Archibald Alexander: He Studied So He Could Teach

April 17, 1772 - January 22, 1851 The Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander

There is no substitute for reading about a historical figure than through their own words or through those of a relative that knew them well. The narration is not always reliable in these cases, but even the oversights, omissions, and exaggerations are insightful. I especially enjoy a biography that was written so long ago that the archaic language takes the writing near the precipice of incomprehensibility. Published in 1857, the telling of Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander’s own tale is just such a piece of literature.

Alexander was less than fully dedicated to his studies when he arrived at Lexington, Virginia, in 1798. Alexander became more concerned with his “own case” after observing the preacher, Mr. LeGrand. From the description of LeGrand’s moods, he seemed to be a classic case of bipolar personality, but Alexander interpreted it as evidence of his Salvation. Whatever the explanation of LeGrand’s swings between being “exceeding lively, or in an awful gloom,” Alexander was inspired to rededicate himself to religious studies and “determined to give up all reading except the Bible, and to devote myself to prayer, fasting, and the Scriptures, until I should arrive at a greater hope.”[1] Hearing of Mary Hanna’s collapse and convulsions, he became even more convinced that without an experience of “divine renewal” his soul would remain in jeopardy.[2] He secluded himself in the woods to pray and read, but the emotional and spiritual revival experience eluded him. Alexander was about to give up in despair when in prayer it finally happened and “the whole plan of grace appeared as clear as day.”[3] Thus, freed of doubt, he began his career as a writer by composing a “covenant with God.”[4]

Alexander’s gift for sharing his faith in the written word eventually led him to be a founder of Princeton and the First Professor of the institution’s Didactic and Polemic Theologies Studies.[5] The path that led him to Princeton took him through the Virginia countryside under the tutelage of William Graham. The itinerant minister preached and demonstrated the power of the Spirit and Alexander developed the leadership skills that would take him from Hampton City College in Virginia to the Pine Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. During this time, Alexander continued to study and write and developed an understanding for how to reach lost souls. It comes as no surprise that at Princeton, he selflessly dedicated himself to the task of preparing students “to become godly pastors and effective gospel preachers.”[6]

As accomplished as Alexander was as a preacher, he recognized the limitations of the spoken word. That is why his writings were not just expressions of his faith, but a response to it. Alexander observed, “The man who is enabled to write a truly evangelical and useful book, or even a single tract of first-rate excellence, may convey the saving truth of the gospel to a thousand times more persons, than the living preacher can ever instruct by his voice.”[7] This realization may have come to Alexander early in his life as he grew up poor with very little access to books. The print culture was awakening in America, driven by religious texts. A voracious reader, Alexander was rarely without reading material that ranged from classics, to history, and of course, theology. Evangelical writings were to influence his own work and convince him of the value of writing himself to reach a broader audience.[8]

Alexander is considered the preeminent scholar of biblical authority. However, he did not attain that high status by reading the Bible alone. He studied other schools of thought, especially the German philosophers that were gaining a wider audience in America. He clearly believed that to defend oneself against an enemy it was essential to understand them. Alexander warned “if the Church consents to close her eyes upon the increasing facilities for biblical investigation which are assessed in Germany, and to turn away from the controversies which are then waged, she will find herself in a field of battle without armour, or, if armed, with the mail and greaves and heavy weapons of a former age, wholly unsuited to the emergency and the new modes attack.”[9] He encouraged his students as well, so that they could argue the merits of biblical authority from more than a position of faith.

It was not just Alexander’s formal writings that cements his place as a foremost scholar of the Presbyterian Church. The transcripts of his sermons and addresses are powerful in their own right and invaluable aids to religious scholars. They are not only expressions of Alexander’s faith and intellect but are outstanding examples of his understanding of the human heart and how to reach it through powerful oratory.[10] Alexander took to the heart the words of Galatians, “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.”[11] It was not enough for Alexander to study and understand religious texts. It was his calling to share what he had learned with as many souls as possible.

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[1] James W. Alexander, The Life of Archibald Alexander, D.D., LL., D.: First Professor in the Theological Seminary, at Princeton, New Jersey, (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1857), 68, Ebook.

[2] Ibid., 69.

[3] Ibid., 70.

[4] Ibid., 71.

[5] James M. Garretson, “Archibald Alexander & the Founding of Princeton Theological Seminary,” The Confessional Presbyterian 8 (2012): 1, accessed December 3, 2019, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdar&AN=ATLA0001991046&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[6] Ibid., 11.

[7] Michael J. Paulus, Jr., “Archibald Alexander and the Use of Books Theological Education and Print Culture in the Early Republic,” Journal of the Early Republic 31, no. 4 (2011): 639, doi:10.1353/jer.2011.0059.

[8] Ibid., 638-646.

[9] Dennis L. Okholm, “Biblical Inspiration and Infallibility in the Writings of Archibald Alexander,” Trinity Journal 5 (1976): 81-82, accessed December 3, 2019, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdar&AN=ATLA0001275949&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[10] “The Rev. Dr. Archibald Alexander April 17, 1772-January 22, 1851: An Annotated Bibliography,” The Confessional Presbyterian 8 (2012): 120–52, accessed December 3, 2019, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdar&AN=ATLA0001991109&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[11] Galatians 6:6, King James version.

[Image] James W. Alexander, The Life of Archibald Alexander, D.D., LL., D.: First Professor in the Theological Seminary, at Princeton, New Jersey, (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1857), Ebook.