Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes – Life, Theology, and Legacy

Discover the life and work of Albert Barnes (1798–1870), American Presbyterian theologian and Bible commentator, his contributions to Scripture study, social causes, and 19th-century religious debates.

Introduction

Albert Barnes (December 1, 1798 – December 24, 1870) was a leading American Presbyterian clergyman, theologian, Bible commentator, and social reformer. He is most famous for his Notes, Explanatory and Practical—a multi-volume commentary on the Old and New Testaments that popularized biblical interpretation among lay readers. Throughout his life, Barnes engaged vigorously with the theological controversies of his era (especially the Old School / New School division), and he spoke publicly on issues such as slavery, temperance, and ecclesiastical reform.

Early Life and Education

Albert Barnes was born in Rome, New York on December 1, 1798. His parents were of Methodist background; Barnes initially intended to pursue law, but during his undergraduate years he turned toward the ministry.

He attended Hamilton College (Clinton, New York), graduating in 1820. He then studied at Princeton Theological Seminary, completing his theological education in 1823.

After seminary, Barnes was ordained in 1825 by the Presbytery of Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and took his first pastoral charge in Morristown, New Jersey.

Pastoral Ministry & Biblical Commentary

Pastorates in Morristown and Philadelphia

From 1825 to 1830, Barnes served as pastor in the Presbyterian Church of Morristown, New Jersey. In 1830, he accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, where he ministered until 1868, later becoming pastor emeritus.

Barnes' tenure in Philadelphia made him one of the more prominent clergymen in the American Presbyterian world.

Notes, Explanatory and Practical

Barnes’s signature work is his commentary series, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, covering both the Old and New Testaments. He began publishing these in the 1830s, and by the time of his death they had achieved enormous circulation—reportedly over a million volumes by 1870.

What distinguished Barnes’ commentaries was their accessibility. He aimed to bring biblical criticism, interpretation, and application within reach of ordinary Christians, not just scholars. His works on Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, and the New Testament remain especially well known.

Theological Controversies & Church Division

Barnes’ theology was sometimes controversial. In 1836, he was tried—though not convicted—for alleged heresy, primarily because of statements in his commentary on Romans concerning original sin, the imputation of Adam’s sin, and the atonement. The trial intensified tensions within the Presbyterian Church.

During the Presbyterian schism in 1837, Barnes sided with the New School branch. He later served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the New School in 1851. Despite denominational division, Barnes worked toward reunion of Old School and New School, which eventually occurred in 1870.

Social Causes & Public Engagement

Barnes was not only a theologian and pastor but also engaged in social reform:

• Abolitionism / Slavery: He strongly opposed slavery. In his book The Church and Slavery (1857), he argued that the church must confront slavery from the pulpit as a moral evil. Frederick Douglass, in his famous 1852 oration What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?, quoted Barnes:

  “There is no power out of the church that could sustain slavery an hour, if it were not sustained in it.”

• Temperance / Intemperance: Barnes advocated for temperance (abstaining from alcohol) and wrote Essays on Intemperance.

• Bible Societies and Education: He served as President of the Pennsylvania Bible Society from 1858 until his death.

• Philosophy and Memberships: In 1855, Barnes was elected to the American Philosophical Society.

His writings and public preaching influenced both the religious landscape and wider moral conversations in mid-19th-century America.

Writings & Major Works

Among Barnes’s prolific writings are:

• Essays on Intemperance (1828)

• The Way of Salvation (1829) — a sermon which drew later controversy.

• Notes, Explanatory and Practical (on both Old and New Testaments, 14 volumes)

• An Inquiry into the Scriptural Views of Slavery (1846)

• The Atonement in Its Relations to Law and Moral Government (1859)

• The Church and Slavery (1857)

After his death, a collected edition of his theological works was published in Philadelphia in 1875.

Later Years & Death

In 1868, Barnes resigned from active pastoral ministry and was granted the title Pastor Emeritus at First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia. He remained intellectually and spiritually active until his death on December 24, 1870, in Philadelphia, aged 72.

His manuscripts, sermons, and lectures are preserved in archival collections, including at the Presbyterian Historical Society (Philadelphia) and the Burke Library Archives at Union Theological Seminary.

Legacy & Influence

Albert Barnes’ influence spans both popular and scholarly realms:

• His commentaries made biblical interpretation more accessible to laypeople and pastors, deeply shaping 19th-century Protestant Bible reading.

• He bridged serious biblical scholarship with pastoral application—a rare quality in his time.

• In church politics, his role in the New School movement, his moderation, and his efforts toward reunion have been historically significant.

• On social issues—slavery, temperance, education—he consistently voiced moral and scriptural convictions. His positions contributed to the moral discourse of his era.

• His works continue to be reprinted, studied, and quoted in theological and biblical studies.