The Scholastic of the Free Church? An examination of the extent to which it is appropriate to describe William Cunningham (1805-1861) as a ‘scholastic’ theologian

Davis, Thomas (2018) The Scholastic of the Free Church? An examination of the extent to which it is appropriate to describe William Cunningham (1805-1861) as a ‘scholastic’ theologian. MTh(R) thesis, University of Glasgow in partnership with Edinburgh Theological Seminary.

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to examine the extent to which it is appropriate to describe William Cunningham (1805-1861) as a scholastic theologian. Cunningham was a prominent figure in the Disruption and the early years of the Free Church of Scotland, yet today he is often overlooked or portrayed in what frequently appears to be a negative light. In the years since his death he has often been described using the term scholastic.
The central thesis of this study is that although aspects of Cunningham’s approach correspond to characteristics associated with scholasticism, he should only be classified as a scholastic to a limited extent. Much of his approach lies beyond the scope of that which is associated with scholasticism therefore it is not appropriate to label, or dismiss, Cunningham simply as a scholastic.
The thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 will trace the historical origins of scholasticism and attempts to build a working definition of the concept. The subsequent chapters will analyse separate aspects of this definition in relation to Cunningham. Chapter 2 will explore the chronological context of scholasticism in relation to the Medieval period and subsequent continuity of the phenomenon and how this relates to Cunningham. Chapter 3 will examine the educational aspect of scholasticism and how this corresponds to Cunningham’s teaching position in the 19th Century. Chapter 4 will explore scholastic methodology and will engage in a detailed comparison between Cunningham and Francis Turretin. Chapter 5 will then look more broadly at the wider context of how Cunningham fits into the ongoing interaction between theology and philosophy.

• Item Type: Thesis (MTh(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: William Cunningham, Scholasticism, Free Church of Scotland.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BS The Bible; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BT Doctrinal Theology
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Macleod, Professor Donald
• Date of Award: 2018
• Depositing User: Rev Thomas C G Davis
• Unique ID: glathesis:2018-41025
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Feb 2019 16:33
• Last Modified: 08 Mar 2019 17:33
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/41025