The Rev. Philip Doddridge, D. D. of Northampton

When we think of the great theologians and clergymen of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, typically we think of George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Isaac Watts, and a host of others. Almost never mentioned, though more than worthy, is the British Reformed Congregationalist minister Philip Doddridge.

Perhaps that is because Doddridge was not a great revivalist, though he labored extensively to educate children and train ministers. He was one of Edwards's favorite theologians and used Doddridge's Family Expositor extensively. Doddridge's insights there bespeak a larger intellectual picture as an accomplished theologian, biblical scholar, philosopher, political theorist, counselor, and extremely distinguished homiletician.

Job Orton's The Late Rev. Philip Doddridge, D. D. of Northampton presents Doddridge in this vein, exploring his life and ministry and the impact he made on Britain in the eighteenth century. Orton highlights his accomplishments but the over-arching theme is Doddridge's faith and relationships. Using letters, first-hand accounts, and a variety of other sources, Orton's account is both edifying and inspirational.

Though he focused on his ministry and how own writing, Doddridge was thoroughly engaged with the intellectual climate of his day and the new rationalism of the Enlightenment. He engaged thinkers like John Locke, but he was also an extremely pious man who actively cultivated a deep spirituality rooted in communal life. He was deeply committed to his students and parishioners and that depth come across in this biographical memoir.