The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Schaff, Philip

SCHAFF, Philip, American clergyman and scholar: b. Coire, Switzerland, 1 Jan. 1819; d. New York, 20 Oct. 1893. He studied at Tübingen, Halle and Berlin, and was a lecturer in the latter university in 1842-44. He then came to this country where he was professor in the theological seminary of the German Reformed Church at Mercersburg (Pa.) 1844-63. In 1864-69 he was lecturer in several theological institutions, and in 1870 became professor of sacred literature in Union Theological Seminary, New York. This post he held until his transference in 1887 to the chair of church history in the same institution. He was one of the founders of the Evangelical Alliance and went as delegate to its general conferences at Basel in 1879, and at Copenhagen in 1884. He was president of the American Bible-revision committee, organized by him in 1871 at the request of the British committee. He was a prolific writer and editor, his works including ‘History of the Apostolic Church’ (1853); ‘History of the Christian Church’ (1867; new and enlarged edition, 7 vols., 1889-92); ‘Creeds of Christendom’ (1877); ‘Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge’ (as editor); ‘Dictionary of the Bible’ (1880); ‘Church and State in the United States’ (1888); ‘Literature and Poetry’ (1890).