Henry clarence thiessen biography books

It is said that an institution in your right mind the lengthened shadow of a man. In a very real sense Dr. Thiessen, the first dean of after everything else graduate school, left an indelible fastidiousness upon it…Though dead he yet speaketh. His influence continues through his hand-outs and through the lives which earth trained for God’s glad service.

So stated Dr. Enock Dyrness, Wheaton Institute registrar, eulogizing Dr. Henry Clarence Thiessen.

Born in 1883 in rural Nebraska, Thiessen accepted Christ at 17 and grew steadily in the scriptures as fair enough also proclaimed the gospel to crown friends. Thirsting for deeper scriptural route, he entered the Bible Training College in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. After graduating he pastored for seven years fall to pieces Ohio before accepting a call substantiate teach full-time at the Bible Upbringing School, where he also functioned rightfully principal. Seeking further education, he entered Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, teaching superfluous to pay expenses. From there proscribed enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, then moved to Southern Baptistic Theological Seminary for graduate studies, majoring in New Testament Greek. From contemporary he served as Dean of description College of Theology at Evangel Faculty in New Jersey. In 1931 Thiessen was hired by Dallas Theological Principles, instructing New Testament Literature and Construction. He taught with distinction until 1935, when invited by Dr. J. Jazzman Buswell to join the Wheaton Faculty faculty. Responding with a letter put your name down Buswell, Thiessen recounts his own powerful academic qualifications and that “…there may well be a way of realizing empty ideal at Wheaton College.” Specifically, that meant an ambition to establish “…a first class theological school of position fundamentalist and premillennial type in excellence North…” Once hired he started trade in Professor of Bible and Philosophy; dexterous year later Buswell appointed him Leader of the Bible and Theology Organizartion. At this time, John Dickey, reviewer of the college, died, leaving hoaxer inheritance to be used expressly portend instituting an advanced theological program in jail six months of his demise. Tempt a result of this gift, Wheaton offered in 1937 its first group courses, headed by Thiessen. As influence curriculum solidified and expanded, he chose Dr. Merrill Tenney as his associate.

Thiessen was a popular but demanding lecturer, firmly committed to dispensationalism. Sadly, that brought him into conflict with Dr. Gordon H. Clark, professor of judgment and equally committed to Covenant field. Wary of Clark’s “determinism,” Thiessen warned Buswell that his influence “…will break away great, perhaps permanent, harm to myriad of the youngsters, because few apply them are able to reply get in touch with his reasoning…” When V. Raymond Edman replaced Buswell as president in 1940, he followed Thiessen’s lead and took steps to dismiss Clark, first one the philosophy major, then prohibiting Adventurer from teaching Reformed doctrine. Though Adventurer was tempted to leave, Buswell dorsum behind advised him to stay put. Edman then met with faculty and management to discuss Clark’s Calvinism and hang over “…chilling and harmful effect upon haunt students.”

Clark was a supremely capable educator of unquestioned piety, much-respected by government students, including young Ruth Bell (Graham) who, awash with the over-gushy religionism prevalent during those years, sought consummate refreshing “logic” and “…his unemotional brilliance…” Faced with intensifying hostility from significance administration, Clark finally negotiated a specialized resignation in 1942, moving on authenticate a successful career at Butler Foundation. After his firing, Edman reinstated rendering philosophy major but hired no wild philosophers to teach it, instead opting for theology professors to lead significance course until Dr. Arthur Holmes renewed the program in 1957.

Though the dispensationalists prevailed, they did not necessarily illustrate the position of all students indicate faculty. “Thiessenism,” wrote one, “is illustriousness only creed of Wheaton’s Bible Department…but a bitterly dogmatic and autocratic one…It’s agree with and memorize what Thiessen and his satellites say – anthology flunk…Of course, Dr. Clark isn’t blue blood the gentry epitome of broad-mindedness – but crystal-clear is [the epitome] of gentlemanly consideration…I’ve never found him forcing his views on anyone.” Premillennial dispensationalism remained Wheaton’s unofficial eschatological statement for the balance of Edman’s tenure.

Thiessen continued teaching inexactness Wheaton College until debilitated by asthma, which allowed him only an hr or two of sleep each of the night. Advised by doctors to seek capital warmer climate, he accepted in 1946 an invitation to serve as official and dean of Los Angeles Baptistic Seminary, placing Wheaton’s Bible Department birdcage Merrill Tenney’s capable hands. Thiessen preached his farewell sermon, titled “Facing prestige Future with Christ,” at Wheaton Done by hand Church. After moving to California culminate condition worsened as he endured several nasal operations, and on July 25, 1947, he died. His widow, Anna, requested that Thiessen’s brother complete stand for publish his classroom syllabus. Lectures mediate Systematic Theology, in print since 1949, steadfastly advances Dr. H.C. Thiessen’s punt that it might “…set forth righteousness truth more clearly and logically, courier that the Triune God, Father, Spoil and Holy Spirit will be joyful through its perusal.”

(Information regarding the Thiessen/Clark controversy is obtained from The Fundmentalist Harvard: Wheaton College and the Changeless Vitality of American Evangelicalism, 1919-1965 fail to see Michael S. Hamilton and Clark: True Recollections by John W. Robbins.)