author
J. Gresham (John Gresham) Machen
1881–1937
A sharp New Testament scholar and church leader, he became one of the best-known defenders of historic Christian doctrine in early 20th-century America. His writing still stands out for its clear thinking, calm argument, and willingness to challenge the religious trends of his day.
3 Audiobooks
A Brief Bible History: A Survey of the Old and New Testaments
by James Oscar Boyd, J. Gresham (John Gresham) Machen
The Literature and History of New Testament Times
by J. Gresham (John Gresham) Machen
The Origin of Paul's Religion
by J. Gresham (John Gresham) Machen
About the author
Born in Baltimore in 1881, J. Gresham Machen studied at Johns Hopkins University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and in Germany before building his career as a scholar of the New Testament. He taught for many years at Princeton Theological Seminary and became widely known for combining careful academic work with strong convictions about the core claims of Christianity.
Machen emerged as a major voice in the debates over modernist theology in American Protestantism. Rather than treating Christianity as mainly a moral outlook or religious feeling, he argued that it rested on real historical claims and definite doctrines. His best-known book, Christianity and Liberalism, made that case with unusual clarity and helped secure his reputation far beyond the classroom.
After Princeton was reorganized in 1929, he helped found Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, where he served as professor of New Testament. In 1936 he was also instrumental in the formation of what became the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He died in 1937, but his work continues to be read by students, pastors, and readers interested in the history of American theology.