Alexander Forbes of Brechin

he has used the form of biography to effect an entry into the history of the Epsicopal Church of Scotland, a history that must now be acknowledged to be interesting * Albion *
Well researched and patiently argued, with interesting allusions to the Scottish High Church background, and to the growth of that Church in the nineteenth century,...his treatment of Tractarianism's development, and of Forbes's convictions and style of ministry prove insightful. * William L. Sachs, Religious Studies Review *
An account, expressed in love but not without critical appraisal * Expository Times *
Strong provides much carefully researched detail on the lifestyle of the mill workers ... Strong guides the reader well through the negotiations with various Roman figures ... Forbes emerges from this book, despite his faults of temperament, as a noble figure of great integrity, ever hopeful, ever disillusioned, finally reconciled to being simply pragmatic, a quiet facilitator of the kingdom. * The Glastonbury Bulletin *
Rowan Strong's narrative reads very much life the dissertation for a doctorate that it is, but it gathers together everything that is known about Alexander Forbes, and Scottish Episcopalians, at least, will be grateful for his labours. * Theology *
Strong has written an even-handed book which steers a careful course through theological and ecclesiastical controversies while maintaining a favorable assessment of Forbes. It is a corner of church history which has not been overworked, and he gives it a good telling. His book has the virtue of bringing forth the major issues of Forbes's life with sharp clarity. Strong's book does reveal the interior life of the man. * Richard J. Grace, Providence College, The Historian *
a welcome addition to recent literature on the Oxford Movement, for it provides valuable insight into the impact of the Movement in Scotland ... Historians have concentrated almost entirely on its influence on the English churches, and have given little attention to its effect in the rest of Britain. Rowan Strong's careful and meticulous study is a salutary corrective to this. This is a carefully researched biography, meticulous rather than scintillating, perhaps, but it fills a real gap in the history of the Oxford Movement ... he provides a sympathetic portrait of a man who, not without justificaiton, has been called 'the Scottish Pusey'. * Graham Patrick, Epworth Review, May 1996 *