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This dissertation is a study of the social work and thought of three eminent Scottish ministers whose major contributions to the Church and society came in the years from 1835 to 1935. Br. James Begg, Br. A. H. Charteris, and Br. navid Watson lived at a time when the Industrial Revolution was bringing about many changes and upheavals in Scottish social, religious, political and economic life. Social institutions, customs, habits, and patterns of thought and behaviour were constantly undergoing transition and alteration. The new conditions created by the Industrial Revolution had an effect upon the Church as well, and her reaction and adjustment to those changes and the contributions of the three men to the Church in that process has been the central theme of this work.

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This study is an intellectual biography of Sir George Adam Smith, biblical scholar and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen. Smith trained for the ministry of the Free Church of Scotland under A.B. Davidson, who was influential in disseminating Higher Critical views of the Bible in Scotland. Smith inherited his teacher's penchant for Hebrew and Old Testament criticisms, and served as Hebrew tutor in Aberdeen's Free Church College following the deposition of William Robertson Smith, before becoming the first minister of Queen's Cross Free Church, Aberdeen (1882-92). During his ministry in Aberdeen Smith established a reputation as a preacher of note, and a leading biblical scholar. His preaching drew a large congregation around him, and his Old Testament commentaries secured him a place of note among students of the Old Testament prophets. The tensions between the developing biblical scholarship of the period and the confessional commitment of the Victorian Free Church of Scotland are evident in his years of ministry; and this thesis examines the relationship between the Church's theological position and the scholarship of the rising intellectuals. In 1892 Smith was appointed to the Chair of Hebrew and Old Testament Exegesis at the Free Church College, Glasgow, where he served until 1910. Smith's scholarly work focused on further critical studies of the prophets and the Historical Geography of Palestine. The tensions between academic study of the biblical text and the Church's confessional position came to a head with a near trial for heresy in 1902, the significance of which is examined here. Smith also embraced a social Gospel, and the relationship between his critical study of the Old Testament and his social work in the cities is worthy of study. Some historians view the emergence of a social gospel as evidence of a disappearing orthodox; but for Smith the social work of the church was integral to the ongoing ministry of the Church. Smith served as Principal of Aberdeen University from 1910 to 1935. His position as Vice Chancellor was akin to pastoring a large congregation without credal commitment. The growth of the University during his Principalship is interesting in its own right; not less so are his work as Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland (1916) and his work in church and state during the First World War.

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E.P. Sanders in his work, <i>Jesus and Judaism</i>, advances a refreshingly new position concerning Jesus' teaching on forgiveness. This dissertation is focused on pointing out why some of Sanders' arguments remain unconvincing and at advancing more convincing theses against his case in the light of a close examination of relevant passages in the synoptic gospels. Chapter 1 consists of several parts: a short introduction on Sanders' academic career, his significant contributions, overall review of <i>Jesus and Judaism</i>, and a critical examination of his five main arguments concerning Jesus' teaching on forgiveness. (1) Jesus does not ask for <i>national</i> repentance. (2) Jesus does not stress the need for repentance. (3) Jesus does not make repentance according to the law which requires restitution and/or sacrifice a condition for joining his band of disciples. (4) The only requirement was to 'follow' him, i.e., to join his band and 'accept' his message. (5) Jesus does not give his message on forgiveness an eschatological thrust like John the Baptist. Chapter 2 comprises a close examination of five passages appearing in three synoptic gospels, which turn out to be authentic sayings of Jesus. Jesus proclaims national repentance: Mark 1:15; Matt 4:17; Mark 8:12; Matt 12:39; Luke 11:29; Matt 12:42-42; Luke 11:31-32. Jesus teaches the need of making restitution to God: Mark 1:40-44; Matt 8:2-4; Luke 5:12-16. Chapter 3 contains investigations of the authenticity of seven passages which appear in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark. Matt 6:12; Luke 11:4; Matt 10:5-15; Luke 10:2-12; Matt 11:16-19; Luke 7:31-35; Matt 23:37-39; Luke 13:34-35; Matt 11:21-23; Luke 10:13-15 attest that Jesus and his disciplines call for national repentance with an eschatological overtone. Matt 5:25-26; Luke 12:57-59; Matt 6:12; Luke 11:4; Matt 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7 elucidate Jesus' stress on repentance, restitution, reconciliation along with forgiveness.

