Thomas Todhunter Shields
Encyclopedia
Thomas Todhunter Shields (1873–1955) was the aggressive leader of the fundamentalist religious movement
in Canada. A self educated immigrant from England, Shields was the longtime pastor of the Jarvis Street Baptist Church
in Toronto
.
Shields took action against McMaster University
in Toronto for harboring a liberal theology professor. He was censured by the Baptists convention of Ontario and Québec in 1926, and was expelled in 1928. He took with him 70 churches and one college, and formed the Union of Regular Baptist Churches
of Ontario and Quebec. It became affiliated with the Baptist Bible Union, based in the United States. His newspaper, The Gospel Witness, reached 30,000 subscribers in 16 countries, giving him an international reputation. He was one of the founders of the International Council of Christian Churches. Shields championed British imperialism against liberal Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
in Canada. A self educated immigrant from England, Shields was the longtime pastor of the Jarvis Street Baptist Church
Jarvis Street Baptist Church
The Jarvis Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church located at the intersection of Gerrard Street and Jarvis Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario. One of the oldest churches in the city, its congregation was founded in 1818, and the present church constructed in 1875.-History:Early records indicate...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Shields took action against McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Toronto for harboring a liberal theology professor. He was censured by the Baptists convention of Ontario and Québec in 1926, and was expelled in 1928. He took with him 70 churches and one college, and formed the Union of Regular Baptist Churches
Association of Regular Baptist Churches
The Association of Regular Baptist Churches is one of the smaller Canadian Baptist bodies. Formed in 1957, the association is fundamentalist and separatist in its doctrine. ARBC supports the Toronto Baptist Seminary and Bible College, and publishes The Gospel Witness. Currently the ARBC has 10...
of Ontario and Quebec. It became affiliated with the Baptist Bible Union, based in the United States. His newspaper, The Gospel Witness, reached 30,000 subscribers in 16 countries, giving him an international reputation. He was one of the founders of the International Council of Christian Churches. Shields championed British imperialism against liberal Protestantism and Roman Catholicism.
Further reading
- C. Allyn Russell, "Thomas Todhunter Shields: Canadian Fundamentalist," Foundations, 1981, Vol. 24 Issue 1, pp 15–31
- Stackhouse, John G. Canadian Evangelicalism in the Twentieth Century (1993)