author
Robert Turnbull
1809–1877
A Scottish-born Baptist minister, translator, and hymn writer, he built a literary career in America alongside a long pastorate in Hartford. His books range from religious reflection to lively cultural studies, showing a writer who moved comfortably between pulpit, page, and public debate.
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About the author
Born in Whitburn, Linlithgowshire, Scotland, on September 10, 1809, Robert Turnbull was educated at the University of Glasgow and first served as a Baptist minister in Britain. He moved to the United States in 1833 and went on to serve churches in several places before becoming pastor of the First Baptist Church in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1845, a role he held for many years until his death there on November 20, 1877.
Turnbull was more than a preacher. Contemporary reference works describe him as a pastor, editor, author, translator, and hymn writer. He also spent two years editing the Christian Review, and his work shows a broad interest in religion, literature, and national character.
His books include The Theatre, Olympia Morata, The Genius of Scotland, The Genius of Italy, Theophany, Pulpit Orators of France and Switzerland, and Christ in History. He is also remembered in hymnody for "There is a place of sacred rest," a lasting example of the devotional side of his writing.