John Smith (Platonist)
John Smith (born 1618 in Achurch, Northamptonshire – died August 7,[1] 1652 in Cambridge) was an English philosopher, theologian, and educator.
[edit] Life
He entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1636, took his B.A. in 1640 and his M.A. in 1644, at which time he was chosen fellow of Queens' College.[2] His health seems to have been precarious from the first. His labors were principally confined to his office as teacher, for which he had remarkable qualifications. His preaching was with a rare degree of eloquence, which can still be felt in the Select Discourses (1660). In that work, he writes about several metaphysical and epistemological issues surrounding Christianity - the existence of God, eternal life, and rationality. He gained much local fame as a lecturer on mathematics. His personal character was such as to excite the admiration of his associates in a remarkable degree. As a "founder" of the so-called Cambridge Platonists, his special service was in developing the foundation of a Christian philosophy that was deeply rational, open to the new science, and yet directed to the practical goal of living a religious life.
[edit] References
- ^ Rufus M. Jones, Spiritual Reformers in the 16th and 17th Centuries (1998), p. 306.
- ^ Venn, J.; Venn, J. A., eds. (1922–1958). "Smith, John". Alumni Cantabrigienses (10 vols) (online ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.
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