duckworth, 1949)
- The cross in the Old Testament (London: SCM, 1960)
- Corporate personality in ancient Israel (rev. edn, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1981)
Humorous reference
There exists in the McPherson Library, University of VictoriaUniversity of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
, an undated letter from Freddy Hood, a member of the Chapter, and later Principal, of Pusey House, to John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
, in which he wrote,
- If you can possibly come to a meeting of the NICENE at MansfieldMansfield College, OxfordMansfield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Of the colleges that accept both undergraduate and graduate students Mansfield College is one of the smallest, comprising approximately 210 undergraduates, 130 graduates, 35 visiting students and 50...
SCR tonight...at 8.15. Wheeler Robinson on "The Marriage of Cana and its Significance in Theology". It will be frightfully funny - I want you to come and take part in the discussion "speaking as an IrvingiteCatholic Apostolic ChurchThe Catholic Apostolic Church was a religious movement which originated in England around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States. While often referred to as Irvingism, it was neither actually founded nor anticipated by Edward Irving. The Catholic Apostolic Church was organised in...
I should like to suggest..." Do try ever so hard. (Quoted in Bevis HillierBevis HillierBevis Hillier is an English art historian, author and journalist. He has written on Art Deco, and also a biography of Sir John Betjeman.-Life and work:...
, Young Betjeman [London: John MurrayJohn Murray (publisher)John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
, 1988], p. 164)
(John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
was not, of course, an Irvingite
Catholic Apostolic Church
The Catholic Apostolic Church was a religious movement which originated in England around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States. While often referred to as Irvingism, it was neither actually founded nor anticipated by Edward Irving. The Catholic Apostolic Church was organised in...
).
Legacy
Rex Mason devoted his Presidential Address to the Society for Old Testament Study to the topic, H. Wheeler Robinson Revisited. He argued that Wheeler Robinson's work was rooted in his interest in Hebrew Psychology, while he was also influenced by developments in sociology and anthropology. Mason argued that the most significant aspect of Wheeler Robinson's work was not in the concept of Corporate PersonalityCorporate personality
Corporate personality is a concept in Christian theology that was articulated by H. Wheeler Robinson. As originally formulated, it dealt with areas of the Old Testament where the relationships between individuals and the groups that they were part of were treated...
, but rather in the concept of the invasion of the human psyche by the divine Spirit. Wheeler Robinson had found that this concept in fact originated in animism, though it was subsequently developed to much greater religious depth in Hebrew thought. The sociological and anthropological material on which Wheeler Robinson drew was later discredited. However, Mason believed that Wheeler Robinson's main concepts were drawn from his study of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures themselves, and that his use of comparative material from the ancient Near East served mainly as an illustration, rather than a source, for his ideas. In conclusion, Mason found that Wheeler Robinson anticipated subsequent developments in Old Testament scholarship, and especially those developments that were critical of "Biblical Theology" - a movement that Mason claims Wheeler Robinson himself would have rejected. Wheeler Robinson left an enduring legacy and is still considered a major scholar whose influence on Old Testament studies is felt long after his own time.
A building at Regent's Park College, Oxford
Regent's Park College, Oxford
Regent's Park College is a Permanent Private Hall in the University of Oxford, situated in central Oxford, just off St Giles.The College admits both undergraduate and graduate students to take Oxford degrees in a variety of Arts, Humanities and Social Science subjects...
, Wheeler Robinson House, is named in his honour.
Family
Wheeler Robinson's son, Bernard, married the Honourable Elisabeth Gwendolen Ellis, daughter of Thomas Evelyn Scott-Ellis, 8th Baron Howard de WaldenBaron Howard de Walden
Baron Howard de Walden is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by writ of summons, by Queen Elizabeth I for Admiral Lord Thomas Howard, a younger son of the 4th Duke of Norfolk, in 1597. The title was reportedly granted for the Admiral's role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588...
and Margherita van Raalt, on 31 October 1959.