HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - David Swing
OR:
David Swing on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

David Swing (August 23, 1830October 3, 1894) was a
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
teacher and
clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
who was the most popular Chicago preacher of his time.


Early life

Swing was born to Alsatian immigrant parents in
Cincinnati, Ohio 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 ...
. Citation: Joseph Fort Newton, ''David Swing, Poet-Preacher'' (Chicago, 1909). He spent most of his boyhood on a farm and earned his schooling. He graduated from
Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...
in 1852, where was
Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded in 1848, and currently headquartered, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, alo ...
fraternity brother of
Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...
and classmate of
Whitelaw Reid Whitelaw Reid (October 27, 1837 – December 15, 1912) was an American politician, diplomat and newspaper editor, as well as the author of ''Ohio in the War'', a popular work of history. After assisting Horace Greeley as editor of the ''New-Yo ...
. Swing studied theology at Lane Seminary; and was principal of the preparatory school at Miami in 1853-1866.


Career

He became pastor in 1866 of the Westminster Presbyterian Church (after 1868 the Fourth Church) in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, which was destroyed in the fire of 1871; he then preached in McVicker's Theatre until 1874, when a new building was completed. In April 1874, he was tried before the Presbytery of Chicago on charges of
heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...
preferred by Dr Francis Landey Patton, who argued that Professor Swing preached that men were saved by works, that he held a "modal"
Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
, that he did not believe in plenary inspiration, that he unduly countenanced
Unitarianism Unitarianism () is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian sect of Christianity. Unitarian Christians affirm the wikt:unitary, unitary God in Christianity, nature of God as the singular and unique Creator deity, creator of the universe, believe that ...
, etc. The presbytery acquitted Dr. Swing, who resigned from the presbytery when he learned that the case was to be appealed to the synod. As an action was taken against the church, of which he had remained pastor, he resigned the pastorate, again leased McVicker's theatre (and after 1880 leased Central Music Hall, which was built for the purpose), and in 1875 founded the Central Church, to which many of his former parishioners followed him, and in which he built up a large Sunday school, and established a kindergarten, industrial schools, and other charities. He published ''Sermons'' (1874), including most of his "heretical" utterances, ''Truths for To-day'' (2 vols, 1874–1876), ''Motives of Life'' (1879), and ''Club Essays'' (1881). He died in Chicago on October 3, 1894, and was buried at
Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is a historic rural cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. At , it is the largest cemetery in the city of Chicago and its first private cemetery. The Entrance Gate and Administration ...
. A residence hall is named in Swing's honor at Miami University.


See also

* Libbie C. Riley Baer (1849–1929), poet


References


External links

*
''The world's edition of the great Presbyterian conflict: Patton vs. Swing.: Both sides of the question'', 1874Biographical Sketch
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swing, David 1830 births 1894 deaths Miami University alumni Miami University faculty Presbyterian Church in the United States of America ministers American sermon writers Educators from Cincinnati 19th-century American clergy American people of French descent Burials at Rosehill Cemetery Phi Delta Theta members