Asa Mahan
Encyclopedia
Asa Mahan was a U.S.
Congregational clergyman and educator and the first president of Oberlin College
and Adrian College
.
of the Congregational church in Pittsford
, New York, and in 1831 he was called to the pastorate of a Presbyterian church in Cincinnati, Ohio
, named Lane Seminary. He accepted the presidency of the newly founded Oberlin College
in Oberlin
, Ohio
, in 1835, simultaneously serving as the chair of intellectual and moral philosophy
and a professor of theology
. Mahan's liberal views towards abolitionism and anti-slavery greatly influenced the philosophy of the newly-founded college; likewise, only two years after its founding, the school began admitting students of all races, becoming the first college in the United States to do so.
The faculty of Oberlin College quarreled frequently with the highly religious Mahan, and eventually the faculty voted unanimously to relieve him of his position as president. In his place, famed abolitionist and preacher Charles Finney was made president of Oberlin College. Heartbroken, Mahan moved to Cleveland, Ohio
and participated in the founding of Cleveland University
, located in the Tremont District of the city, where he was chosen president of the school and also professor of mental and moral philosophy. However, the school had trouble attracting students and went bankrupt after only a few years, and Mahan was forced out.
in 1857-60. Mahan moved to England in 1874, where he published frequently until his death in 1899. Mahan married Mary Hartwell Dix (d.1863) in 1828, with whom he had seven children. She died in 1864, and two years later, in 1866, he remarried to Mary E. Munsell (1814-1894).
, and published Scripture Doctrine of Christian Perfection by Asa Mahan on the subject. His other works include System of Intellectual Philosophy, The Doctrine of the Will, The True Believer: his Character, Duties, and Privileges, The Science of Moral Philosophy, Election and the Influence of the Holy Spirit, Modern Mysteries Explained and Exposed, The Science of Logic, Science of Natural Theology, Theism and Anti-Theism in their relations to Science, The Phenomena of Spiritualism scientifically Explained and Exposed, Critical History of the late American War, A System of Mental Philosophy, Critical History of Philosophy and Out of Darkness Into Light.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Congregational clergyman and educator and the first president of Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
and Adrian College
Adrian College
Adrian College is a private, co-educational liberal arts college related to the United Methodist Church in the city of Adrian, Michigan.-Campus:The school is approximately a 45-minute drive from Ann Arbor and Toledo, Ohio, and 90 minutes from Detroit...
.
Career
Asa Mahan graduated from Hamilton College in 1824, and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1827. On November 10, 1829, he was ordained pastorPastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the Congregational church in Pittsford
Pittsford
Pittsford may refer to:Places in the United States:*Pittsford Township, Michigan*Pittsford , New York*Pittsford , New York*Pittsford, Vermont...
, New York, and in 1831 he was called to the pastorate of a Presbyterian church in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, named Lane Seminary. He accepted the presidency of the newly founded Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Oberlin
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, in 1835, simultaneously serving as the chair of intellectual and moral philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and a professor of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
. Mahan's liberal views towards abolitionism and anti-slavery greatly influenced the philosophy of the newly-founded college; likewise, only two years after its founding, the school began admitting students of all races, becoming the first college in the United States to do so.
The faculty of Oberlin College quarreled frequently with the highly religious Mahan, and eventually the faculty voted unanimously to relieve him of his position as president. In his place, famed abolitionist and preacher Charles Finney was made president of Oberlin College. Heartbroken, Mahan moved to Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and participated in the founding of Cleveland University
Cleveland University
Cleveland University was a short-lived university in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded by Asa Mahan in 1851, the then-recently resigned president of Oberlin College located in nearby Oberlin, Ohio...
, located in the Tremont District of the city, where he was chosen president of the school and also professor of mental and moral philosophy. However, the school had trouble attracting students and went bankrupt after only a few years, and Mahan was forced out.
Pastoral work
In 1855 he resumed pastoral work, and had charge of Congregational parishes at Jackson in 1855-57 and at AdrianAdrian
Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Hadrianus . Several saints and six popes have borne this name, including the only English pope, Adrian IV, and the only Dutch pope, Adrian VI...
in 1857-60. Mahan moved to England in 1874, where he published frequently until his death in 1899. Mahan married Mary Hartwell Dix (d.1863) in 1828, with whom he had seven children. She died in 1864, and two years later, in 1866, he remarried to Mary E. Munsell (1814-1894).
Works
Mahan was an active advocate of the religious view known as Christian PerfectionChristian perfection
Christian perfection, also known as perfect love; heart purity; the baptism of the Holy Spirit; the fullness of the blessing; Christian holiness; the second blessing; and entire sanctification, is a Christian doctrine which holds that the heart of the regenerant Christian may attain a state of...
, and published Scripture Doctrine of Christian Perfection by Asa Mahan on the subject. His other works include System of Intellectual Philosophy, The Doctrine of the Will, The True Believer: his Character, Duties, and Privileges, The Science of Moral Philosophy, Election and the Influence of the Holy Spirit, Modern Mysteries Explained and Exposed, The Science of Logic, Science of Natural Theology, Theism and Anti-Theism in their relations to Science, The Phenomena of Spiritualism scientifically Explained and Exposed, Critical History of the late American War, A System of Mental Philosophy, Critical History of Philosophy and Out of Darkness Into Light.