The Christian Magazine was the successor to the Christian Review, edited by Tolbert Fanning from 1844 -1847. When Jessie Babcock Ferguson became editor of the Christian Review, he changed the title to the Christian Magazine and remained the main editor from January 1848 to December 1853.
Ferguson's controversial interpretation of 1 Peter 3:18 - 4:6 (April 1852 issue) brought an attack by Alexander Campbell, resulting in Ferguson leaving the Stone-Campbell Movement and embracing spiritualism and Universalism.
In spite of the Ferguson controversy, the Christian Magazine contains useful information on congregations and preachers in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Louisiana.
For researchers who want to dig into the Christian Magazine, Enos Dowling's gold standard index of the Christian Magazine is available on the DCHS Digital Commons here:
Enos E. Dowling, Analysis and Index of the Christian Magazine
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Christian Magazine, Volume 6 (January to December 1853)
Jessie Babcock Ferguson and John R. Howard
Christian Magazine, Volume 6 (January to December 1853)
This the last year of publication for the Christian Magazine.
Jessie Babcock Ferguson and John R Howard are editors.
The pagination in this volume is erratic.
Pages which should have been 300 to 320 were numbered 200 to 220; and for 336 we find 356, an error which was continued to the close of the volume by numbering the pages consecutively from that point.
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Christian Magazine "Extra" December 1852: The Attacks of the Millennial Harbinger upon the Christian Magazine and its Editor
Jessie Babcock Ferguson
Christian Magazine "Extra" December 1852: The Attacks of the Millennial Harbinger upon the Christian Magazine and its Editor
This 32 page "Extra" by Ferguson presents the articles published by Alexander Campbell in the Millennial Harbinger attacking Ferguson's interpretation of 1 Peter 3:18 - 4:6.
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Christian Magazine, Volume 5 (January to December 1852)
Jessie Babcock Ferguson
Christian Magazine, Volume 5 (January to December 1852)
The April issue has the controversial article by Ferguson on preaching to the spirits in prison (1 Peter 3:18 - 4:6). Ferguson is ready to resign as editor of the Christian Magazine but stays on for Volume 6.
This bound volume has the Extra where Ferguson reprints the articles by Alexander Campbell in the Millennial Harbinger and gives his answers to Campbell.
We are posting the Extra as a separate item.
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Christian Magazine, Volume 4 (January to December 1851)
Jessie Babcock Ferguson
Christian Magazine, Volume 4 (January to December 1851)
J. B. Ferguson and John Eichbaum are listed on the title page as the people conducting the periodical.
For more details on the contents of the volumes of the Christian Magazine, consult:
https://digitalcommons.discipleshistory.org/all_periodical_indexes/21/
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Christian Magazine, Extant Covers for Volume 3, 1850
Jessie Babcock Ferguson
Christian Magazine, Extant Covers for Volume 3, 1850
These covers from issues in 1850 have content that is not always available in the issues themselves.
We note, for example, receipts and agents are on the back cover of the May, 1850 issue.
The back cover of the December 1850 issue mentions the Commencement at Franklin College and the proposal by John R. Hoard to publish the Bible Advocate and Christian Investigator at Jackson, Tennessee.
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Christian Magazine, Volume 3 (January to December 1850)
Jessie Babcock Ferguson
Christian Magazine, Volume 3 (January to December 1850)
J. B. Ferguson is the only editor listed in this volume, unlike in earlier volumes.
For more on his life see:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9521884/jessie-babcock-ferguson
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Christian Magazine, Volume 2 (January to December 1849)
Jessie Babcock Ferguson
Christian Magazine, Volume 2 (January to December 1849)
J. B. Ferguson remains the main editor for this periodical.
Regular contributions by John R. Howard, Benjamin Franklin Hall, John Eichbaum, James J. Trott.
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Christian Magazine, Volume 1 (January – December 1848)
Jessie Babcock Ferguson, John R. Howard, and Tolbert Fanning
Christian Magazine, Volume 1 (January – December 1848)
Jessie Babcock Ferguson (1819-1870) is the Editor. John Rogers Howard (1807-1870) and Tolbert Fanning (1810-1874) are Associate Editors.
The Christian Magazine replaced Tolbert Fanning's Christian Review, published from 1844-1847.
In addition to scriptural studies, each issue has reports from preachers and congregations mostly in southern states.