(Excerpt from Practical Sermons
It is proposed to publish...)
Excerpt from Practical Sermons
It is proposed to publish hereafter, in uniform detached volumes, such selections from his theological lectures, essays.
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This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Essays, Lectures, Etc. Upon Select Topics in Revealed Theology
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.
Theology and Human Problems: A Comparative Study of Absolute Idealism and Pragmatism as Interpreters of Religion; The Nathaniel William Taylor for ... Divinity of Yale University (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Theology and Human Problems: A Comparative S...)
Excerpt from Theology and Human Problems: A Comparative Study of Absolute Idealism and Pragmatism as Interpreters of Religion; The Nathaniel William Taylor for 1909-10, Given Before the Divinity of Yale University
Most of these elaborate theological writings of the past are for our time what the wooden frigates of our navy were for the Civil War. On a certain day in Hampton Roads one monitor proved to be worth twenty frigates for the protection of the cause of the Union. The more intricate the scheme of spars and rigging on those stately vessels, the more fatally did they carry their crews down into the sea. There was a new situation to cope with, and hence new methods of defence and attack were te quired. In a similar way new situations con front us in the world of thought, and the Church militant must have its Ericssons and its Edisons as well as its officers of the line if it is to hold its ancient place in our civilization.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
School Amusements: Ro, How to Make the School Interesting. Embracing Simple Rules for Military and Gymnastic Exercises, and Hints Upon the General Management of the School Room ...
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.
Nathaniel William Taylor, was an influential Protestant Theologian of the early 19th century.
Background
Taylor was born in 1786 in Connecticut. He was he second son of Nathaniel and Anne (Northrop) Taylor, and grandson of the Rev. Nathanael Taylor for some fifty years the pastor of the church in that town. His first American ancestor was John Taylor who came to Windsor, Connecticut, probably about 1639.
Education
Prepared for college by the Rev. Azel Backus of Bethlehem, Nathaniel entered Yale in 1800, one of his classmates being Bennet Tyler. An affection of the eyes twice interfered with his studies, deferring his graduation until 1807.
Career
For a year he served as tutor in the family of Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer of Albany, then he returned to New Haven to study theology with President Timothy Dwight. He was taken into the family of the president and became his amanuensis. This intimate association stimulated his interest in theological doctrines and profoundly influenced his thought and career.
On April 8, 1812, was ordained and installed minister of the First Church of Christ, New Haven. This pulpit he filled with conspicuous success for ten years. His personal dignity and uncommon beauty, reinforcing an eloquence expressive of weighty and well-ordered thought, made him one of the most powerful preachers of his day.
In September 1822, upon the formation of a theological department in the college known as the Yale Divinity School, he was appointed Dwight Professor of Didactic Theology, a professorship established by the eldest son of President Dwight with the understanding that it be filled by Taylor. The creedal faith of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches in America in those years was a type of thought associated with Augustine, systematized by Calvin, and adapted to the conditions of this country by Jonathan Edwards. In order to guard against the idea that man is saved by any merit of his own, Calvinism seemed to exclude any real freedom of choice. Edwards in his treatise on the will in grappling with this difficulty had declared that man has a natural ability to repent but is inhibited by his moral disinclinations; his only freedom is liberty to obey the strongest motive. The Edwardean system of thought, modified by Hopkins, Bellamy, and Dwight, was the orthodox belief commonly held in the New England churches and was largely influential in the West and South when Taylor assumed his duties at Yale.
Being of a bold and original mind, endowed with speculative talents of a high order, and having for a motto, oft repeated, "Follow truth if it carries you over Niagara, " he broke through the narrow confines of the accepted theology. Moreover, he was a revival preacher deeply concerned with relating religious truth to the facts of human consciousness. His point of divergence was the reality of the freedom of choice. He denied that our consciousness of freedom is an illusion and asserted that the will is not another name for the strongest motive, but is a power to chose between motives. Man, he affirmed, is not born totally depraved, but with certain sinful inclinations, and his "sin consists in sinning. " To induce men to turn from their evil ways and choose the highest good, appeal must be made to man's natural desire for happiness, which Taylor unfortunately called "self-love. " This self-love will finally become, in a regenerated mind, identical with an unselfish love for God. Such an interpretation of the freedom of the will and the modifications of Calvinism attendant upon it aroused a storm of controversy and divided the churches of New England into "Taylorites and Tylerites" the adherents of Taylor and of his principal opponent, Bennet Tyler. The debate, passing beyond the borders of New England, became the chief theological reason for the disruption of the Presbyterian Church in 1838. Taylor's controversial articles were contributed chiefly to the Christian Spectator (later the Quarterly Christian Spectator) and to the Spirit of the Pilgrims. Other writings of his appeared posthumously and include Practical Sermons (1858), Lectures on the Moral Government of God (1859), Essays upon Selected Topics in Revealed Theology (1859).
Taylor continued in his professorship until within a few weeks of his death. He was beloved by his pupils for his intellectual independence, the stimulating power of his thought, and his personal kindness.