The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

CHAPTER NINETEEN: Various Scholars Augment Conditionalist Appeal

I. Bishop Perowne—Scholarly Advocate of Conditionalism

The caliber of some of the conspicuous Conditionalists of the time is again illustrated by the illustrious Dr. J. J. STEWART PEROWNE (1823-1904), Anglican bishop of Worcester, eminent Hebrew and Greek scholar. Of Huguenot origin, he was trained at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and ordained in 1848. He became canon of Llandaff and rector of Llanlislio. He also served as master of St. Edward’s School, and was in turn tutor, lecturer, preacher, and vice-principal at Lincoln’s Inn. He was similarly vice-principal and professor of Hebrew at St. David’s College, then prebendary of St. David’s, and master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, prior to his consecration as bishop. (Portrait on page 373.) CFF2 355.1

In 1870 Perowne served as a member of the Old Testament Revision Committee. Then in 1875 he succeeded Dr. J. B. Lightfoot as Hulsean professor of Greek at Cambridge, which post he held with distinction until his death in 1904. Meantime, in 1878, he was named dean of Peterborough, and consecrated bishop of Worcester in 1891. Furthermore, back in 1877 he was appointed general editor for the New Testament section of the renowned Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. ¹ CFF2 355.2

1. WE ARE BUT “CANDIDATES FOR IMMORTALITY.”

Perowne became a Conditionalist after thoroughly investigating the facts, and gave expression to his views in the Hulsean Lecture ² on “Immortality,” at Cambridge, in 1868. In this address Perowne plainly states that in the Bible “the immortality of the soul is a phantom which eludes your eager grasp.” ³ And he frankly adds that, instead, “we are candidates for immortality.” ⁵ He is definitely listed as a Conditionalist by Petavel, White, Freer, Pettingell, and others. Pettingell quotes him as saying, “The immortality of the soul is neither argued nor affirmed in the Old Testament.” CFF2 356.1