Alexander Balmain Bruce

1831-1899. Scottish theologian. Son of a Perthshire farmer, he graduated at Edinburgh, attended the Free Church divinity hall there, and in 1859 became minister at Cardross. He was translated to Broughty Ferry in 1868, and in 1875 was appointed professor of apologetics and NT exegesis at his church's Glasgow college. His Training of the Twelve (1871) established his reputation as a scholar; then came The Humiliation of Christ (1876) and The Kingdom of God (1889). The latter was criticized by a general assembly suspicious of new principles of biblical criticism (perhaps the memory of his defense of W.R. Smith some years before was still fresh), but no official action was taken against him. Bruce was active also in helping to compile hymnbooks. His other writings include St. Paul's Conception of Christianity (1894) and volumes on the synoptic gospels (1897) and the epistle to the Hebrews (1899).