Edward Irving was a controversial and often conflicted preacher.
His important legacy is the recognition of the continuance of
New Testament spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues.
The Catholic Apostolic Church, the denomination founded by
Irving in 1833, was the culmination of his theological
evolution, transitioning from an ordained Calvinist in the
Church of Scotland, to the pastor of a large group of England’s
social and ruling elite to the leader of working-class
revivalism. The fervent preacher was educated at Scotland’s
Edinburgh University and pursued post-graduate studies in
preparation for entry into the ministry, learning French and
Italian and reading extensively 16th and 17th Century theology,
which he mimicked in his early pulpit ministry. His clerical
success in Scotland was limited, and he accepted an invitation
in 1822 to become pastor of the 15-member Caledonian Chapel in
Hatton Garden, London. The sermons that had been perceived as
pretentious by parishioners in Scotland were now vi