| Albert Theodore Mollegen, Sr. | |
| Birth Date: | February 17, 1906[1] |
| Birth Place: | McComb, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Notable Works: | Christianity and Modern Man (1961) |
Albert Theodore Mollegen, Sr. (February 17, 1906 - January 22, 1984) was a widely-known apologist for classical Christianity and a proponent of evangelical liberalism.[1]
Mollegen was born in McComb, Mississippi to Charles Henry Mollegen (1880–1912) and Bessie Lee McDonald (1882–1969). His father died when he was very young.
He studied at Mississippi Agricultural & Mechanical College (now Mississippi State University) before graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. Graduate coursework was completed in New York City. He earned a master's degree at Union Theological Seminary and a doctorate at the General Theological Seminary.[2]
At Union, Mollegen was one of the first American students of the religious socialist Paul Tillich. He later became one of Tillich's most articulate adherents.[1]
Mollegen taught New Testament language and literature and Christian ethics at the Virginia Theological Seminary for most of his career. He also lectured at many campuses including the University of Chicago, University of Florida, Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, Southern Methodist University, and Cambridge University.[2]
In 1947, he founded Christianity and Modern Man, a liberal evangelical organization.[1]
Throughout his career, Mollegen was invited to preach at various churches throughout the United States. Mollegen strongly believed that the revival of Christian religion clearly rests on the individual having a closer connection to God, and not the clergy.[3] He retired from the faculty of the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1974.[2]
His wife, the former Harriette Ione Rush of Meridian, Mississippi, died in 1978. He has a son, A.T. Mollegen Jr. (known as Ted) of Mystic, Conn.; a daughter, Anne Mollegen Smith of New York City, and three grandchildren.[2]