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.png) James
Hastings (26 March 1852 – 15 October 1922) was a Scottish United Free Church
minister and biblical scholar. He is best known for producing major reference
works, including a 5-volume Dictionary of the Bible and a 13-volume Encyclopædia
of Religion and Ethics, and establishing The Expository Times.
He was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire, the second son and fifth child of local
miller James Hastings. His initial education was undertaken at Huntly School and
Aberdeen Grammar School. He studied classics at the University of Aberdeen,
graduating with a Master's degree in 1876. He then attended the Free Church
Divinity College in Aberdeen in preparation for ordination as a Free Church
minister. While studying at the college, he also worked as a teacher at Chanonry
House School, a private school for boys in Old Aberdeen.
Following a period as assistant minister in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Hastings was
ordained in 1884, becoming minister at Kineff Free Church in Kincardineshire.
After 13 years, he was called to Willison Church in Dundee, but returned to
Kincardineshire in 1901, having struggled with his city placement. From 1901
until his retirement in 1911, he was the minister at the United Free Church in
St Cyrus. During his period in office, he oversaw the erection of a new church
building for the congregation.
In one obituary, his preaching was described as "evangelical in sentiment,
thoughtful and expository in style, fluent in delivery, and fervent in
application." Hastings married Ann Wilson Forsyth in 1884, the year of his
ordination. They had two children: Edward (21 March 1890 – 1 August 1980) and
Ann Wilson (21 April 1885 – 23 March 1975). Edward later also became a minister
of the United Free Church.
He received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from the University of Aberdeen
(1897) and Queen's University in Nova Scotia (1920). After his retirement,
Hastings returned to Aberdeen, where he became a member of Beechgrove United
Free Church. He died unexpectedly on 15 October 1922. His funeral was held on 18
October, and he was buried at Springbank Cemetery in Aberdeen.
Hastings edited many reference works, which are still in use today. In 1913, he
was awarded the biennial Dyke-Acland Medal for his services to biblical
research. During his time at Willison church, Hastings founded the Expository
Times, which he edited until his death. After his death, his children took over
joint editorship of the journal until 1942, when C. Leslie Mitton became editor.
The Expository Times continues to be issued monthly.
He also established and edited a weekly periodical for Sunday School teachers,
entitled The Sunday School. This ran for 104 editions between December 1892 and
December 1894.
Dictionary of the Bible
(T. & T. Clark, 1898–1904), five volumes
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics
Editor: Hastings, James, 1852-1922
Editor: Selbie, John A. (John Alexander), 1856-1931
Editor: Gray, Louis H. (Louis Herbert), 1875-1955
The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics is a 12-volume work (plus an index
volume) edited by James Hastings, written between 1908 and 1921 and composed of
entries by many contributors. It covers not only religious matters but thousands
of ancillary topics as well, including folklore, myth, ritual, anthropology,
psychology, etc. It was originally published by T&T Clark in Edinburgh, and
Charles Scribner's Sons in the United States.
Volume I (A - Art)
Volume II (Arthur
- Bunyan)
Volume III (Burial
- Confessions)
Volume IV
(Confirmation - Drama)
Volume V
(Dravidians - Fichte)
Volume VI (Fiction
- Hyksos)
Volume VII (Hymns
- Liberty)
Volume VIII (Life
and Death - Mulla)
Volume IX (Mundas
- Phrygians)
Volume X (Picts -
Sacraments)
Volume XI
(Sacrifice - Sudra)
Volume XII
(Suffering - Zwingli)
Index |
