Robert V. Foster, A.M., D.D., professor of exegetical theology and the Hebrew language in Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tenn., was born in Wilson County, Tenn., August 12, 1845, and is a son of Rufus H. and Sarah (Spain) Foster, who were born in Tennessee in 1814 and 1818, respectively. The grandfather of our subject was John Foster, who came from North Carolina to Tennessee in 1796, and followed the life of an agriculturist. He participated in the war of independence, being a soldier in the army of Washington. Rufus H. Foster was married in 1841 and settled on a portion of the old home place, and eventually became the possessor of 240 acres. His wife died in 1876, and he has lived with his son John and our subject since that time. His children are John S., Benjamin S. (the principal of the Lebanon College for Young Ladies), Mrs. Addie Ellington, Mrs. Charlotte Brantly and Robert V., who was reared on a farm and received his rudimentary education in the neighboring country schools. At the age of twenty-two he entered the sophomore class of Cumberland University at Lebanon, graduating as an A.B. in 1870. The following year he was elected to the chair of mathematics in the Cooper Institute at Daleville, Miss., which position he held four years. In 1875 he returned to Cumberland University and graduated from the theological department with high honors, receiving the degrees of D.D. and A.M. The following year he entered the senior Class of the Union Theological Seminary, New York City, and remained one year, receiving the graduating degree, and while there was proffered the professorship of mathematics in the Waynesburg (Penn.) College. He remained one term and received a call to his first alma mater to become professor of belles lettres and Hebrew, and entered on his duties in the fall of 1877, occupying the chair four years. He was then tendered his present position, which he has since filled with credit to himself and honor to the institution. While teaching at Waynesburg he formed the acquaintance of Miss Belle Braden, to whom he was married November 7, 1882. She is the daughter of D. W. Braden, M.D., and was educated in the Waynesburg College and at Vassar, and has traveled in Europe and visited the leading cities of this country, being a very intelligent and refined lady. Prof. Foster is one of the leading educators of the South, and is member of the Blue Lodge of the Masonic fraternity. He and wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

[Source: The Goodspeed History of Wilson County, Tennessee. Woodward & Stinson Printing co., 1971.]

Robert Verrell Foster was born fifty-eight years ago, in Wilson county, Tennessee. After attending country schools, he entered Cumberland University, from which he received the A.B. degree in 1870. For four years he taught mathematics in Cooper Institute, Miss. In the fall of 1875 he entered the Theological Seminary at Lebanon, and was graduated in 1876, receiving from Cumberland University at the same time the master's degree. One year was then spent in Union Seminary, New York, from which he was graduated in 1877. In the fall of 1877, he entered upon his duties as a professor in the Theological Seminary at Lebanon, teaching both the Old and New Testament Departments, for the first few years receiving no salary. For the first four years he also taught belles-lettres in the college, receiving a small salary therefor. This side work was given up to become editor of the Sabbath school periodicals. He held this position for over fifteen years, at the same time during full work in the Seminary. He edited the Cumberland Presbyterian Review for several years. After the death of Dr. Burney, he was transferred to the chair of Systematic Theology, which position he still holds. Dr. Foster is the author of the following works: "A Brief Introduction to the Study of Theology," 1889; "Old Testament Studies," 1890; "A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans," 1891; "A Sketch of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church," published in the American Church History Series, 1894; "Our Doctrines," 1897; and "Systematic Theology," 1898. For over a quarter of a century he has been a regular contributor to the periodic literature of the Church. Dr. Foster has taught more ministers than any other man in the Church. About 300 have taken a full course of study under him, and possibly as many more have taken a part of the course under his direction. In 1882 the subject of this sketch was married to Miss Belle Braden, of Waynesburg, Pa., who has entered sympathetically into all of her husband's work. In 1884 Trinity University conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity.

[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, December 3, 1903, page 715.]

Name: Foster, Robert V., D.D., LL.D.
Occupation: Tea.
Presbytery: Nashville
Place of Death: Lebanon, Tenn.
Date: Jan. 28, 1914
Age: 68

[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1914, page 305.]

Robert Verrell Foster, D.D., LL.D., Professor of Systematic Theology from 1893 to 1909, was one of the greatest scholars and teachers ever connected with the University. He was born near Lebanon, August 12, 1845. From Cumberland University he received the A.B. degree in 1870 and the B.D. degree in 1876. Later he spent a year in Union Theological Seminary, New York City. In 1884 he was honored with the D.D. degree by Trinity University, and in 1906 with the LL.D. degree by Washington and Jefferson College. From 1877 to 1893 he was Professor Hebrew and New Testament Greek in the Theological School, and then for sixteen years, Professor of Systematic Theology. In 1909 he became Professor of Systematic Theology for one year in the Presbyterian Seminary of the South. In 1910 he was appointed Professor of Philosophy and Ethics in the College of Arts, and remained in this position until his death, January 27, 1914.

One of the greatest things about him was his capacity for friendship. In his quiet, solid, well-regulated, courteous, thoroughly Christian life, there was a real and sufficient basis for friendship. He was a friend the first day one met him or sat under him in the classroom.

