Adam Clarke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adam Clarke
President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference
In office 1806–1807
Preceded by	Thomas Coke
Succeeded by	John Barber
In office 1814–1815
Preceded by	Walter Griffith
Succeeded by	John Barber
In office 1822–1823
Preceded by	George Marsden
Succeeded by	Henry Moore
Personal details
Born	1762 Moybeg Kirley, Tobermore, Ireland
Died	26 August 1832 (1832-08-27) (aged 70)
Occupation	Biblical scholar

Adam Clarke (born 1762, died 26 August 1832) was an important British Methodist theologian. He was chosen three times to be the President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. He was also a Bible expert who wrote a very important Bible commentary and many other books. He followed the teachings of Wesleyan Methodism.

Adam Clarke's Life Story

Early Life and Learning

Adam Clarke was born around 1762 in a place called Moybeg Kirley, near Tobermore in County Londonderry, Ireland. His father was a school teacher and farmer. His mother was from a different Christian group.

Adam had a tough childhood with many accidents. He didn't get much schooling at first. He started working for a company that made linen, but he didn't like it. So, he went back to school at a place started by John Wesley in Kingswood, Bristol. In 1779, when he was about 17, he became a Methodist after hearing a preacher speak.

His Career and Studies

In 1782, at age 19, Adam Clarke became a traveling preacher. He worked in different areas, including Bradford, Wiltshire, until 1805. Later, he lived mostly in London and spent a lot of time studying.

Clarke was a very hard-working scholar. He first studied old Greek and Roman writings. Then he looked at the works of early Christian thinkers. After that, he focused on writers from the Middle East. He learned languages like Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, and Persian. He also loved natural science.

He wrote for a magazine called the Eclectic Review starting in 1804. He also helped the British and Foreign Bible Society with their writing. In 1808, the University of Aberdeen gave him a special degree called LL.D., which is a very high honor.

In 1815, Clarke moved to an estate in Millbrook, Bedfordshire, where he lived for several years. By 1823, he moved back to London and then to Haydon Hall, where he stayed until he died.

His Work as a Preacher

Adam Clarke quickly became a very popular preacher. He rose to a high position in the Wesleyan Methodist group. He was chosen to be the President of the Conference three times: in 1806, 1814, and 1822.

He traveled a lot for his work, going to places like Ireland, Scotland, the Channel Islands, and Shetland. Clarke was known for his powerful sermons. In his later years, many people came to hear him preach.

Adam Clarke and the Rosetta Stone

Clarke was also interested in history and old writings. In 1803, he was invited to see the Rosetta Stone, which had just been found. At that time, no one had translated the writing on the stone.

Clarke thought the stone was made of basalt rock. This idea was believed for a long time, even though it was later found to be incorrect. He also suggested that one of the languages on the stone was Coptic. This clue was very helpful to Jean-François Champollion, who successfully translated the stone in 1822.

Important Groups He Joined

Adam Clarke was a member of many important learned societies of his time. He was part of the British and Foreign Bible Society. In 1816, he became a Fellow of the American Antiquarian Society. He was also a member of the Royal Irish Academy.

He was an Associate of the Geological Society of London. He was a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society. And he was a member of the American Historical Institute.

His Death

Adam Clarke died on August 26, 1832, from a disease called cholera. There is a special memorial for him in Portrush, Antrim, County Antrim.

Adam Clarke's Ideas

His Religious Views

As a theologian, Adam Clarke strongly supported the teachings of John Wesley, who started Methodism. Clarke believed that the Bible gives us a full understanding of God's nature and what God wants. He thought the Bible itself was a miracle that helps us understand things clearly.

One of his ideas that caused some debate was about Jesus. Clarke believed that before Jesus came to Earth as a human, he was "unoriginated," meaning he didn't have a beginning. He felt that if Jesus had a beginning, he would be less than God, and therefore not fully divine. This was important to Clarke because he thought Jesus's full divinity was key to understanding how Jesus's death helps people.

Many Methodists, like Richard Watson, disagreed with Clarke's view. They argued that his idea might affect the understanding of the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Most Methodist theologians later chose to follow the traditional view of Jesus.

Fighting Against Slavery

Adam Clarke was one of the early religious leaders who spoke out strongly against slavery. In his commentary on a Bible verse (Isaiah 58:6), he wrote:

"Let the oppressed go free – How can any nation pretend to fast or worship God at all, or dare to profess that they believe in the existence of such a Being, while they carry on the slave trade, and traffic in the souls, blood, and bodies, of men! O ye most flagitious of knaves, and worst of hypocrites, cast off at once the mask of religion; and deepen not your endless perdition by professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, while ye continue in this traffic!"

This shows how strongly he felt that slavery was wrong and against God's will.

His Writings

Adam Clarke wrote many important books. His most famous work is his Bible commentary, which helps people understand the Bible. He also wrote three volumes of sermons and many other articles for different journals. He even helped with a new edition of a historical record called Foedera by Thomas Rymer.

In Literature

In 1834, a poet named Lydia Sigourney wrote a poem called On the Death of Dr. Adam Clarke..

Another poet, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, wrote a poem called Dr. Adam Clarke and the Two Priests of Budha.. This poem was based on a picture of something that happened in Dr. Clarke's life.