Reuben Archer Torrey (28 January 1856 – 26 October 1928) was an American evangelist, Congregational pastor, educator, and writer. He aligned with Keswick theology.

Biography

Torrey was born in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; ) is a City (New Jersey), city in Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the ...

, the son of a banker. He was graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in 1875 and from

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

in 1878, following which he became a Congregational minister in Garrettsville, Ohio. In 1879, he married Clara Smith, and they subsequently had five children. After further studies in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

Leipzig University Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

and Erlangen University in 1882–1883, Torrey joined

Dwight L. Moody Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Mas ...

in his evangelistic work 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 ...

in 1889, and became superintendent of the Bible Institute of the Chicago Evangelization Society (now

Moody Bible Institute Moody Bible Institute (MBI) is a private evangelical Christian Bible college in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Historically, MBI has maintained positions that have identified it as ...

). In 1894, he became

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

of the Chicago Avenue Church (now the

Moody Church The Moody Church (often referred to as Moody Memorial Church, after a sign hung on the North Avenue side of the building) is a historic evangelical Christian (Nondenominational Christianity) church in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Il ...

). In 1898, Torrey served as a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

with the

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

at Camp Chickamauga during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he performed similar service at Camp Bowie (a

POW POW is "prisoner of war", a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. POW or pow may also refer to: Music * P.O.W (Bullet for My Valentine song), "P.O.W" (Bull ...

camp in Texas) and at Camp Kearny. In 1902–1903, he preached in nearly every part of the English-speaking world and with song leader Charles McCallon Alexander conducted revival services in Great Britain from 1903 to 1905. During this period, he also visited China, Japan, Australia, and India. Torrey conducted a similar campaign in American and Canadian cities in 1906–1907. Throughout these campaigns, Torrey used a meeting style that he borrowed from Moody's campaigns of the 1870s. In 1912, Torrey was persuaded to build another institution like Moody Bible Institute, and from 1912 to 1924, he served as Dean of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now

Biola University Biola University () is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It has over 150 programs of study in nine schools offering bachelor' ...

) and contributed to the BIOLA publication, ''The King's Business''. Beginning in 1915, he served as the first pastor of the Church of the Open Door, Los Angeles. Torrey was one of the three editors of '' The Fundamentals'', a 12-volume series that gave its name to what came to be called "

fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguis ...

". Torrey held his last evangelistic meeting in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in 1927, additional meetings being canceled because of his failing health. He died at home in

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...

, on October 26, 1928, having preached throughout the world and written more than 40 books. He was 72 years old. He was buried on the grounds of Montrose Bible Conference in Montrose, Pennsylvania, which he founded in 1908.

Honors

In 1907, he accepted an honorary doctorate from Wheaton College. Torrey-Gray Auditorium, the main auditorium at Moody, was named for Torrey and his successor,

James M. Gray James Martin Gray (May 11, 1851 – September 21, 1935) was a pastor in the Reformed Episcopal Church, a Bible scholar, editor, hymn writer, and the president of Moody Bible Institute, 1904-34. Biography Gray was born in New York City as o ...

. At Biola, the Torrey Honors Institute honors him, as does the university's annual Bible conference.

Bibliography

*''How to Bring Men to Christ'',
E-text
(1893) *''The Baptism with the Holy Spirit'',
E-text
(1895) *''How to Study the Bible for Greatest Profit'',
E-text
(1896) *''How to Obtain Fullness of Power in Christian Life and Service'' (1897) *''What the Bible Teaches'', (1898) *''Divine Origin of the Bible'',

(1899) *''How to Pray'',

(1900) *''Treasury of Scripture Knowledge'', (1900) *''How to Promote and Conduct a Successful Revival'', (1901) *''How to Work for Christ'', (1901) *''Revival Addresses'',
E-text
(1903) *''Talks to Men About the Bible and the Christ of the Bible'', (1904) *''Real Salvation and Whole-Hearted Service'' (1905) *''The Bible and Its Christ: Being Noonday Talks with Business Men on Faith and Unbelief'' (1906) *''How to Succeed in the Christian Life'',
E-text
(1906) *''Difficulties in the Bible'', (1907) *''Studies in the Life and Teachings of our Lord'', (1909) *''The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit''
E-Text
(1910) *''The Fundamentals: a Testimony to the Truth'' Editor, (four volumes) (1910–1917) *''The Higher Criticism and the NewTheology'' (1911) *''The Voice of God in the Present Hour'' (1917) *''The Importance and Value of Proper Bible Study'',
E-text
(1921) *''The Gospel for Today'' (1922) *''Is the Bible the Inerrant Word of God?: And was the Body of Jesus Raised from the Dead?'' (1922) *''Why God Used D. L. Moody'', (1923) (modern reprint by CrossReach Publications, 2016) *''The God of the Bible'' (1923) *''The Power of Prayer and the Prayer of Power'', (1924) *''The Bible, the Peerless Book: Gods Own Book and Gods Only Book'' (1925) *''The Holy Spirit: Who He Is and What He Does and How to Know Him in All the Fulness of His Gracious and Glorious Ministry'' (1927) *''The Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith'',
E-text
*'' Torrey's Topical Textbook''

References

External links

* * *
Difficulties in the Bible
book by R. A. Torrey.
R. A. Torrey Archive (sermons and writings)
*R. A. Torrey hymn "Bless Thou Jehovah" with new melody b
Eric M. PazdzioraR. A. Torrey's ''New Topical Textbook''Torrey Honors Institute''Ten Reasons Why I Believe The Bible Is The Word Of God''
by R. A. Torrey *

', edited by R.A. Torrey (1910–15)

by R. A. Torrey
Treasury Of Scripture Knowledge
– Torrey's Bible study reference tool. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Torrey, Reuben Archer 1856 births 1928 deaths 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American Congregationalist ministers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century Congregationalist ministers American Christian theologians American evangelicals American military chaplains American people of the Spanish–American War American people of World War I American sermon writers Biola University faculty Christian fundamentalists Christian revivalists Congregationalist writers Erlangen University alumni Keswickianism Leipzig University alumni Moody Bible Institute people People from Portage County, Ohio Spanish–American War chaplains Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni World War I chaplains Writers from Hoboken, New Jersey Yale Divinity School alumni

Biography

Honors

Bibliography

References

Further reading

External links