Alexander Campbell (12 September 1788 – 4 March 1866) was an

Ulster Scots Ulster Scots, may refer to: * Ulster Scots people * Ulster Scots dialect Ulster Scots or Ulster-Scots (), also known as Ulster Scotch and Ullans, is the dialect (whose proponents assert is a dialect of Scots language, Scots) spoken in parts ...

immigrant who became an ordained minister in the United States and joined his father Thomas Campbell as a leader of a reform effort that is historically known as the

Restoration Movement The Restoration Movement (also known as the American Restoration Movement or the Stone–Campbell Movement, and pejoratively as Campbellism) is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening (1790–1 ...

, and by some as the "Stone-Campbell Movement". It resulted in the development of non-denominational Christian churches, which stressed reliance on scripture and few essentials.McAllister, Lester and Tucker, William E. ''Journey in Faith'' St. Louis, Missouri: The Bethany Press, 1975. Campbell was influenced by similar efforts in Scotland, in particular, by James and Robert Haldane, who emphasized their interpretation of Christianity as found in the New Testament. In 1832, the group of reformers led by the Campbells merged with a similar movement that began under the leadership of Barton W. Stone in Kentucky.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'',

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is a religious publishing house based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1911 by Dutch American William B. Eerdmans and still independently owned with William's daughter-in-law Anita Eerdmans as presi ...

, 2004, , , 854 pages, entry on ''Campbell, Alexander'' Their congregations identified as Disciples of Christ or Christian churches. Several church groups have some historical ties with Campbell's efforts. The three main groups are the

Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ, also commonly known as the Church of Christ, is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations located around the world. Typically, their distinguishing beliefs are that of the necessity of baptism for salvation ...

, the

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...

, and the independent

Christian churches and churches of Christ The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone–Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no form ...

. Additionally, there are the International Churches of Christ, the International Christian Church, the Churches of Christ in Australia, the Churches of Christ in Europe, and the Evangelical Christian Church in Canada. Campbell also founded Bethany College in what became Bethany, West Virginia.

Early life and education

Alexander Campbell was born 12 September 1788 near

Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...

, in the parish of

Broughshane Broughshane ( , formerly spelt Brughshane, ) is a large village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is northeast of Ballymena and north of Antrim, on the A42 road. It is part of Mid and East Antrim District Council and had a population of ...

, County Antrim, Ireland. His parents were Thomas Campbell and Jane Corneigle Campbell, who were of Scots descent. Like his father, he was educated at the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

, where he was greatly influenced by

Scottish Enlightenment The Scottish Enlightenment (, ) was the period in 18th- and early-19th-century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By the eighteenth century, Scotland had a network of parish schools in the Sco ...

philosophy. He was also influenced by the English philosopher

John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.)) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thi ...

. In 1809 at the age of 21, Alexander emigrated to the United States with his mother and siblings from Scotland, to join his father Thomas, who had emigrated there in 1807. They sailed from Scotland on the ''Latonia'' on 3 August 1809 and landed in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on 29 September, then traveled overland to Philadelphia. They continued to western Pennsylvania, where the senior Campbell was serving as a minister in Washington County on the frontier. Alexander 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 ...

by his father's Brush Run Church on 1 January 1812.

Marriage and personal life

The year before, Campbell had married Margaret Brown on 12 March 1811.Adron Doran, ''Restoring New Testament Christianity'', 21st Century Christian, 1997, Margaret's father John Brown owned a significant amount of land in the Bethany, Virginia, area (now in

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

). The couple resided in what is now known as the

Alexander Campbell Mansion The Alexander Campbell Mansion, also known as Campbell Mansion or Alexander Campbell House, is a historic house on West Virginia Route 67 just east of Bethany, West Virginia. Built in 1793 and repeatedly enlarged, it was the home of minister ...

near Bethany, and had eight children. Their first child, a daughter, was born on 13 March 1812. His daughter's birth spurred Campbell to study the subject of baptism. He ultimately concluded that scripture did not support the baptism of infants. He came to believe that individuals had to choose conversion for themselves and baptism was not appropriate until they did so. After the death of Margaret in 1827, Campbell married again the next year, to Selina Huntington Bakewell on 31 July 1828; they had six children.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, , , 854 pages, entry on ''Campbell, Selina Huntington Bakewell''

Public life

From 1815 to 1824, Campbell and his father kept the Brush Run Church affiliated with a local Baptist association. After disagreements over some issues, they allied with the Mahoning Baptist Association. Campbell's only formal political service was as a delegate to the

Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830 The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829–1830 was a constitutional convention for the U.S. state, state of Virginia, held in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond from October 5, 1829, to January 15, 1830. Background and composition Almost imme ...

, held in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

. He met some of the leading politicians of the day and was invited to preach in several churches in the capital city. In 1840, Campbell founded Bethany College in Bethany, Virginia (now

). He believed that the clergy should be college educated. Many future leaders of the Disciples of Christ and Churches of Christ graduated from the college, although some latter congregations did not attach the same value to theological study and professional clergy.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, , , 854 pages, entry on ''Bethany College'' Campbell visited the United Kingdom in 1847. During the trip he gave public lectures in England and Scotland. He went to Ireland to deliver funds that U.S. Restoration Movement churches had raised for relief in the Great Famine. While at

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, he was challenged by James Robertson to a debate on the subject of

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, which the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...

protected and Campbell defended as moral. As a result of the fierce exchange, Robertson sued Campbell for

libel Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

. The American denied the charge, but he was arrested and imprisoned for ten days. Campbell was released when the warrant for his arrest was declared to be illegal. The case was ultimately tried, and the jury decided in his favor.

