View source for Walter Scott (clergyman)

{{Other people|Walter Scott}}
[[Image:Walter Scott (Evangelist).jpg|thumb|right|Walter Scott]]
'''Walter Scott''' (1796 – April 23, 1861) was one of the four key early leaders in the [[Restoration Movement]], along with [[Barton W. Stone]], [[Thomas Campbell (clergyman)|Thomas Campbell]] and Thomas' son [[Alexander Campbell (clergyman)|Alexander Campbell]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott">Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, {{ISBN|0-8028-3898-7}}, {{ISBN|978-0-8028-3898-8}}, 854 pages, entry on ''Scott, Walter''</ref>{{rp|673}}  He was a successful [[Evangelism|evangelist]] and helped to stabilize the Campbell movement as it was separating from the [[Baptists]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}

==Biography==
Walter was born to John and Mary Innes Scott in 1796 in the town of Moffatt, [[Scotland]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}  His parents, who were members of the [[Church of Scotland]], hoped that he would become a [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}  He spent six years at the [[University of Edinburgh]], leaving in 1818.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}  The same year he went to [[New York City]] at the invitation of his maternal uncle, where he taught languages at a school on [[Long Island]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}  He soon moved to [[Pittsburgh]], where he was [[baptism|baptized]] by immersion and became an active member of a small congregation led by a fellow Scotsman named George Forrester.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}  Forrester helped shape Walter's understanding of [[Christianity]], and in particular his belief that immersion was the only appropriate form of baptism.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}

The congregation in Pittsburgh influenced by the movement led by [[James Haldane|James]] and [[Robert Haldane]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|673}}  The Haldanes, who hoped to restore [[New Testament]] Christianity, rejected the authority of [[creed]]s, observed the [[Eucharist|Lord's Supper]] weekly, practiced [[Maundy (foot washing)|foot washing]] and by 1809 practiced [[believer's baptism]] by immersion rather than [[infant baptism]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|674}} Forrester also introduced Scott to the writings of [[John Glas]] and [[Robert Sandeman (theologian)|Robert Sandeman]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|674}}  When Forrester died in 1820, Scott replaced him as minister and as director of a small school.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|674}}

Scott married Sarah Whitsette in 1823, and the family moved to Ohio in 1826<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  He began working with the Campbells in August of that year.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  He was hired to work as an [[Evangelism|evangelist]] in 1827.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  Within three years he brought over 3,000 converts into the movement.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  At that time the Campbells were associated with the [[Mahoning Baptist Association]]; as the number of converts grew, conflicts with other Baptists also grew.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}} In 1839 Scott and the Campbells disassociated themselves from the Baptists.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}

Scott continued to preach after 1829, but increasingly his focus shifted to writing.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  In 1852 the family moved to [[Covington, Kentucky]] where he established a school for women.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  He died on April 23, 1861.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}

==Writings==
Scott's written work, most of which dates from after 1830, influenced the Restoration Movement throughout the 19th century.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}  Scott founded two periodicals: ''The Evangelist'' in 1832, and ''The Protestant Unionist'' in 1844.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  As a journalist, he wrote about a wide range of topics, including church music, issues important to the Restoration Movement and also more general domestic and foreign news.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}

His work has been described as "profoundly theological."<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}  Influenced by [[Francis Bacon]] and [[John Locke]], Scott believed theology should be reasonable, able to be explained in reasonable terms and able to withstand reasonable criticism.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}} His first book, ''A Discourse on the Holy Spirit'', was published in 1831.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}<ref>[https://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/acampbell/tmh/MH0214.HTM ''A Discourse on the Holy Spirit'']. 2nd ed. Bethany, VA: Alexander Campbell, 1831. Bound with The Millennial Harbinger, Vol. 2 (1831).</ref>  Scott understood the [[Holy Spirit]] to work through the [[Biblical inspiration]] and the church; fundamentally, he saw the Spirit working externally through scripture and teaching to convert sinners, rather than through an internal experience or operation.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|677}} Scott believed that before repentance and baptism the Spirit works externally by bringing to individuals the evidence of scripture and preaching concerning the acts of God, and that the individual then evaluates that evidence and rationally decides to respond in faith.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|677}} His most important written work was ''The Gospel Restored'', which was published in 1836.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}  In it he outlined a six-phased [[Covenant theology|covenantal]] understanding of [[salvation]], with three phases taken by the individual and three by [[God]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}  The three phases taken by the individual were [[Faith in Christianity|faith]], [[repentance]] and [[baptism]]; the three phases provided by God were remission of [[sin]]s, the gift of the [[Holy Spirit]] and [[Immortality|eternal life]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|676}}

Other works include:
* ''To Themelion: The Union of Christians'' (1852)<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|678}}
* ''Nekrosis, or the Death of Christ'' (1853)<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|678}}
* ''The Messiahship, or the Great Demonstration'' (1859)<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|679}}

== Five-Finger Exercise ==
While working as an evangelist for the Mahoning Baptist Association between 1827 and 1830, Scott developed a simple mnemonic illustration for the gospel plan of salvation that has been used in the Restoration Movement ever since.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Five Finger Exercise">Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, ''The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, Churches of Christ'', Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, {{ISBN|0-8028-3898-7}}, {{ISBN|978-0-8028-3898-8}}, 854 pages, entry on ''Five Finger Exercise''</ref>{{rp|338}}   Based on {{bibleverse|Acts|2:38|NIV}}, Scott believed that salvation requires faith, repentance and baptism.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Walter Scott"/>{{rp|675}}  As an evangelist, he would first come into a community and find a group of children.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Five Finger Exercise"/>{{rp|338}}  He would ask them to hold up a hand, and then point to each finger and say "faith, repentance, baptism, remission of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit."<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Five Finger Exercise"/>{{rp|338}}  Once the children had learned the mnemonic, he would ask them to tell their parents that he would be preaching that same gospel that evening.<ref name="Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement: Five Finger Exercise"/>{{rp|338}}

== Notes ==
<references/>

== External links ==
* Walter Scott [https://webfiles.acu.edu/departments/Library/HR/restmov_nov11/www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/people/wscott.html texts] originally at the [[Memorial University of Newfoundland]] now hosted at [[Abilene Christian University]]

{{Restoration Movement}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Raccoon John}}
[[Category:1796 births]]
[[Category:1861 deaths]]
[[Category:Ministers of the Restoration Movement]]
[[Category:Religious leaders from Ohio]]
[[Category:Protestantism in Ohio]]
[[Category:Disciples of Christ (Campbell Movement)]]