D1.8.7: Theology and General Literature; Dean Douglas's Speech

D1.8.7: Theology and General Literature; Dean Douglas's Speech

Newspaper Clippings

Bleek scrutinises the 'unalterable' doctrinal standards of the local orthodox party, merely authored by doctors and divines several centuries ago in an inferior intellectual context. These humans were fallible. Theology (Protestant orthodoxy) and general literature's disconformity grows because orthodoxy is static, while the latter embraces progress. He uses John Calvin to illustrate the chequered morality of figures who wrote or instantiated the Dutch Reformed and Scotch Churches' standards of belief. The standards 'justifying' the denigration of liberal theologians (like Revd Johannes Jacobus Kotzé and Bishop Colenso) by orthodox party theologians (like Andrew Murray Jr) and Anglo-Catholic high churchmen (like Dean Henry Douglas) are an anachronism.

Printed newsprint glued on paper

19 May 1864

Two cut-out columns of printed newsprint mounted on foolscap folio (warped). 'Theology and General Literature, Dean Douglas's Speech' is the title Bleek wrote on the mount.

Dean Douglas (Dean of Cape Town), orthodox theology (Protestant orthodoxy), John Calvin (the Consistory of Geneva refused to honour him), Gamaliel (Bleek encourages Dean Douglas and Andrew Murray Jr to consult it)

Pressed clippings of Victorian current affairs opinion pieces by Wilhelm Bleek. Published in Het Volksblad on Thursday, May 19th, 1864. Bleek expresses admiration for Dean Henry Douglas and commends his eloquence and amiability.

Van de Sandt de Villiers & Co.