John Anderson (theologian)
Encyclopedia
John Anderson was a Presbyterian
theologian.
He was born in the far north of England, by the River Tweed
. He was brought up as a member of the (Secession)
Church of Scotland
and became a pastor. He sailed to the United States in June 1783, studied for four years, and was ordained in Philadelphia 31 October 1788. He later became the founding professor of the first Presbyterian seminary in the U.S.A., Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
, founded in 1794.
He was no more than five-feet tall, with black, piercing eyes and tangled hair, and gained a reputation for absent mindedness through his practice of reading a book while riding to church, not noticing when the horse wandered off the route.
He wrote the book Alexander and Rufus: Dialogues on Church Communion. The first part of that book argues for the historic Presbyterian and Reformed doctrines of confessional membership and close communion. The second part of that book defends the Testimony of the Secession Church of Scotland, and its daughter church in North America variously known as the Associate Synod and Associate Presbyterian church.
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
theologian.
He was born in the far north of England, by the River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
. He was brought up as a member of the (Secession)
United Secession Church
The United Secession Church was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was founded in 1820 by a union of various churches which had seceded from the established Church of Scotland and existed until 1847....
Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
and became a pastor. He sailed to the United States in June 1783, studied for four years, and was ordained in Philadelphia 31 October 1788. He later became the founding professor of the first Presbyterian seminary in the U.S.A., Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, founded in 1794, is a graduate theological institution associated with the Presbyterian Church USA. It is located in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and houses one of the largest theological libraries in the nation...
, founded in 1794.
He was no more than five-feet tall, with black, piercing eyes and tangled hair, and gained a reputation for absent mindedness through his practice of reading a book while riding to church, not noticing when the horse wandered off the route.
He wrote the book Alexander and Rufus: Dialogues on Church Communion. The first part of that book argues for the historic Presbyterian and Reformed doctrines of confessional membership and close communion. The second part of that book defends the Testimony of the Secession Church of Scotland, and its daughter church in North America variously known as the Associate Synod and Associate Presbyterian church.