Tác giả: Alexander Hislop

Alexander Hislop (1807–1865) was a Scottish minister, schoolmaster, and writer, recognized predominantly for his polemic and contentious scholarship. Hislop was ordained in 1844 as the Free Church of Scotland minister at the East Free Church in Arbroath, Angus, where he was actively involved in both ecclesiastical and educational reforms. His writing reflected his deep commitment to Protestantism and his opposition to Roman Catholicism, manifested in his most famous work, “The Two Babylons” (1858), where he controversially traced the practices of the Catholic Church back to ancient Babylonian paganism. However, beyond his religious critiques, Hislop exhibited a genuine fondness for his cultural heritage, which is best exemplified in his lesser-known work, “The Proverbs of Scotland” (1862). This book comprises a comprehensive collection of Scottish proverbs, meticulously categorized and annotated, revealing Hislop”s interest in the preservation of national folklore and his scholarly attention to linguistic expression. The compilation, though not as widely recognized as his theological writing, contributes significantly to the documentation of Scottish oral tradition and offers insight into the collective wisdom of 19th-century Scotland. Hislop”s literary style often combined his academic interests with his fervent ideological stance, a synthesis that has both appealed to and repelled readers over time. Despite the critical scrutiny concerning the accuracy of his historical assertions, Alexander Hislop remains a notable, if controversial, figure in the discourse of religious history and cultural studies.