John L. Dagg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from John Leadley Dagg)
John L. Dagg
Born(1794-02-14)February 14, 1794
DiedJune 11, 1884(1884-06-11) (aged 90)
Resting placeHayneville Cemetery, Hayneville, Alabama
Occupation(s)Baptist clergyman, author, and president of Mercer University

John Leadley Dagg (1794–1884), born in Loudoun County, Virginia was an American Baptist theologian.

Biography[edit]

Dagg had a limited education, was near-blind, and physically disabled.[1] He converted to Christianity at age 15 and served briefly in the War of 1812.[2] Dagg was baptized in 1812 then studied medicine for three years. He was ordained as a minister in November 1817 and eventually served as the pastor of the Fifth Baptist Church in Philadelphia for nine years.[3] He then moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama and served as the president of the Alabama Female Athenaeum for eight years. Dagg left Tuscaloosa in January 1844 to become president of Mercer University.[3] He served as president of Mercer until 1854, when his failing health forced him to retire.[2] After retirement, Dagg authored four books. The first, Manual of Theology, was written in 1857 and was the first systematic theology written by a Baptist in America.[2] His additional books included Treatise on Church Order (1858), Elements of Moral Science (1859), and Evidences of Christianity (1869).[3] Dagg moved to Alabama to live near his daughter, where he died in Hayneville in 1884.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Samuel S. Hill, Charles H. Lippy, Charles Reagan Wilson, Encyclopedia of Religion in the South, Mercer University Press, USA, 2005, p. 244
  2. ^ a b c Jones, Charles (June 5, 2022). "John L. Dagg: Baptists' first writing theologian". The Christian Index. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Weaver, Steve (December 6, 2019). "Ten Baptists Everyone Should Know: John Dagg". Credo. Retrieved October 8, 2022.

External links[edit]