Smith, William Robertson

Smith, William Robertson

▪ Scottish scholar
born Nov. 8, 1846, Keig, Aberdeenshire, Scot.
died March 31, 1894, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Eng.
 Scottish Semitic scholar, encyclopaedist, and student of comparative religion and social anthropology.

      Smith was ordained a minister in 1870 on his appointment as professor of Oriental languages and Old Testament exegesis at the Free Church College of Aberdeen. When his articles on biblical subjects appeared in the 9th edition of Encyclopædia Britannica (notably the article “Bible,” published in 1875), the authorities of the Free Church took strong exception to them; in 1877 they suspended him from his teaching duties. He was formally tried, and in 1880 the assembly dropped the indictment against him. After a second attack on his opinions, he was again suspended; in 1881 he was removed from his chair.

      Later that year he was appointed joint editor of Encyclopædia Britannica. He moved to Edinburgh and wrote The Old Testament in the Jewish Church (1881) and The Prophets of Israel (1882). He held academic positions at Cambridge University from 1883 and remained editor in chief of Britannica until the 9th edition was completed in 1888. His article “Sacrifice” (1886) and his book Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia (1885) are important landmarks in the study of comparative religion. In 1889 he wrote his most original work, Lectures on the Religion of the Semites.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • SMITH, WILLIAM ROBERTSON° — (1846–1894), Scottish theologian and Semitist; born at New Farm, Aberdeenshire. His appointment as professor of Oriental languages and Bible exegesis in the Free Church College at Aberdeen in 1870 was ended in 1881 due to his radical views in… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • SMITH, WILLIAM ROBERTSON —    biblical scholar and critic, born at Keig, Aberdeenshire; educated for the Scottish Free Church, became professor of Hebrew in the connection at Aberdeen; was prosecuted for heresy in the matter of the origin of the books of the Old Testament …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • SMITH, William Robertson — (1846 1894)    Scottish Biblical scholar and author of The Religion of the Semites (1989) which was an early attempt to introduce CONCEPTS from ANTHROPOLOGY and SOCIOLOGY into Biblical studies. He was also responsible for popularizing the work of …   Concise dictionary of Religion

  • Smith, William Robertson — (1846 1894)    Theologian and Semitic scholar, s. of the Free Church minister of Keig, Aberdeenshire, studied for the ministry of that Church. In 1870 he was appointed Prof. of Hebrew, etc., in its coll. at Aberdeen, a position which he had to… …   Short biographical dictionary of English literature

  • William Robertson Smith — (* 8. November 1846 in Keig, Aberdeenshire, Schottland; † 31. März 1894 in Cambridge) war ein schottischer Theologe der Free Church of Scotland und Professor für Altes Testament. Er war ein Exponent des kirchlichen Liberalismus und stand in guter …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • William Robertson Smith — Retrato de William Robertson Smith Nombre completo William Robertson Smith Nacimient …   Wikipedia Español

  • William Robertson Smith — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Smith. William Robertson Smith William Roberston Smith (1846 1894) est un anthropologue britannique né à Aberdeen (Écosse) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • William Robertson Smith — (8 November, 1846 – 31 March, 1894) was a Scottish orientalist, Old Testament scholar, professor of divinity, and minister of the Free Church of Scotland. He was an editor of the Encyclopædia Britannica . He is also known for his book Religion of …   Wikipedia

  • William Robertson (disambiguation) — William Robertson or Bill Robertson is a name also shared by the following individuals:Public officials*William Robertson (politician) (ca. 1760 ndash;1806), Scottish immigrant who became prominent in Upper Canada business and politics *William J …   Wikipedia

  • William Robertson, 1. Baronet — Sir William Robertson, 1. Baronet of Beaconsfield Sir William Robert Robertson, 1. Baronet of Beaconsfield, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, DSO (* 29. Januar 1860 in Welbourn, Lincolnshire; † 12. Februar 1933 in London) war Chef des Imperialen Genera …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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