Davidson, Samuel, 1806-1898

Samuel Davidson was a theologian and biblical scholar. Born in 1806 at Kellswater, Ireland, Davidson was of Scottish Presbyterian decent. In 1824, he began attending the Royal Academical Institute in Belfast, but he did not complete his studies until 1832. He received his LL.D from Aberdeen University in 1838. In 1848, he received a D.D. from the University of Halle.

Davidson was licensed to preach in 1833, but his vocation was more academic than pastoral. From 1835 to 1841, Davidson was the professor of biblical criticism at Belfast College. During this period he began experiencing growing tension with Presbyterian doctrine. As a result of his changed opinions about ecclesiology, Davidson left Belfast and began teaching at Lancaster Independent College in Manchester in 1842. Davidson resigned his teaching post at Independent College in 1857 because of controversy over his rejection of Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch. The Davidson controversy of 1857 centered on an article he wrote for Horne's Introduction to the study of the Holy Scriptures. In the face of this uproar, Davidson retired, but continued to publish works and see private students until his death in 1898.