Alexander Forbes of Brechin The First Tractarian Bishop [Hardcover]

This book is the first full-length study of Alexander Forbes, Bishop of Brechin from 1847 to 1875--the first member of the Oxford Movement to become a bishop. His ministry in the slums of Dundee was unique among Anglican bishops. Despite an attempt to try him for heresy in 1860, Forbes continued to work for the defense of Scottish traditions in his church, and for Anglo-Catholic reunion. As leader of the Movement in Scotland, Forbes was a significant influence and example to Tractarians in Britain, as well as to Catholics in Europe. Strong's engagingly written account will be important reading for historians of religion in nineteenth-century Britain.

An account...expressed in love but not without critical appraisal. --Expository Times

Strong provides much carefully researched detail on the lifestyle of the mill workers... --The Glastonbury Times

Well researched and patiently argued, with interesting allusions to the Scottish High Church background...A useful broadening of the literature on social and intellectual aspects of Victorian religion. --Religious Studies Review

Strong's description of the bishop's intense personal struggles and his influence in the Scottish Episcopal Church is superb. --American Historical Review

Strong has written an even-handed book which steers a careful course through theological and ecclesiastical controversies while maintaining a favorable assessment of Forbes. It is a corner of church history which has not been overworked, and he gives it a good telling. His book has the virtue of bringing forth the major issues of Forbes's life with sharp clarity. --The Historian