Talk:Kersey Graves

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This article has been re-written by a member of the Cleanup Taskforce Apwoolrich 20:30, 2 May 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 04:13, 10 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This article seems to be badly in need of a rewrite. At some point in the past, someone with a bias against the subject contributed heavily to the article, especially in the "Criticism" section, and that individual's lack of objectivity clearly comes through. Granted, Graves' SCS has some serious scholarship problems, but statements like "Graves' writings today are read by people seeking conspiracy theories" has no place in anything purporting to be an impartial encyclopediac study of the subject. That whole section on Reverend Perry is unsourced as well as being irrelevant original research. It needs to go as soon as possible. I'm going to try a rewrite this evening, attempting to preserve the "Criticism" section while jettisoning most of its contents. Toddpence (talk) 19:29, 5 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've given the article a bit of a rewrite, but I agree the criticism and present day reader sections need some more work. Juggertrout (talk) 23:58, 14 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think many educated people would question that Graves was a crank who drifted through a series of daft movements. It is wrong to say 'but statements like "Graves' writings today are read by people seeking conspiracy theories" has no place in anything purporting to be an impartial encyclopediac study of the subject' since the statement is, actually, factually correct. He wasn't a scholar, and his book is atrocious. His followers today are all conspiracy nuts. But ... if we say this, it is *our* opinion. Are we, ourselves, reliable sources? The article needs to be referenced to these. If the statement "Graves' writings today are read by people seeking conspiracy theories" is included, how do we reference it? Roger Pearse (talk) 16:59, 12 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

An 1884 account can be found on p.639 of History of Wayne County, Indiana, together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, vol. 1 (Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Company, 1884), p.639. This reads:

PROF. KERSEY GRAVES, well known to the people of Wayne County by his literary labors, was born in Brownsville, Pa., Nov. 21, 1815, and died in Richmond, Sept. 4, 1883. He received an academical education, and at the age of nineteen began teaching in Richmond, Ind. He continued that occupation here and elsewhere for twenty-three years. He early became interested in scientific studies and spent several years traveling and lecturing on phrenology, physiology and physiognomy. He lectured frequently on temperance and was an anti-slavery orator of some note. He became dissatisfied with popular theology quite early in life, and used his pen to correct what he believed to be errors. His first book was "The Biography of Satan," which had a large sale. His next production , "The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors," reached its tenth edition and was sold in both America and Europe. Among his latest works was a book entitled "The Bible of Bibles," being an account of twenty-seven Bibles of various ages and countries. He devoted the latter years of his life exclusively to literary work and lectnring, and contributed many articles to magazines and newspapers. His memory was remarkable and his mental acumen great. He lived an upright life. He married Miss Lydia Michener and reared four children.

This could probably be quoted in a footnote in its entirety. Roger Pearse (talk) 17:11, 12 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Henry Clay Fox, Memoirs of Wayne County and the City of Richmond, Indiana, vol. 1 (Madison, Wisc.: Western Historical Association, 1912), p.393:

Kersey Graves was born in Pennsylvania, Nov. 14, 1813, and died in Richmond, Sept. 4, 1883. He attended school but three or four months in his life, but in spite of this became, by reading, a well educated man. He became dissatisfied with popular theology quite early in life and used his pen to correct what he believed to be errors. He wrote "The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors" (Colby & Rich, Boston, 1886), which reached its tenth edition and was sold in both America and Europe; "The Bible of Bibles (1883), an account of Twenty Bibles of the World"; "The Biography of Satan" (Religio-Philosophical Pub. Co., 1865), and "Sixteen Saviors or None." He devoted the later years of his life exclusively to literary work and lecturing. At the time of his death he was associate-«ditor of the Indianapolis "Globe," an antitariff paper.

The same with this. Roger Pearse (talk) 17:13, 12 February 2011 (UTC)[reply]