The purpose of this thesis is two-fold. First, it seeks to examine the structure of C.H. Dodd's Biblical theology as he formulated it in his edifice of exegesis. Dodd often compared Ihc discipline of biblical criticism to that of constructing a building; thus this thesis investigates the way that Dodd went about doing biblical criticism. Second, it seeks to describe und analyze the unpublished writings of C.H. Dodd as they are utilized within this cxegctical edifice. Their use in this thesis has proved to be invaluable in highlighting certain descriptions of Dodd and in uncovering emphases in his thought not easily disccrnablc in his published writings. Chapter one serves as an introduction to the thesis. It is demonstrated that Dodd's thought did not formulate in a vacuum but was the product of the climate of home and church, the discipline of his study of the Greek and Latin classics, and of his commitment to Congregationalism. Chapter two is a study of Dodd's views on the authority of the Bible. It is pointed out that Dodd's thoughts on this doctrine changed with time; a chronological approach, therefore, is utilized, and his views are described during his teaching days at Oxford University, Manchester University, Cambridge University, and during the years of his retirement from active teaching. Dodd progressed from a liberal stance on Biblical fallibility to a more moderate stance. A Biblical critic, like an architect, must meet certain qualifications: humility, responsibility, and an ability to "live oneself into" the Biblical history. In addition, he justifies his use of the critical method because that method is the one used by the church since the first century. In using this method, Dodd was affirming, not denying, the authority of the Bible. Chapter three is an investigation of Dodd's philosophy of the Bible. Whereas chapter two is theological, this chapter is philosophical. Dodd maintains that the Bible has its own philosophy and that the Biblical critic must recognise this fact. Basically, this philosophy is stated as a view of history as fact plus interpretation. Dodd's unique contributions to historical investigation are described and critiqued. Arising out of this view of history is Dodd's understanding of the apostolic Kerygma and of the testimonies. The kergma, as Dodd summarizes it in various writings, is described and critiqued. It is shown that Dodd's view of history serves as the foundation for his interpretation of realized cschatology, as well as for the Kerygma. Chapter four is a look at Dodd's blueprint of exegesis. His thoughts on textual criticism arc examined, and some of his principles of textual criticism arc listed with examples. Once the text of a passage has been reasonably established, the critic must translate that passage. Dodd believes that translation is interpretation, and that interpretation is translation. His problems with the various translations arc noted, and ten rules of biblical translation, culled from the Doddian corpus, arc enumerated wilh illustrations. The use of higher criticism is Ihc ncxl stage in Dodd's edifice. His application of source criticism is examined. It is concluded that he used this tool primarily to give credence to his theory of realized eschstology by excising all Synoptic sayings not found in the Marcan-Q group. Next, Dodd's use of, and contributions to, form criticism arc looked at. It is concluded that he, following the British tradition, did not fall into the sceptical excesses of the German radical critics, but used this method of criticism to accentuate the historical Irustworthincss of the Gospels. The final section of the chapter examines Dodd's approach to the background and the environment of the New Testament. Dodd believes that once the critic has some understanding of the general background of a Biblical author and his readers, he can best do the task of interpretation. It is concluded that, although Dodd spent enormous amounts of energy investigating the Jewish and Hellenistic backgrounds, his approach suffers from lack of precision and of consistency. Chapter five is a study of Dodd's interpretation of the theology of Paul and the theology of the Fourth Gospel. This Biblical theology is the edifice of exegesis that Dodd constructed. Chapter six is a summary of the thesis and offers some conclusions.