Fred SandersA scene from the Leben der heiligen Altväter (1482)
The Writings of William Burt Pope (1822-1903)An Online Guide to his Publications
This page is a guide to William Burt Pope’s works, with links to resource entries on each of his individual works.
“The Holmfirth Flood,” Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, April 1852, 359-370
First publication, perhaps. A ten-page report on a disaster in his region, with some considerations about providence.
“The Rest of Our Time: I Peter 4:2,” The Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, Jan 1856, pp 1-9.
Pope’s pensive, even melancholic, nature is evident in his propensity to write reflective sermons for the end of one year and the beginning of the next. This is the first published one of which I am aware. Viewable at Hathi Trust
(I need a pdf of this)
Translation of Rudolf Stier, The Words of Jesus, volumes 1-8 (1855-1858), and The Words of the Risen Saviour and Commentary on the Epistle of James (1859)
In his thirties, while serving in several pastorates, Pope translated 4,500 pages of this spiritually powerful, conservative theological commentary on every recorded word of Jesus.
Translator, J.H.A. Ebrard’s Biblical Commentary on the Epistles of St. John, in continuation of the work of
Olshausen. (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1860)
Scanned from BB Warfield’s copy. Pope identified on title page as being at Manchester.
J.P. Lange, Theological and Homiletical Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew.
Translated by A. Edersheim and W. B. Pope, 3 volumes, 1861-1864
(Edinburgh: T&T Clark)
Volume 1 is translated by Edersheim;
Volume 2 is split down the middle:
“Rev Dr. Edersheim’s Translation extends from page 1 to 259, and Rev. Mr. Pope’s from page 259 to end of Volume.” [that is, to p. 471] See Volume 2 here. I have not seen volume 3; perhaps it is all translated by Pope?
The Love Of The Commandment (London: John Mason, 1862)
A sermon on Psalm 119:127-128 (20 pages).
The Abiding Word (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1865)
A sermon on I Peter 1:24-25 (28 pages)
“Afterward (Matt 21:29,32): 1865-1866,” The Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine (December 1865), 1073-1084
Another pensive essay/sermon at year’s end, which Pope identifies in this December 1865 journal as bridging into the next year.
“The Dawn: Romans 13:11ff, An Exposition for the New Year.” Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, Jan 1866, 13-23
“The Presence of Christ in His Church,” The Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine (December 1866), 1067-1080
A great sermon, on the occasion of the dedication of a church building.
An Inaugural Address delivered in the College Chapel, Didsbury, on Friday, September 20th, 1867 (London, 1867)
30 pages (according to Stevenson, Methodist Worthies)
“O Spare Me: A Sermon for the New Year,” The Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, January 1869, 10-18
Sermon (8 pages 4,000 words)
Discourses on the Kingdom and Reign of Christ, Delivered in the Chapel of the Wesleyan Theological Institution at Didsbury
Manchester: Palmer & Howe, 1869
29 sermons, 395pp. In 1880, Pope will release a “third edition, enlarged,” with the addition of two new chapters. Unusually, that third edition will go under a new title, Discourses: Chiefly on the Lordship of the Incarnate Redeemer.
The Person of Christ: A Discourse (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1871)
Superseded by the 1875 second edition, greatly expanded. 170pp
Memoir of the Rev. John Hannah, D.D.” in John Hannah, Introductory Lectures on the Study of Christian Theology: with Outlines of Lectures on the Doctrines of Christianity: to which is prefixed a memoir of the Rev. John Hannah, D.D., by W.B. Pope (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1875)
Pope edited for posthumous publication the lectures of John Hannah (1792-1867), his predecessor in the chair at Didsbury. Pope’s introductory memoir is 70 pages long.
This work is listed as having been published in 1872, but I can only locate the 2nd edition, 1875.
The Peculiarities of Methodist Doctrine: An Address delivered in the open
Session of the Irish Wesleyan-Methodist Conference, June 19th , 1873″
(London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1873)
I need a copy of this
Translation of Georg Benedikt Winer’s A Comparative View of the Doctrines and Confessions of the VariousCommunities of Christendom. (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1873)
Pope also provides an important 69-page introduction, in which he develops his own view of comparative symbolics.
