Alexander Geddes
Alexander Geddes (14 September 1737 – 26 February 1802) was a Scottish theologian and scholar.[1]
He was born at Ruthven, Banffshire, of Roman Catholic parentage, and educated for the priesthood at the local seminary of Scalan, and at Paris; he became a priest in his native county.
His translation of the Satires of Horace made him known as a scholar, but his liberalism led to his suspension. He then went to London, where he became known to Baron Petre, who enabled him to proceed with a new translation of the Bible for English Roman Catholics, which he carried on as far as the Book of Second Chronicles and the Prayer of Manasseh which was published in 2 volumes (1792–1797). A translation of Psalms was published in 1807.
This was followed by Critical Remarks on the Hebrew Scriptures (1800), in which he largely anticipated the German school of Higher Criticism.[2] The result of this publication was Geddes's suspension from all ecclesiastical functions.
Geddes was also a poet, and wrote Linton: a Tweedside Pastoral, Carmen Seculare pro Gallica Gente (1790), in praise of the French Revolution.
He died without recanting, but received absolution at the hands of a French priest, though public mass for his soul was forbidden by the ecclesiastical powers.
References
- ^ According to The Cambridge history of eighteenth-century philosophy Geddes "was one of the great literary and biblical scholars of his day". (Cambridge University Press, 2006, p. 704)
- ^ Cf. Reginald C. Fuller, Alexander Geddes: A Pioneer of Biblical Criticism, 1737-1802, Toronto 1984, ISBN 0-907459-26-9).
Publications
- The Holy Bible, or the Books accounted sacred by Jews and Christians, otherwise called the books of the Old and New Covenant; faithfully translated from corrected texts of the originals. With various readings, explanatory notes, and critical remarks. By Alexander Geddes. (J. Davis, London. 1797).
External links
- "Geddes, Alexander (1737-1802)," from Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th Edition, 1911 (Online Encyclopedia asserted to have scanning errors, like LoveToKnow below). Site © 2006 - Net Industries.
- Alexander Geddes (LoveToKnow's Free Online Encyclopedia, © 2003, 2004 LoveToKnow.)
- History of Biblical Criticism (Higher)
- Geddes Bible Editions
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via Wikisource.
