William Porcher Dubose

Yesterday, the 18th of August, was the commemoration of William Porcher Dubose, considered by many to be the greatest theological mind of the American Episcopal Church. He was born in South Carolina in 1836, educated at the University of Virginia where he excelled in his knowledge of Greek. He was ordained a priest in 1861 and served as a chaplain in the Confederate Army. After the war, and for decades, he was a brilliant scholar and professor at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. His legacy there is well-documented in Sewanee circles, but he gained acclaim in the broader church, and in Europe's great academic centers, as a result of his books conveying his orthodox theology, his interpretation of scriptures, and his remarkably beautiful blend of 19th Century theological expressions, including the Oxford Movement, evangelical passion, and the liberalism mapped by FD Maurice and others. His writings retain their value not only for their historical place in our tradition, but also for the role they play in the formation of generations of priests. Indeed, he is honored with a Distinguished Lecture series at Sewanee, which I will attend in October. Another great preacher and theologian, Barbara Brown Taylor, will be the featured speaker.


Almighty God, you gave to your servant William Porcher DuBose special gifts of grace to understand the Scriptures and to teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.Amen.