Andrew Purves (born 1946) is a Scottish

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

in the

Reformed tradition Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteria ...

through the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

(and later, the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in the Religion in the United States, United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States too. Its th ...

). He holds the Chair in Reformed Theology at

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) is a Presbyterian graduate seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1794, it houses one of the largest theological libraries in the tri-state area. History Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was for ...

.Pittsburgh Theological Seminary: Andrew Purves
A native of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland, Purves earned degrees in philosophy and divinity from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

, and a

Master of Theology Master of Theology (, abbreviated ThM, MTh or MTheol, or ''Sacrae Theologiae Magister''; abbreviated STM) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a ...

degree from

Duke Divinity School The Duke Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is one of ten graduate or professional schools within Duke University. It is also one of thirteen seminaries founded and supported by the United Methodist Church. It has 39 ...

. His

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

degree is from the University of Edinburgh. In Scotland, he studied under Thomas F. Torrance. Torrance, his brother James Torrance,

Athanasius Athanasius I of Alexandria ( – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, or, among Coptic Christians, Athanasius the Apostolic, was a Christian theologian and the 20th patriarch of Alexandria (as Athanasius ...

John Calvin John Calvin (; ; ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French Christian theology, theologian, pastor and Protestant Reformers, reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of C ...

Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Reformed theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Decl ...

, and

Jürgen Moltmann Jürgen Moltmann (; 8 April 1926 – 3 June 2024) was a German Reformed theologian who was a professor of systematic theology at the University of Tübingen and was known for his books such as the ''Theology of Hope'', ''The Crucified God'', ''G ...

were all important influences in Purves' theological development. Originally a member of the

, Purves moved to the United States in 1978 and was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1979. He served as pastor of the Hebron Presbyterian Church in Clinton,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, until 1983 when he began teaching at

. Purves' primary concerns surround

Christology In Christianity, Christology is a branch of Christian theology, theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would b ...

. He continually argues for a vital connection between the person and work of Jesus Christ in his vicarious humanity and the Christian life; a connection founded upon the believer's union with Christ. Much of Purves' work is a call to reclaim the classical, Christological tradition of the church, thereby renewing the church through traditional doctrine and the wisdom of the patristic writers. Some associate him with the paleo-orthodox movement. He has become a leader of

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

renewal in the PCUSA and has become known in that denomination for his support of views concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is married to Catherine Purves, a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

minister in her own right. They have three children: Brendan, Gordon, and Laura.

Works

* ''The Search for Compassion: Spirituality and Ministry'' * ''Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition'' * ''Union in Christ'' (with Mark Achtemeier) * ''Encountering God: Christian Faith in Turbulent Times'' (with Charles Partee) * ''Reconstructing Pastoral Theology: A Christological Foundation'' * "The Trinitarian Basis of a Christian Practical Theology" in ''The International Journal of Practical Theology'' * The Crucifixion of Ministry * The Resurrection of Ministry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Purves, Andrew 1946 births 20th-century American Presbyterian ministers 20th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland 20th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers 20th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 21st-century American Presbyterian ministers 21st-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Clergy from Edinburgh Duke Divinity School alumni Living people Presbyterian Church (USA) teaching elders Pittsburgh Theological Seminary faculty Scottish Calvinist and Reformed Christians Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians