Robert Richardson (2)Besprekingen

First printed in 1897 in 2 separate volumes, this reprint has both volumes in 1. Alexander Campbell, the subject of this work, was a Scottish immigrant born in the last decade of the 18th century, immigrated with his family to join his father in western Pennsylvania in the 2nd decade of the 19th century. Mr. Campbell was a brilliant man, well educated. His work to reform the sad state of churches in the area he lived in proved difficult as his opposition used every device including smears, innuendos, even out right lies to destroy him. Over time, Mr. Campbell with deep convictions & long patience over a period of 40 years was able to bring about reformation to many churches in which he engaged in conversations, debates, & letters. The work intermixes biographical information with his letters & what others thought of him to try to give a more rounded look at his life. Although he is less known due to his work being of a religious nature, his circle of influence was widespread & known to figures such as James Madison, William H Harrison, & Henry Clay.
It is worth looking at his views ranging from bible translations to slavery to capital punishment to education, which were quite advanced & persuasive though controversial at the time. He traveled to the East as far as Boston, South as far as New Orleans & West as far as the Kansas Territory in his work as a preacher & as President of Bethany College which he founded in western Virginia.
As early as 1840, Mr. Campbell saw that the issue of slavery would end in war, though he hoped the issue could be resolved through discussions. His travels to the North, South, East & West are very descriptive & perceptive to see the state of affairs as he saw them during his travels.
His debates, most notably, the debate with the socialist Robert Owen was where he excelled. Very few were ever able to hold up against him especially in the debate with Owen who proved unable to persuade, insisting on vague principles rather than stand up to Mr. Campbell's withering evidences of the failures & shortcomings of socialism.
Overall, in spite of the over 1200 pages, a good read into a lost world in which a reader can get a glimpse.

This is a classic on the life of one of the prime movers in the Stone-Campbell heritage. A must have.