GORDON, ADONIRAM JUDSON (1836–1895)
Baptist minister in Boston
Born in Hampton, New Hampshire, Gordon was a leading evangelical in the transitional period between nineteenth–century Protestantism and twentieth–century fundamentalism. In the tradition of nineteenth–century evangelicalism he maintained a very active social witness. His church worked extensively among Boston’s poor—white, black, and immigrant—and also campaigned against the misuse of alcohol. As a defender of orthodoxy against modernism, Gordon wrote widely used books on Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the church. He was also a leader in the important prophecy conferences of 1878 and 1886.
With other Bible students in the late nineteenth century, Gordon put new emphasis on the literal interpretation of Scripture. He founded the Boston Missionary Training School (later Gordon College and Divinity School). He also helped compile two hymnals and wrote gospel songs, including “My Jesus I Love Thee.” M.A. NOLL
M.A. Noll
“Gordon, Adoniram Judson,” ed. J.D. Douglas and Philip W. Comfort, Who’s Who in Christian History (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1992), 279.