Prophet and Priest

Previous discussions of changes in Alexander Campbell's ideology have focused on an increasing ecumenism in Campbell's thought. Many scholars have argued that as Campbell aged he became more open to denominationalism. By conceiving of Alexander Campbell through the lens of Max Weber's categories of "prophet" and "priest," a different picture emerges. Alexander Campbell was a prophet of primitive Christianity in the early nineteenth century. Campbell attacked the denominational structures of the time and offered a new vision of Christianity should look like in the modern age. In the 1830s, however, Campbell began to become more priestly in his character. His major concern was no longer his vision of restoration. Instead Campbell became concerned with the institution his movement was becoming. Campbell's battles with Sidney Rigdon and John Thomas, the controversy in the movement over a hymnbook, and the death of Campbell's son, Wickliffe, demonstrate a priestly change in Campbell's identity. This shift was the product of Campbell's self-reflection on the role he was taking as well as the role his followers asked of him. Campbell's shift from prophet to priest represents a larger trend in American history. The examples of John Brown and William Lloyd Garrison suggest that many American prophets, like Campbell, have priestly tendencies.