Author:
[ William Robertson Smith (1846-1894), Scottish theologian, Professor of Hebrew at Aberdeen Free Church College
Publication details:
'No. 2. Bon-Accord Rhymes and Ballads. ] Aberdeen: George Middleton, Skene Square. 1878.
Smith's entry in the Oxford DNB explains the background to this pamphlet, explaining that he was 'commissioned to write some articles on biblical subjects for the ninth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and the first two of these appeared in 1875—‘Angel’ in volume 2 and ‘Bible’ in volume 3. These articles marked a turning point in his career. The Bible was regarded by the Free Church of Scotland as ‘the supreme rule of faith and life’, and so anything that might seem to undermine its authority was bound to arouse opposition.
