Thomas Woolston facts for kids
Thomas Woolston (born in November 1668, died January 27, 1733) was an English thinker who studied religion. Even though some people called him a deist (someone who believes in God but thinks God doesn't interfere with the world), his biographer, William H. Trapnell, believed he was an Anglican (a member of the Church of England) who had some unusual religious ideas.
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Life Story of Thomas Woolston
Thomas Woolston was born in Northampton in 1668. His father worked with leather. Thomas went to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, in 1685. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1692 and his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1699. He also became a priest and a fellow (a senior member) of his college.
His Ideas on the Bible
After some time, Thomas Woolston studied the writings of early Christian thinkers like Origen. He became very interested in the idea of an allegorical or spiritual way to understand the Scripture (the Bible). This means looking for deeper, hidden meanings instead of just the literal words.
He believed this allegorical approach could help defend Christianity. He shared these ideas in his sermons and in his first book, The Old Apology for the Truth of the Christian Religion against the Jews and Gentiles Revived (1705). He thought that many religious leaders of his time were too focused on the literal meaning of the Bible, which he saw as a shallow way to understand it.
Challenges and Consequences
For many years, Thomas Woolston did not publish much. But in 1720-1721, he started publishing letters and pamphlets. In these writings, he shared his views on the Old Testament and openly challenged other religious leaders to prove him wrong.
These publications caused him trouble. Some people said he was mentally unwell, and he lost his position at the college. From 1721, he mostly lived in London. He received about £30 a year from his brother and other gifts to support himself.
His Main Works
Thomas Woolston's ideas became very important in the discussions about deism when he published his book, The Moderator between an Infidel and an Apostate (1725). In this book, he talked about Anthony Collins, who believed the New Testament was based on the Old Testament. Woolston argued that only the allegorical meaning of prophecies, not the literal one, could prove that Jesus was the Messiah. He also criticized religious leaders who had stopped using the allegorical method of the early Christian thinkers.
Woolston strongly disagreed with the idea of proving Christianity through miracles. He questioned whether the resurrection of Christ and other miracles in the New Testament happened exactly as described. He believed they should be understood allegorically, as symbols of spiritual truths.
Two years later, he started a series of Discourses (discussions) on the same topic. In these, he applied his ideas to specific miracles in the Gospels. These Discourses were very popular, with about 30,000 copies reportedly sold. There were six Discourses in total, published between 1727 and 1729, along with two Defences (arguments defending his views) in 1729-1730.
Legal Trouble and Imprisonment
Because of these publications, Thomas Woolston faced legal consequences in 1729. He was found guilty of expressing views that were considered against the established religious beliefs of the time. He was sentenced to pay fines and also to spend a year in prison. He was also required to promise good behavior for the rest of his life.
However, he could not provide the security needed for this promise. Because of this, he remained in prison until he died on January 27, 1733.
Responses to Woolston's Ideas
Many people wrote books and pamphlets to respond to Thomas Woolston's Moderator and Discourses. More than sixty such writings appeared. Some of the well-known responses included:
- Zachary Pearce, The Miracles of Jesus Vindicated (1729)
- Thomas Sherlock, The Tryal of the Witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus (1729)
- Nathaniel Lardner, Vindication of Three of Our Saviour's Miracles (1729)
It is interesting to note that Nathaniel Lardner was one of the people who did not agree with the decision to put Woolston on trial.
