John Gresham Machen Page
(1881-1937)

John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was the Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary between 1915 and 1929. Machen led a conservative revolt against modernist theology at Princeton and formed Westminster Seminary, and later the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

"J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937), was a Presbyterian theologian, born at Baltimore, Maryland, studied at John Hopkins, Princeton University, and the universities of Marburg and Gottingen, Germany.... Taught New Testament literature and exegesis in Princeton Theological Seminary (1906-1929).... An outstanding conservative apologist and theologian at Princeton, he left the school because of Modernism. Offered the presidency of several schools; but refused each offer. In 1929 founded Westminster Theological Seminary and became president and professor of New Testament from 1929 to 1937. Protesting against the liberalism of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, established an independent mission board. Charged with insubordination, tried, found guilty, and suspended from the Presbyterian ministry. Group of sixteen other clergymen and laymen with Dr. Machen withdrew in 1936 to found the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.... Died of pneumonia on a preaching engagement." (From "The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church," page 257, Elgin S. Moyer, 1982, ©Moody Press, Chicago, IL)

Machen, J Gresham - Christianity & Culture.PDF 62K (9 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - Christianity and Liberalism.pdf 314K (144 pgs) (b)
Machen, J Gresham - History & Faith.PDF 56K (9 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - Jesus & Paul.pdf 90K (16 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - Machen on the Mind.pdf 430K (4 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - NT Greek, J Gresham - A Brief Introduction.PDF 45K (5 pgs) 25_NT
Machen, J Gresham - Prophets False and True.pdf 140K (7 pgs) 16 Bibliology
Machen, J Gresham - The Atonement.PDF 44K (5 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - The Importance of Christian Scholarship.pdf 69K (18 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - The Life of Christ.PDF 94K (20 pgs) 26_Life of Christ
Machen, J Gresham - The Minister & His Greek Testament.PDF 41K (3 pgs) 25_NT
Machen, J Gresham - The Origin of Paul's Religion.PDF 122K (25 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - The Resurrection of Christ.PDF 66K (12 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - The Tolerance of Paul.PDF 10K (2 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - The Virgin Birth.pdf 2.8MB (640 pgs) (b)
Machen, J Gresham - The Witness of Paul.PDF 41K (4 pgs)
Machen, J Gresham - What is Christianity.PDF 44K (5 pgs)

Biography

One of the most articulate defenders of orthodox Christian theology against the liberalizing and rationalizing trends of the early twentieth century was J. Gresham Machen. Influenced by his Reformed Protestant background, Machen was trained as a pastor at Princeton Seminary (once the center of conservative Calvinism), and authored numerous religious texts. Distressed by the forces of theological liberalism, Machen left his teaching post at Princeton to found the Westminster Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian denomination.

Yet the radical ideas Machen resisted were not exclusively theological. His historical significance also lay in his opposition to the increasing encroachment of the state in the lives of American citizens. According to historian George Marsden, Machen's politics were “radically libertarian.” As Marsden explains, Machen “opposed almost any extension of state power and took stands on a variety of issues. Like most libertarians, his stances violated usual categories of liberal or conservative.”

In his most important work on freedom, Christianity and Liberalism, he made his case for individual liberty. In it he wrote that “Personality can only be developed in the realm of individual choice. And that realm, in the modern state, is being slowly but steadily eradicated.” He saw theological liberalism and increasing state control growing at the same time and warned that as the church withdrew from its biblical obligations to its fellow man, a void was created filled by the state.

Darryl Hart - Biographical Essay on J Gresham Machen - http://capo.org/premise/96/mj/p960504.html
Hawkins, Craig - Short History of Life of Machen.pdf 180K 15 pgs

07/03/06