John Hales
John Hales was an influential English scholar and clergyman born in the 1580s, noted for his expertise in Greek. He attended Oxford University, where he excelled in his studies and became a prominent Greek lecturer by 1612. Hales initially embraced Calvinism, frequently delivering sermons, with his first published work being a funeral sermon in 1613. His career took a significant turn in 1616 when he attended the Synod of Dort and subsequently converted to Arminianism, after which he distanced himself from active religious life. A controversial work titled "A Tract Concerning Schisme and Schismatiques" was published without his consent in 1642, leading to scandal and discontent among church authorities. In 1649, Hales lost his fellowship at Eton College due to his refusal to pledge allegiance to Oliver Cromwell’s government. He later worked as a tutor and eventually returned to Eton, where he lived until his death in 1656. After his passing, selections of his writings were compiled and published posthumously, highlighting his lasting impact on theological discourse.
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John Hales
Scholar
- Born: April 19, 1584
- Birthplace: Bath, Somerset, England
- Died: May 19, 1656
- Place of death: Eton, England
Biography
John Hales was born in the 1580’s in England. He attended Oxford University, where he studied Greek, and quickly established himself as one of the foremost Greek scholars of his day. Around 1609, Hales became a Calvinist clergyman and orated frequently. In 1612, he became a lecturer of Greek at Oxford University.
Hales’s first published sermon was his 1613 funeral sermon for Sir Thomas Bodely, Oratio funebris habita in Collegio Mertonensi a J. Halesio quo die Thomae Bodleio funus ducebatur. That same year he became a fellow at Eton College in England. In 1616, Hales accompanied the English ambassador to the Hague to the Synod of Dort, where Hales made the decision to convert from Calvinism to Arminianism. After his conversion, Hales retired from religious life.
In 1642, Hales’s most notorious work, A Tract Concerning Schisme and Schismatiques, was published without his consent, and his name was not attributed to it. It caused a scandal and greatly displeased the archbishop. In 1649, Hales was removed from his fellowship at Eaton when he refused to make an oath of allegiance to the government of Oliver Cromwell. Hales then became a tutor for the son of Lady Salter in Buckinghamshire, eventually returning to Eton, where he lived in retirement until his death in 1656. Selections of Hales’s works were published posthumously as The Golden Remains of the Ever-Memorable John Hales of Eton College.