Benjamin Jowett's On The Interpretation Of Scripture

Benjamin Jowett’s “On the Interpretation of Scripture” (1860)

Benjamin Jowett (b. 1817 d. 1893) was a British theologian, translator, and influential administrative and educational reformer at the College of Balliol, Oxford (Hinchliff and Prest). Using his position at Balliol to centralize himself in society at the time, Jowett had a large network of friends including Florence Nightingale, Tennyson, George Eliot and Browning. His academic career at the College of Balliol (an Honours school of Literae Humanitoires or “greats”) started when he gained scholarship there in 1835. He remained an important part of the campus (1838 became fellow and tutor, 1842 received MA and was ordained as a deacon, 1855 Regius Chair of Greek, 1865 Official College

This collection of essays included works authored by six Church of England churchmen and one layman. The essays focus on religion, covering such topics as the Biblical researches of the German critics, the evidences of Christianity, religious thought in England, and the cosmology of Genesis. It sold over 20,000 copies in a two-year span, which was more than Darwin’s Origin of Species in 20 years (Stockum 25-26). Its earliest editions were published as a demy octavo volume in a run of 1000 copies, selling at a relatively expensive price of 10 shillings and sixpence (Stockum 14). The tenth edition used a smaller and cheaper foolscap octavo format that was much more accessible, yet still pricey for some at five shillings (Stockum 19). Essays and Reviews begins with a note “To the Reader” which clarifies that the “authors of the ensuing essays are responsible for their respective articles only” and have written in “independence” (Stockum 134). The editor possibly uses this note as a disclaimer to warn readers of the radical nature of its contents, as well as ensure any blame for content is to be individually

Threatening his career and pushing him to again subscribe to the Thirty-Nine articles, Jowett was delated to the vice-chancellor’s court in 1863 for teaching contrary to the doctrines of the Church of England. However, the assessor refused to proceed with hearing the case. At this time, there was a great decline in liberal activity of Balliol, and Jowett was made an outcast. The 1860s marked the end of a phase for Jowett’s life. Convinced that the theological debate was unproductive he turned his academic attention to Plato and educational reform, translating and creating commentaries on the Republic, Thucydides, and becoming Master of