About

Welcome to my blog Ragged Theology!  It has taken me many years to finally join the blogosphere but thanks to my lovely wife Kirsteen who is a seasoned blogger, I have finally launched into this exciting (if slightly daunting) online world.

As you will see as you read this blog, I am no theologian but have a passion to know God better and see him honoured in every area of life.  William Perkins, the father of English Puritanism once said that theology is ‘the science of living blessedly for ever’.  I believe that our problem as Christians is not that we desire pleasure, but that we do not desire it enough, and that we seek it in the wrong places.  The preacher and pastor John Piper has said ‘God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him’ (John Piper, Desiring God, Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, Sisters: Multonomah Press, 1996).  It is my hope that through this blog I can encourage a few others to find help in the places where I have found help over the years and that together we can enjoy God better.

Living as a Christian husband, father, son and leader in 21st Century Scotland is tough going but I have found tremendous help in the lives of other great leaders particularly my great hero Thomas Guthrie (1803 – 1873).  His statue stands resplendently in Princess Street GardensEdinburgh as a memory to one of the greatest preachers and social reformers Scotland has ever seen.  It is sad that such little is known about Thomas Guthrie today even in Edinburgh where so much of his influence was felt in the 19th Century.  Hopefully this blog will do a little to change that!

Why Ragged Theology?  Thomas Guthrie was the 'Apostle' of the the Ragged School movement (as Mr Smiles in 'Self Help' called him) which opened its first school in 1847 in Edinburgh.  Inspired by the Industrial Feeding School of Sheriff Watson in Aberdeen which had been operating from 1841 Guthrie used all his skills as an orator, writer and organiser to turn the idea in to a national movement.  Called from a rural parish in Fife, Guthrie came to Old Greyfriars in Edinburgh as an assistant from 1837-1840 when he established a new church called St John's in Victoria Street.  Guthrie was appalled by what he saw around him an pioneered what would now be called 'early intervention.'  His vibrant theology was no ivory tower teaching but Biblical truth set on fire with activism and engagement.  Social intervention and sound doctrine were not enemies to Guthrie but the very essence of Biblical theology.

It is my hope that some of Guthries 'Ragged Theology' can be rediscovered through this blog.  I would be delighted to hear from you and would love for you to leave your comments after any posts you find interesting.  

15 comments:

  1. Very nice to "meet" you, David! My daughters and I have enjoyed visiting w/ Kirsteen on her blog.
    I had never heard of the Ragged Schools before - or of Thomas Guthrie. (Unfortunately, that is not saying much - there are too numerous wonderful people in history that I am not aware of!) I am enjoying reading thru the information you have here. We've been studying some such folks in our homeschool this year, and I will definately add this gentleman to our list!
    Nice to have you on blogland!

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    1. Thanks Keri. I think you are mixing up your Murray's! I am Andy - David Murray is in America!! Thanks for your kind comments.

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  2. Ah, right after I posted, I looked at my daughter and said.."did I just call him David?"...You know, I am frequently known as: Sarah's mom, or Benjamin's mom, or (fill in the other eight children)'s mom.....I think I just slipped your son's name in there....At any rate, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, ANDY!

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  3. Eight kids! You deserve a medal! I can't remember the names of my boys and I only have 4!

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  4. Happy Birthday, Andy! Saw your wife's blog and the lovely dinner and dessert she made for you! May the Lord bless you this year as you serve Him!

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  5. I look forward to reading your posts. I have read a number of Dr. Guthrie's pamphlets and written some of his work with the Ragged Schools (in articles and blog posts). My grandfather, Norman Guthrie, was Dr. Guthrie's grandson, and I grew up hearing about Dr. Guthrie and the Ragged Schools. A few years ago I wrote a paper comparing homeschooling in the U.S. to private "informal" schools in the developing world (that James Tooley reports on in his book The Beautiful Tree), and Adventure Schools and the Ragged Schools in Scotland. http://www.economicthinking.org/APEE2010-EducaPaperNEW.pdf

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  6. Lovely to hear from you Gregory. It would be great to correspond - can you e-mail me via the blog? Check out my latest post http://raggedtheology.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/guthrie-and-silver-teapot.html

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  7. Andy, Monday my cousins visited and Frank Spaun brought copies of his Thomas Guthrie books, including the autobiography. As I mentioned in 2013 email above, our grandfather, Norman Guthrie was grandson of Dr. Guthrie, and son of Alexander Guthrie (founder of Balfour, Guthrie, the trading firm). My cousins (Bill, Chris, and Frank Spaun) had not heard of Ragged Theology site.

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    1. Do you want to email me Gregory on shintyandy@gmail.com ? It would be nice to chat about your grandfather.

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  8. Hello David, you don't know me but I wanted to contact to pass my sympathies for the passing of your father. My name is John Coates, I am a minister of Kellswater Reformed Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland. Your father and mother stayed with us for a week about 9yrs ago and preached at a weekend conference on The Transcendence of God. It was a time of refreshing for my soul for weeks afterwards. We kept in touch in the intervening years. I felt I had met a man with a kindred spirit as my own, and I haven't met too many like that in my travels. I felt so strongly about that I wrote to him about 3yrs ago telling him that he was one of the men I admired the most and wished there was more like him for the stand that he took. I am glad that he is out of the many afflictions that beset him. My wife and I are praying for your dear mother who we have happy memories of from her stay in the manse. Maybe some day when all the grief and tears have been shed you will write a biography of your father's inspiring life. To my mind, he certainly ranks alongside some of the noteworthies in the Scottish church from the past. Would you please remember John and Janet Coates to your mother and assure her of our intercession. And thank you for the very fitting tribute you recorded to your father. Grace be with you. John

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    1. Thank you so much David - I've dropped you an email.

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  9. Hi Andrew

    Do you know of anyone who is following your sort of thinking and doing this sort of work - but in the Manchester/Stockport area

    Look forward to hearing

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    1. Do you want to drop me an email - shintyandy@gmail.com I'll see who can link you up with.

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  10. Hi there. I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed reading through your blogs. Thomas Guthrie is my 4 times great uncle. His older brother Charles is my 4 times great grandfather. I've been reading more about Thomas recently and I've learned a lot by reading your work. Thank you!

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    1. Please feel free to get in touch Wendy - I have been in touch with a few other relatives - shintyandy@gmail.com

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