Dissertation

Thomas Morgan (1671/2-1743):from Presbyterian Preacher to Christian Deist

Mr. Jan van den Berg defended his thesis on 8 November 2018

Author

J. van den Berg

Date

08 November 2018

Links

Leiden Repository

The English Presbyterian minister, medical practioner, and later deist, Thomas Morgan, lived from 1671/2 till 1743. He participated in the pamphlet war around the Salters' Hall conference, was dismissed by his congregation in Marlborough in 1724, and turned fully to medicine in Bristol from 1727. He published two medical works, which had a ready national and international sale. In London he published in 1737 his principal work: The Moral Philosopher, in which he called himself a Christian Deist, critizising the Bible and especially the Old Testament. He received many criticisms for this work. Morgan stands in a line of Christian theology, which disparages the Jewish part of Scripture, and which is of present interest until to-day.

Supervisor: Prof. dr E.G.E. van der Wall, co-supervisor: dr. J.W. Buisman