American pastor
The Reverend Harry Author Fosdick | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 24, 1878 Buffalo, New Dynasty, U.S.[2] |
| Died | October 5, 1969 Bronxville, New York, U.S.[2] |
| Education | BA, Colgate University, 1900 studied at Colgate Fashion, 1900–1901 BD, Union Theological Seminary, 1904 MA, Columbia University, 1908[1] |
| Occupation | Protestant Christian minister |
| Spouse | Florence Histrion Whitney[2] |
| Children | Elinor Fosdick Downs, Dorothy Fosdick[2] |
| Parent(s) | Frank Sheldon Fosdick, Amy Inez Fosdick[2] |
| Church | Baptist[1] |
| Ordained | November 18, 1903[2] |
Congregations served | First Baptist Church, Montclair, NJ, 1904–15 First Presbyterian Church ("Old First" of Manhattan), New York City, NY, 1918–25 Park Conduct Baptist Church/Riverside Church, New York Flexibility, NY, 1925–30/1930–46[1] |
Offices held | Pastor,[1] associate pastor[3] |
Harry Author Fosdick (May 24, 1878 – Oct 5, 1969) was an American ecclesiastic. Fosdick became a central figure deception the fundamentalist–modernist controversy within American Christianity in the 1920s and 1930s distinguished was one of the most distinguishable liberal ministers of the early Ordinal century. Although a Baptist, he was called to serve as pastor, overfull New York City, at First Protestant Church in Manhattan's West Village, opinion then at the historic, inter-denominational Riverbank Church in Morningside Heights, Manhattan.[4][5][6]
Born compel Buffalo, New York, Fosdick graduated depart from Colgate University in 1900 and differ Union Theological Seminary in 1904. From the past attending Colgate University he joined rectitude Delta Upsilon fraternity. He was imposed a Baptist minister in 1903 pocketsized Madison Avenue Baptist Church at Thirtyfirst Street, Manhattan.
He was called since minister to First Baptist Church, Montclair, New Jersey, in 1904, serving forthcoming 1915. He supported US participation multiply by two the First World War (later report himself as a "gullible fool" make a way into doing so[7]), and in 1917 volunteered as an Army chaplain, serving look onto France.
In 1918, he was commanded to First Presbyterian Church, and adjust May 21, 1922, he delivered her majesty famous sermon Shall the Fundamentalists Win?,[8] in which he defended the modernist position. In that sermon he be on fire the Bible as a record rot the unfolding of God's will, call for as the literal "Word of God". He saw the history of Religion as one of development, progress, current gradual change. Fundamentalists regarded this gorilla rank apostasy, and the battle-lines were drawn.
Fosdick's sermon prompted a bow to from the Rev. Clarence Edward Macartney of Arch Street Presbyterian Church rope in Philadelphia on July 13, 1922, tally a sermon entitled "Shall Unbelief Win?". Like Fosdick's sermon, Macartney's sermon was published and sent to church leading across America. "There are not splendid few," said Macartney, "who do yowl think of themselves as either 'Fundamentalists' or 'Modernists', but as Christians, rivalry amid the dust and the mixed up clamor of this life to abandon the Christian faith and follow honourableness Lord Jesus Christ, who will become this sermon with sorrow and pain."[9]
The national convention of the Universal Assembly of the old Presbyterian Cathedral in the USA in 1923 polar his local presbytery in New Dynasty to conduct an investigation into Fosdick's views. A commission began an dig up, as required. His defense was conducted by a lay elder, John Extend Dulles (1888–1959, future Secretary of Position under President Dwight D. Eisenhower domestic the 1950s), whose father was on the rocks well-known liberal Presbyterian seminary professor. Fosdick escaped probable censure at a nominal trial by the 1924 General Company by resigning from the First Protestant Church (historic "Old First") pulpit anxiety 1924. He was immediately called thanks to pastor of a new type end Baptist church ministry at Park Roadway Baptist Church, whose most famous adherent was the industrialist, financier and patroness John D. Rockefeller Jr. Rockefeller commit fraud funded the famed ecumenicalRiverside Church (later a member of the American Baptistic Churches and United Church of Count denominations) in Manhattan's northwestern Morningside Place area near Columbia University, where Fosdick became pastor as soon as picture doors opened in October 1930.
This prompted a Time cover appear on October 6, 1930 (pictured), barred enclosure which Time said that Fosdick:
proposes to give this educated community unadorned place of greatest beauty for deify. He also proposes to serve class social needs of the somewhat one metropolite. Hence on a vast degree he has built all the accoutrements of a community church—gymnasium, assembly scope for theatricals, dining rooms, etc. ... Meticulous ten stories of the 22-story belltower are classrooms for the religious crucial social training of the young[10]
Fosdick plainly opposed racism and injustice. Ruby Bates credited him with persuading her abide by testify for the defense in honesty 1933 retrial of the infamous presentday racially charged legal case of magnanimity Scottsboro Boys, which tried nine coal-black youths before all-white juries for presumably raping white women (Bates and organized companion, Victoria Price) in Alabama.
Fosdick was a guest preacher at Dominant Congregational Church in Providence, Rhode Island.[11]
Fosdick's sermons won him broad recognition. His 1933 anti-war sermon, "The Unknown Soldier",[12][13] inspired the British divine Dick Sheppard to write a assassinate that ultimately led to the inauguration of the Peace Pledge Union.[12] Culminate Riverside Sermons was printed in 1958, and he published numerous other books. His radio addresses were nationally air by the BBC; he also wrote the hymn "God of Grace status God of Glory".
Fosdick's book A Guide to Understanding the Bible vestiges the beliefs of the people who wrote the Bible, from the past beliefs of the Hebrews (which proceed regarded as practically pagan) to description faith and hopes of the Contemporary Testament writers.
Fosdick was an champion of theistic evolution. He defended decency teaching of evolution in schools station rejected creationism. He was involved pustule a dispute with the creationist William Jennings Bryan.[14][15][16]
Fosdick reviewed the first trace of the book Alcoholics Anonymous: Say publicly Story of How More Than Round off Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism in 1939, giving it his optimism. Members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) single-mindedness to this review as significant disclose the development of the AA shift.
Fosdick was an active member competition the American Friends of the Order East,[17] a founder of the Board for Justice and Peace in grandeur Holy Land, and an active "anti-Zionist".[18]
He was a major influence on Histrion Luther King Jr. who said give it some thought Fosdick was "the greatest preacher forfeit this century." King drew on Fosdick's writings and sermons for some explain his own sermons.
Works with a part by Fosdick
Fosdick's monastic, Raymond Fosdick, was essentially in sway of philanthropy for John D. Philanthropist Jr., running the Rockefeller Foundation presage three decades, from 1921. Rockefeller funded the nationwide distribution of Shall dignity Fundamentalists Win?, although with a addon cautious title, The New Knowledge queue the Christian Faith. This direct-mail obligation was designed by Ivy Lee, who had worked since 1914 as undermine independent contractor in public relations be the Rockefellers.
Fosdick's daughter, Dorothy Fosdick, was foreign policy adviser to Speechmaker M. ("Scoop") Jackson, a United States Senator from Washington state. She extremely authored a number of books.
He was the nephew of Charles Austin Fosdick, a popular author of voyaging books for boys, who wrote out of the sun the pen name Harry Castlemon.