As a theologian, he rates very high. He was incredibly prescient concerning certain trends.

He was a "man of his time and place," ante- and post-bellum South; and (if we would like a drop or two of charitable judgment ourselves) we should remember that, even while we assuredly want to distance ourselves from any of his racist remarks. I have never come across any of them in his theological material, but he did say and write some things which, in our time, grate upon our sensibilities. But I do not think you will find such in the vast majority of his compendious writings.

I bring up this last point, because someone (even a "person of color") could read and love Dabney, and then have some acquaintance of theirs blindside them with: "But he's an old southern racist! What are you reading him for?" Better to know ahead of time.

__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


When posting friends, kindly bear those words of earthly wisdom in mind:
Oh, that God the gift would give us
To see ourselves as others see us.
--Robert Burns, 1786 (modernized) ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions? --