author
Carl S. (Carl Safford) Patton
1866–1939
A Congregational minister, teacher, and religious writer, he brought scholarship and a storyteller’s touch to books on preaching, biblical studies, and faith. His work ranged from serious theology to short moral tales written for younger listeners.
1 Audiobook
Sources of the Synoptic Gospels
by Carl S. (Carl Safford) Patton
About the author
Born in Michigan in 1866, Carl Safford Patton studied at Oberlin and Andover before building a career as a Congregational clergyman and educator. He later taught homiletics at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, and his published work shows a writer equally at home with practical preaching and academic religion.
Patton wrote on subjects such as sermon preparation, modern religious thought, and the New Testament, including Sources of the Synoptic Gospels and The Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. He also wrote shorter, more accessible pieces, including Two-Minute Stories, which suggests a gift for clear, direct communication beyond the classroom or pulpit.
He served as pastor of First Congregational Church in Los Angeles, where records from the early 1930s place him in a leading role during the dedication of the church’s building. He died in 1939, leaving behind a body of work that connects pastoral practice, theological study, and a warm instinct for reaching ordinary readers.