The preaching of Henry Drummond: with special reference to his work among students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the life and work of a man who served with distinction and success for ten years as the unofficial preacher to students at the University of Edinburgh. His message helped to change the whole atmosphere of college life in many parts of the world. It was due largely to his efforts and those influenced by him that the foundations were laid for the Student Christian Movement in Great Britain and America. The message and work of Henry Drummond stand apart as unique in originality, power, and sustained appeal, from all others who ministered to students in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.I have found it helpful to keep the biographical details simple and factual and to emphasise the message he preached to his great student congregations. Thus, I have dispensed with the areas of his life which did not have a clear bearing upon his particular message to young men. There was ever present a desire to dwell at length upon the scientific discussions of Drummond's time and the impact of the scientific method in the areas of economics, politics, and religion. But that is not within the scope of this study and I have only touched on Drummond's scientific work to show how this enriched his influence with students. It seemed important to me to present a brief sketch of the religious movements which prepared the way for his work both in Great Britain and in America. This I have done in the first few pages of Chapters II and III. The reader will find the usual "background" material for a study of this kind, trends in theological thought, progress in science, and the general climate of the second half of the Victorian Era, have been woven into the chapters dealing with Drummond's message and preaching. I have found it best to use American spelling and punctuation throughout this thesis, except where I have quoted directly. The bibliography has been grouped according to the purpose served and limited to those volumes which have proved of the greatest assistance in the preparation of this work.