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In what remains a widely discussed issue in contemporary theology, J. Gresham Machen¿s The Virgin Birth of Christ acts as both an introduction to the subject, and a window into American ¿Princeton¿ theology in the early twentieth century. Machen undertakes an encyclopaedic study of the different perspectives on the virgin birth. He begins with a close reading of the scriptural accounts, comparing and contrasting the stories of Jesus¿ birth told in Luke and Matthew. Secular historical accounts are then considered, as well as possible alternative theories, including the likelihood of the story being of early Jewish or Pagan origin.
Machen¿s study was the definitive work on the virgin birth for the majority of the twentieth century, and remains an invaluable resource, both as an apologetic work and as a time capsule of theological progress.
About the author
John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was an American Presbyterian New Testament scholar and educator. Born in Maryland, Machen gained his undergraduate degree from John Hopkins University. He studied theology at Princeton Seminary whilst simultaneously achieving a Master¿s degree in Philosophy from Princeton University. In 1906 he became Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary and founded the Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929. Machen is often considered one of the last pioneers of ¿Princeton¿ theology, a distinctive Calvinist tradition within Evangelical Christianity.
