Thayer, Joseph Henry, 1828-1901

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Professor of New Testament criticism and interpretation at Harvard Divinity School, 1884-1901.

From the description of Letter, 1892 September 19. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 54859893

Thayer (Harvard, A.B., 1850) taught New Testament criticism and interpretation at Harvard.

From the description of Papers of Joseph Henry Thayer, 1883-1901 (inclusive). (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 76972898

Joseph Henry Thayer (1828-1901) was born in Boston, studied at the Boston Latin School, and graduated from Harvard College in 1850. He studied theology at Harvard Divinity School, and graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1857. He first preached in Quincy, Massachusetts, and then served as pastor in Salem beginning in 1859. From 1862-1863 he also served as the chaplain for the 40th Massachusetts Volunteers. He was on the faculty of the Andover Theological Seminary from 1864-1882. From 1882-1884 he was an instructor at Harvard Divinity School, and in 1884 he succeeded Ezra Abbot as Bussey Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation. His chief works were his translation of Grimm's Clams Novi Tesia-menti (1887, revised 1889); a Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament, and a New Testament bibliography, published in 1890.

A significant part of Thayer's scholarly life was his participation in the work of the American Bible Revision Committee. In 1870 the Anglican Church appointed a group of British scholars to begin work on a revision of the Authorized Version of the Bible, which had been in use since 1611. Hoping to produce a new translation that would be accepted in both England and America, two groups of American scholars (one for the Old Testament, one for the New Testament) were invited to contribute to the revision project. Thayer was one of those invited to participate, and beginning in 1870 he was the Secretary for the New Testament Company of the American Revision Committee.

The Revised Version of the New Testament was published in 1881 in England and America, with the unique 'American' revisions published in an appendix. While some of the suggestions made by the American New Testament Company did appear in the Revised Version, the Anglican scholars had the upper hand in the editorial process, determining which suggestions would be accepted in the final revision. The British publishers of the Revised Version finally published the American Revised Version in 1898, altering the text of the Revised Version to reflect the changes suggested in the appendix to the 1881 edition. But Thayer's New Testament Company had continued their revision work even after the publication of the Revised Version, and, dissatisfied with the new 'American' edition, they published their own revision, the American Standard Version, in 1901. Like the American Revised Version, the new revision was based on the Revised Version of 1881, but it reflected many more changes to the text. The American New Testament Company, for example, was much more concerned than their British counterparts with the replacement of archaic language and the consistent use of one English word to translate the same Greek word in different parts of the New Testament.

From the guide to the Joseph Henry Thayer Papers, 1813-1852 ., (Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Thayer, Joseph Henry, 1828-1901. Joseph Henry Thayer. Papers, 1813-1852. Harvard University, Divinity School Library
referencedIn Harvard University. Legal opinion on the right of the College to confer degrees, 1883 June 29. Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Woolsey family papers, 1750-1969 (bulk 1811-1921) Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Harvard University. Chest of 1900. Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Charles Eliot Norton papers Houghton Library
creatorOf Thayer, Joseph Henry, 1828-1901. Letter, 1892 September 19. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Woolsey family papers, 1750-1969 (bulk 1811-1921) Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
creatorOf Joseph Henry Thayer Papers, 1813-1852 . Andover-Harvard Theological Library
creatorOf Riddle, M. B. (Matthew Brown), 1836-1916. [Correspondence, 1896-1910 with J. Henry Thayer ... et al.] / Matthew B. Riddle. Presbyterian Historical Society, PHS
referencedIn Woolsey family papers, 1750-1969 (bulk 1811-1921) Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Harvard University Archives Photograph Collection: Portraits, ca. 1852-ca. 2004 Harvard University Archives.
creatorOf Thayer, Joseph Henry, 1828-1901. Address before the Harvard Exegetical Club, March 1, 1884 Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Barrows family papers, 1861-1931. Houghton Library
referencedIn  Chest of 1900, 1899-1900 Harvard University Archives.
creatorOf Thayer, Joseph Henry, 1828-1901. Papers of Joseph Henry Thayer, 1883-1901 (inclusive). Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn Houghton Mifflin Company contracts, 1831-1979 (inclusive) 1880-1940 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Henry Lee Higginson papers relating to the gift of Soldiers Field, Harvard University, 1890. Houghton Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Committee of Revision. corporateBody
correspondedWith Barrows family. family
associatedWith Harvard Divinity School corporateBody
associatedWith Harvard Exegetical Club. corporateBody
associatedWith Harvard University corporateBody
associatedWith Higginson, Henry Lee, 1834-1919 person
associatedWith Houghton Mifflin Company. corporateBody
associatedWith J. Henry Thayer person
associatedWith John Wright Buckham. person
associatedWith Norton, Charles Eliot, 1827-1908 person
associatedWith Riddle, M. B. (Matthew Brown), 1836-1916. person
associatedWith Ropes, James Hardy, 1866-1933. person
associatedWith Woolsey family. family
associatedWith Woolsey family. family
associatedWith Woolsey family. family
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
New Testament scholars
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1828

Death 1901

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