CHURCH history can be a bit of a maze and it certainly does not help when we confuse individuals who share a similar or, worse, the same name. Obviously with common names like Brown, Butler or even Bell and Bruce we need to tread carefully.*
Sometimes there can be a string of people of the same name. Think of Booth for example. William Booth (1829-1912), founder of the Salvation Army, has passed his surname to many of his descendants and successors, many of whom wrote hymns. The name Booth at the end of a stanza is not enough to identify the author.
A common family name is also a feature of New England Congregationalism in the last century too. Think of Lyman Beecher (1775-1863) for example. Three of his four daughters became known for their philanthropic and literary activities and all seven sons went into the ministry. One, Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) became the most popular preacher in America in his day, moving from his father’s mild liberalism to full acceptance of higher critical theories. There was also a younger more conservative Presbyterian Willis Judson Beecher (1838-1912) who taught Hebrew at Auburn Theological Seminary and wrote a number of books.
Another example from New England Congregationalism would be Hiram Bingham Sr and Jr (1789-1869 and 1831-1908). Father and son were pioneer missionaries in Polynesia. Another pioneer missionary with the name Bingham was Englishman Rowland Victor Bingham (1872-1942). He worked in Nigeria. Then there is Leonard Bacon Sr and Jr (1802-1881 and 1830-1907). The father wrote O God beneath thy guiding hand. A moderate Calvinist, he opposed slavery and was latterly professor at Yale. His minister son also authored books and hymns. These men, of course, are not to be confused with the modern artist, the late Francis Bacon, and his namesake the 16th and 17th century philosopher or the Mediaeval philosopher and theologian Roger Bacon (1214-1294).
It is perhaps worth re-iterating that it is Bernard of Clairvaux (c1090-1153) who wrote Jesus thou joy ..., Jesus the very thought ... and O sacred head ... and Bernard of Cluny (fl. c1140 or later) who gave us Jerusalem the Golden which comes from a long poem satirising contemporary abuses in the church. Very little is known of the latter Bernard while the former is well known as the founder of over 500 monasteries across Europe. There was also a Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444) a later Observant Franciscan preacher and reformer.
The name Benedict has been taken by a number of Popes, including one in the twentieth century (XV). Theophylact (IX) was Pope 1032-1045 and then twice deposed before bowing out in 1048. Pedro de Luna (XIII), was the last of the Avignon Popes, reigning 1394-1417. The Benedictine Order was founded by Benedict of Nursia (c480-c543).
There have also been a number of Bonifaces, all named after the missionary to the Germans Winfrid or Wilfrid Boniface (680-755).
Bauer, Bauer and Baur. All three were Germans, all three were biblical scholars, but which is which? F C Baur (1792-1860) was one of the first to apply Hegelian dialectic to the study of the New Testament and early church history. Ferdinand Christian Bauer was the founder of the famous ‘Tübingen school’ of theology which believed that most of the New Testament was not written until the 2nd Century and denied the supernatural events described therein. Bruno Bauer (1809-1882), based at Bonn, was even more extreme. He looked to Graeco-Roman philosophy for the origins of Christianity and argued that it was the brainchild of Seneca in the time of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Walter Bauer (1877-1960) was less extreme. He taught at Göttingen from 1916-1945 and is best remembered as the lexicographer on whose work Arndt and Gingrich based their standard lexicon of the New Testament.
One final note. Even when surnames are not the same, there can be confusion. Do distinguish between William Bridge the Puritan, author of A Lifting up for the Downcast and Charles Bridges (1794-1869) the evangelical Anglican author of The Christian Ministry and of commentaries on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Psalm 119. Also between Thomas Bilney (1495-1531) the martyr who led Latimer to faith and 19th century Congregationalist preacher Thomas Binney (1798-1874).
*Eg Robert Bruce (1554–1631) and Robert Bruce (active 1870-1900), missionary who revised Henry Martyn's Persian version of the Bible.
Originally published in The Evangelical Library Bulletin