Quite a large number of those who knew him, and especially his students, found in him a wise counsellor. Young men loved and trusted him because of his practical wisdom which he possessed to an unusual degree. His fitness for giving counsel was quite generally accepted. His standards of education were high; his theological views were characterized by sanity, clearness, and breadth; his position on church question were cautious and conservative; and his attitude toward others was inoffensive and considerate.

Another reason for his great hold on men was the vast extent of his learning and the accuracy of his scholarship. He was always a laborious student and knew how to scientifically classify what he had learned. In his earlier years as a teacher he gave much of his time to the problems of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. In addition he had a marvelous acquaintance with the great things in literature and had himself a considerable power in the art of literary expression. His poetic temperament enabled him to catch the true spirit of poetry and to convey its message to others. He was well-informed on many subjects, and was scholarly and thorough in his investigations. No mere reader was he, no mere purveyor of the thoughts of others. He himself was a member of the noble order of thinkers.

His first great work was in the field of biblical scholarships. As a teacher of the Bible in the original languages and in his mother tongue he was outstanding. As a theologian he easily occupied a place in the front rank. It was in the field of Systematic Theology that he excelled most of all. His study of church history or any of the theological sciences was not in vain. He knew where the pitfalls were. Knowing the fields of theology and philosophy as he did, he was able to think his system through. The great center of his philosophy was "God." A personal and loving God was the explanation of all. It was the idea of God that fired all his eloquence in the classroom. An evangelical position was more reasonable to him than any other, and in this he found the greatest freedom of the spirit.

Furthermore he was a prolific and accomplished writer. He wrote on biblical and theological themes and on topics of the day, always saying something worth-while. The Nashville afternoon paper frequently published his essays, and these interesting papers added not a little to his popularity and fame. He wrote several books, including these: Old Testament Studies, Introduction to the Study of Theology, and A Commentary on Romans. But his greatest work was his Systematic Theology, the crown of his literary and theological activity.

It should be added that his throne was in the classroom. It was there that he poured out his soul to his pupils. They regarded him as a great teacher, one who knew his subjects well, who had the power to define, classify, elucidate, unfold, and inspire. It was here that he was in his happiest vein, and made his pupils friends, disciples, defenders. With him there was not so much freedom in the pulpit. He would scarcely venture a sermon without a manuscript, a device, however, which sometimes added to his power.

The fact that he was a Christian gentleman was the chief element in his greatness. The Christianity of Christ made him great, softened his nature, made him gentle, made his words ring true, made him willing to lay down his life as a sacrifice for others.

[Source: Bone, Winstead Paine. A History of Cumberland University 1842-1935. Lebanon, Tennessee: By the author, 1935, pages 229-232.]

FOSTER, Robert Verrell, educator, was born in Wilson county, Tenn., Aug. 12, 1845; son of Rufus Harrison and Sarah (Spain) Foster, and of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He was graduated from Cumberland university, Lebanon, Tenn., in 1870, studied in the theological department, 1875-76, and was graduated from the Union theological seminary, New York, in 1877. In April 1879, he was ordained by the Lebanon presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He occupied the chair of Hebrew and biblical theology in the Cumberland University theological school, 1877, and accepted that of systematic theology in 1893, at the same time doing editorial work in the Cumberland Presbyterian publishing house at Nashville and holding a professorship in the Lebanon college for young ladies. He received the degree of D.D. from Trinity University, Texas, in 1884. He published: Introduction to the Study of Theology (1889); Old Testament Studies, an Outline of Old Testament Theology (1890); A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (1891); and an extensive treatise on Systematic Theology.

[Source: The 20th Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Vol. 4, p.164]

Foster, R. V. A Brief Introduction to the Study of Theology. Chicago: Fleming H. Revell, 1889.

Foster, R. V. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian publishing House, 1891.

Foster, Robert Verrell. The Lord's Prayer: A Study of its Teaching. Nashville, Tenn., 1902.
[Need two copies for the archives]

Foster, R. V. Old Testament Studies: An Outline of Old Testament Theology. Nashville, Tenn.: Board of Publication of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1890.

Foster, R. V. Our Doctrines. A Brief Statement of the Position of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on the Principal Doctrines of the Christian Faith. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1897.

Foster, Robert V. "A Sketch of the History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church." In A History of The Methodist Church, South The United Presbyterian Church The Cumberland Presbyterian Church and The Presbyterian Church, South in the United States. The American Church History Series. Vol. XI. New York: The Christian Literature Co., 1894.

Foster, R. V. "Some Types of Civilization." In Echoes From Caruthers Hall. Nine Lectures Delivered by Members of Cumberland University Faculty. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1889.

Foster, R. V. The Study of the Original Languages of the Bible. Popular Lectures Delivered at the Monteagle Assembly, 1883. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing House, 1884.

Foster, Robert Verrell. Systematic Theology. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland Presbyterian Publishing :House, 1898.

Foster, R. V. The Systems of doctrine: I. Cumberland Presbyterianism, II. Presbyterianism. Cumberland Press, 1904. [Need two copies for the archives]

Irby, Joe Ben. The Life and Thought of Robert Verrell Foster, DD, LLD: An Exponent of Cumberland Presbyterian Theology. Memphis: by the author, 2004. [2 copies in the archives]