A Memoir of John Fernley, Esq., J.P., Late of Clairville, Southport. Reprinted from the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, with Corrections and Additions (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1874)
Brief biography of a philanthropic Methodist layman. 52pp
The Person of Christ: Dogmatic, Scriptural, Historical (London: etc, 1875)
This second edition is much longer (302 pages versus the 170 pages of the 1871 edition), and should be considered Pope’s definitive statement.
A Compendium of Christian Theology, 1st ed (1875)
This is the rare, single-volume, 752-page, first edition of Pope’s Compendium. For general purposes, do not use this edition: Pope’s second edition is three volumes, running to 1361 pages and equipped with a general index.
Memoir of the late James Heald of Parrs Wood (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1876)
Pope’s biography of James Heald (1796-1873), a devout lay Methodist banker and MP (representing Stockport in the House of Commons).
The Prayers of St. Paul, Being an Analysis and Exposition of the Devotional Portion of the Apostle’s Writings (London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1876)
A masterpiece of exposition. 282pp
Sermons, Addresses, and Charges, Delivered During his Year of Office
(London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1878)
407pp, 19 chapters
A Compendium of Christian Theology (1879), London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1879
This is the edition to use. Three volumes, 1361 pages plus index.
Translation of Erich Haupt, The First Epistle of St. John: A Contribution to Biblical Theology. Translated with an
introduction by W. B. Pope. (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1879)
Pope’s introduction is
Discourses: Chiefly on the Lordship of the Incarnate Redeemer, Delivered in the Chapel of the Wesleyan Theological Institution, Didsbury. Third and Enlarged Edition. London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 1880.
Though it has a new title, this is the third edtion, enlarged, of 1869’s Discourses on the Kingdom and Reign of Christ. This third edition has two new chapters (23 where previously there were only 21), and two retitled chapters.
“Methodist Doctrine,” in The Wesley Memorial Volume, J. O. A.Clark, ed. New York: Phillips & Hunt, 1881. pp. 168-190.
Pope’s mature attempt to set forth Methodism as a particular confession within catholic Christianity.
“The Education and Special Training of Ministers in Theological Schools,” Proceedings of the Œcumenical Methodist Conference (Cincinnati and New York: Walden and Stowe; Phillips & Hunt, 1882), 329–340.
An 11-page address including Pope’s views on theological education, and an account of what is distinctive about Methodist doctrine.
“Ezra and Nehemiah,” from An Old Testament Commentary for English Readers by Various Authors,
Edited by Charles John Ellicott, Vol. III (London: Cassell and Co., 1883)
About 50 pages of verse-by-verse commentary on Ezra and Nehemiah.
A Higher Catechism of Theology(London: T. Woolmer, 1883)
An attempt to set forth the Christian theological system in question-and-answer format, but at a high level of sophistication. One of Pope’s most unusual works; enormously stimulating. 389pp
The Inward Witness and Other Addresses, (London: T. Woolmer, 1885)
17 chapters, 296pp
1889 American printing of A Compendium of Christian Theology, Being Analytical Outlines of a Course of Theological Study, Biblical, Dogmatic, Historical. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged ( New York: Hunt & Eaton, 1889)
This 1889 American printing is the final one during Pope’s lifetime. It is still the 2nd edition (there was no 3rd), but I believe it has a few silent alterations.
I, II, and III John, in The International Illustrated Commentary on the New Testament, by American and English Scholars of Various Evangelical Denominations, ed Philip Schaff, volume 4 (NY: Charles Scriber’s Sons, 1890), 1-50
A rare instance of Pope engaging Scripture in a traditional commentary format. Especially enlightening to compare with his translations of Ebrard and Haupt on I John.
Secondary Sources
George John Stevenson, “William Burt Pope, D.D.,” in Methodist Worthies: Characteristic Sketches of Methodist Preachers of the Several Denominations, etc. (London: Thomas C. Jack, 1885), III:434-447.
A substantial biographical entry (14 pages) published during Pope’s lifetime.
R. W. Moss, The Rev. W. B. Pope, D.D.: Theologian and Saint, in The Library of Methodist Biography. London: Robert Culley, 1920
The only book-length biography of Pope.
