Thomas Jollie SMITH

SMITH, THOMAS JOLLIE (b. Inellan, Argyllshire, Scotland, 27 Mar 1858; d. Melbourne, Vic, 8 Sept 1927). Presbyterian minister and theologian.

Son of the Rev Alexander C Smith and Christina Jollie, Thomas Smith went with them to Qld in 1863 and then to Victoria in 1868. He was educated at Scotch College and at the University of Melbourne (BA 1881, MA 1881). He won the gold medal in Logic and gained first class honours in Classics while tutor and lecturer at Trinity College, University of Melbourne 1880-90. In 1886 he became founding principal of Trinity College Hostel for Women. For the rest of his life he had a deep commitment to the education of women. He followed his brother into Presbyterian ministry, studying theology at the Theological Hall, Ormond College 1887-88. He and Jessie O McLennan m. on 24 August 1882. In 1890 he was called to Naracoorte, SA, where he exercised a strong expository ministry until 1903, also taking interest in electoral reform and trenchantly criticising extremes of teetotalism. Like many ministers, he wrote frequently for newspapers and played an important part in shaping public opinion with clearly expressed Christian teaching on contemporary issues.

Following the sudden death of his brother, A Campbell Smith, professor of Old Testament Studies at the Theological Hall, Ormond College, Smith filled in as lecturer in Hebrew during 1904. In 1905 he was called to Ewing Memorial Church, East Malvern and inducted on 22 June, serving until 1922 and leading a great variety of missionary and youth activities.

The district grew steadily and so did membership. He was a substantial preacher who read widely and had independent opinions about the increasingly fashionable liberalism. An energetic member of Assembly committees, he was deeply interested in overseas missions and in ministry to the poor in Melbourne. The parish responded enthusiastically to his leadership and contributed generously to these causes. He was personally prepared to work among Japanese in Korea in 1916, but was prevented by the Japanese government.

Having mastered the language, he pioneered the teaching of Japanese at the University of Melbourne 1919-21, as well as lecturing part-time in Logic 1911-21. His interest in the education of women and service of the poor combined through his role as Director of Studies and lecturer in Apologetics at the Deaconess Training Institute 1911-21. The influenza epidemic affected his health and in 1920 he needed two months off in Qld to be restored. The physical plant of the parish was upgraded, with a fine new church in 1911, a manse in 1920 and a Fincham organ in 1921 which enhanced the already strong musical life of the congregation. Smith exercised very significant influence as leader writer for the Argus and the Australasian from 1907, showing that evangelical theology could make important contributions to public issues.

In 1922 he was appointed to the chair of Hebrew and Old Testament Studies at the Theological Hall, despite the opposition of the master of Ormond College. There was also student protest about his lectures. He was a sharp critic of the follies of biblical criticism and modernist theology and was willing to give his support to the Bible Union, but had a much wider intellectual perspective than many evangelicals of the time, founded on the Presbyterian confessional heritage.

ADB 11; Argus 9 Sept 1927

SELECT WRITINGS: The criticism of the Old Testament (Melbourne, 1924); Studies in criticism and revelation (London, 1925)

IAN BREWARD