author
Henry Cowles
1803–1881
A leading voice in early Oberlin, this 19th-century theologian combined biblical scholarship with strong abolitionist convictions. His widely read commentaries and years as editor of the Oberlin Evangelist helped shape religious life far beyond his Ohio home.
1 Audiobook
The Pentateuch, in Its Progressive Revelations of God to Men
by Henry Cowles
About the author
Born in Norfolk, Connecticut, in 1803, Henry Cowles studied at Yale College and Yale Divinity School before heading to Ohio for ministry work. He became part of the founding generation of Oberlin, where he taught classics and later theology-related subjects, helping build the school’s religious and intellectual life in its early years.
Cowles is best remembered as a theological scholar, teacher, and anti-slavery advocate. He served for many years as an editor of the Oberlin Evangelist, a major publication connected with Oberlin’s reform-minded religious culture, and he remained closely tied to the college and seminary throughout his career.
As an author, he produced a long list of practical Bible commentaries intended for both ministers and general readers. Those books, along with his teaching and editorial work, made him an influential interpreter of scripture in 19th-century American Protestant life.