Shailer Mathews

Shailer Mathews (May 26, 1863 – October 23, 1941) was a liberal Christian theologian, involved with the Social Gospel movement.

Born in Portland, Maine, and graduated from Colby College. Mathews was a progressive, advocating social concerns as part of the Social Gospel message, and subjecting Biblical texts to scientific study, in opposition to contemporary conservative Christians. He incorporated evolutionary theory into his religious views, noting that the two were not mutually exclusive. He remained a devout Baptist for his entire life, and helped establish the Northern Baptist Convention, serving as its president in 1915. Mathews was a prolific author, served as president of the Chicago Society of Biblical Research twice (in 1898-1899 and 1928-1929), and also served as dean of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago (from 1908-1933). An endowed chair in his honor, the Shailer Mathews Professorship at the University of Chicago Divinity School, has recently been held by Franklin I. Gamwell and Hans Dieter Betz, and is currently held by Margaret M. Mitchell. His ashes are interred in the crypt of First Unitarian Church of Chicago.

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