An American Visitor

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 272, 20 November 1934, Page 4

An American Visitor

DR. JAMES MOPFATT A BIBLICAL SCHOLAR * Per Press Association. • AUCKLAND, Nov. 17. “New Zoaland has-always been famous to mo through its Maoris, its Rugby, and trout. I don’t know about its theology,” said Dr. James Moffatt, a distinguished Biblical scholar, who arrived by tho Monterey today. He told tho interviewer that ho preferred not to discuss “heavy”, subjects so early in the morning. Ho said that professors during their sabbatical year were supposed.to travel and improve their minds. That -was why he left America and came to New Zoaland. 11c wanted to catch some trout, to see something of Dunedin, and to meet former students and acquaintances. Dr. Moffatt said that one result of the depression iu the United States had been to drive tho • churches back to the central realities of- faith, starting with tyho study of the Bible, and to cause the search to bo, for the meat, and not, the trimmings, ot' life. In Britaiu there, was outstanding evidence of vitality on. the part both of the Church of Scotland ami tho Church of England. Tho latter had shown great vitality in. the load it. had given in theological and Christian teaching.

Dr. Moffatt remarked that he felt that tho United States had turned the corner of the depression. President Roosevelt had three great assets: he was a first-class politician, he was absolutely honest, and ho had no rival.

Dr. Moffatt leaves for the south ou Monday, and will leave the Dominion on December 11.

REMARKABLE CAREER Dr Moffatt was born in Glasgow in 1870. After an exceptionally brilliant career at school, university and theological college in his native city, he was ordained to tho Free Church of Dundonald, Ayrshire, in 1596. There he had a near neighbour E. F. Scott, of the United Presbyterian Church at Prestwick, now his colleaguo in the Union Seminary, Now York. In 1900 he published his Historical New Testament by which he gained at once an assured position among tho New Testament scholars of his generation. Shorty iv afterwards tho University of St. Andrews made him an honorary Doctor of Divinity—the youngest Scottish D. D. within living memory. In 1907 he went to Droughty Ferry to the church which, 10 years before, Dr Denney had left for the New. Testament Chair in tho United Free College in Glasgow.

Dr Moffatt. was Bruno Lecturer in London in 1907, and Hibberl Lecturer at London and Cambridge in 1921. In 1911 lie succeeded Dr Alexander Souter as Yates Professor of Plow Testament Greek and Exegesis in Mansfield College, Oxford. In 1915 ho returned to Glasgow as successor to Principal Lindsay in tlre chair of Church History in the United Pres College. He remained in. that position until. 1927, when he accented a call to his . present office as Washburn Professor of Church History in the Union Theological Seminary, New York. He has so many university degrees that it would be superfluous to try to enumerate them. But one is so rare among non-Angli-cans that it deserves special mention, the H.D. of Oxford University. This honour ho shares with, only ono other Presbyterian, Dr H. K. Mackintosh.