Writings and works

While in his early 20s, Campbell wrote several moral essays under the pseudonym "Clarinda". and published them in a local paper.Gary Holloway
"Alexander Campbell as a Publisher"
'' Restoration Quarterly'', Vol. 37 No. 1 (1995) In 1820, his debate with the

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 ...

John Walker was published, reminding him of the efficacy of writing and publishing. He bought a press and built a small print shop in 1823, establishing what proved to be a successful publishing operation.Greg Taylor
"Alexander Campbell: Millennial Blogger"
, Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Accessed June 13, 2011 Campbell edited and published two journals. The first was the '' Christian Baptist,'' which he edited from 1823 through 1830.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, , , 854 pages, entry on ''Christian Baptist, The'' The second was ''The Millennial Harbinger,'' which he began in 1830 and continued to edit until his death in 1866. He became less active in it during the 1850s.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, , , 854 pages, entry on ''Millennial Harbinger, The'' In both, he advocated the reform of Christianity along the lines as it was practiced on the American frontier. He encouraged contributions by writers who thought differently from him, and the journals encouraged a lively dialogue about issues in the reform movement. Campbell expanded his printing operation in 1830 for the ''Millennial Harbinger''. The change from the ''Christian Baptist'' to the ''Harbinger'' was prompted by several concerns. Differences of opinion were arising between Campbell and the Baptists, and in many cases Baptist associations were expelling persons connected with the Campbell movement. He was concerned that "Christian Baptist" – which he considered to be less appropriate than the biblical term "Disciples" – was becoming the ''de facto'' name of the group. He also wanted the new journal to have a more positive tone, promoting reform and preparing the world for the millennium and the second coming of Christ. Campbell wrote several books, including ''The Christian System''. He also wrote hymns, including "Upon the Banks of Jordan Stood". Campbell compiled and published a translation of the New Testament under the title ''The Living Oracles''.Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, , , 854 pages, entry on ''Bible, Versions and Translations of'' Published in 1826, it was based on an 1818 translation by George Campbell, James MacKnight and Philip Doddridge, and included edits and extensive notes by Campbell. His known works include: * ''The Living Oracles'' (1826) – Campbell's translation of the New Testament * ''Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs'' (1828) * ''Prospectus of the Millennial Harbinger'' (1829) * ''Delusions: An Analysis of the Book of Mormon'' (1832) * ''The Christian Preacher's Companion'' (1836) * ''The Christian System'' (1839) – summary of Campbell's theology * ''The Christian Hymnbook'' (1843) * ''A Tract for the People of Kentucky'' (1849) * ''Christian Baptism—Its Antecedents and Consequents'' (1851) * ''The Acts of the Apostles'' (1858) – Campbell's translation * ''Memoirs of Elder Thomas Campbell'' (1861) * ''Popular Lectures and Addresses'' (1863) * ''Familiar Lectures on the Pentateuch'' (1867)

Public debates

For a time, Campbell was wary of public debates. In June 1820, he debated with Rev. John Walker, a Baptist preacher, at Mount Pleasant, Ohio, on

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

, and since then, regularly participated in debates. Some of them gained national and international attention after their transcripts were published. In 1823, he debated with Rev. William L. McCalla, a

minister, on

infant baptism Infant baptism, also known as christening or paedobaptism, is a Christian sacramental practice of Baptism, baptizing infants and young children. Such practice is done in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, va ...

; in April 1829, with

Robert Owen Robert Owen (; 14 May 1771 – 17 November 1858) was a Welsh textile manufacturer, philanthropist, political philosopher and social reformer, and a founder of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement, co-operative movement. He strove to ...

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

; in January 1837, with Archbishop of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

John Baptist Purcell John Baptist Purcell (February 26, 1800 – July 4, 1883) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 to his death in 1883, and he was elevated to the rank of archbishop in 1850. He formed the b ...

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

; in September 1843, he defended the

in a debate with Rev. Nathan L. Rice, who represented traditional Presbyterianism.

Death, legacy, and honors

Alexander Campbell died at the age of 77 on 4 March 1866 at Bethany, West Virginia. His widow died more than three decades later, on 28 June 1897. His nephew Archibald Campbell (1833–1899) had already become an important abolitionist and Republican party leader, and as editor of the ''Wheeling Daily Intelligencer'' helped found what became the state of West Virginia. *Campbell was instrumental in the

, which resulted in a new direction for American Christians and founding of numerous new, non-denominational churches as well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). *His house in Bethany, West Virginia, the

, was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

. *The Alexander Campbell Auditorium at

Culver–Stockton College Culver–Stockton College is a private Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian liberal arts college in Canton, Missouri. It was founded as Christian University in 1853 as the first institution west of the Mississippi River chartered sp ...

is named in his honor. *Campbell is known to have preached at the

Slash Church Slash Church, also known as the Upper Church- St. Paul's Parish is a historic Disciples of Christ Church, formerly an Anglican/ Episcopal church located at 11353 Mt. Hermon Road, Ashland, Hanover County, Virginia. Built of southern yellow pine ...

, now on the National Register of Historic Places in rural

Hanover County, Virginia Hanover County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover, Virginia, Hanover. Hanove ...

and still used by a Disciples of Christ congregation.

References

External links

at th
Restoration Movement

Memorial University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland, or MUN (), is a Public university, public research university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Alexander (clergyman) 1788 births 1866 deaths 19th-century American writers American Christian theologians 19th-century American theologians Bethany College (West Virginia) people Ministers of the Restoration Movement Critics of Mormonism Irish emigrants to the United States People from Ballymena People from Bethany, West Virginia People of the Scottish Enlightenment Restoration Movement Translators of the Bible into English 19th-century Irish translators People in Christian ecumenism Disciples of Christ (Campbell Movement) People from Broughshane Christian clergy from County Antrim Scholars and academics from County Antrim Founders of new religious movements