Gross Alexander

Born in 1852 and dying in 1915, Gross Alexander was an American Methodist minister and religious writer whose work was closely tied to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He is associated with Vanderbilt University, where he served as a professor of Greek and New Testament exegesis, bringing academic study and church life together in his teaching and writing.

His published work ranges from biblical studies to church history and biography. Among the books connected with his name are The Epistles to the Colossians and to the Ephesians, The Son of Man: Studies in His Life and Teachings, Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler, and A History of the Methodist Church, South, in the United States.

Alexander’s writing seems aimed at readers who wanted serious theology without losing sight of everyday religious life. Even from a brief look at his books, he comes across as a writer interested not only in doctrine, but also in how belief shaped people, institutions, and communities.