Joseph Taylor Goodsir | |
|---|---|
 Danube Street, Edinburgh | |
| Born | 16 September 1815 Lower Largo, Fife, Scotland |
| Died | 27 April 1893 (aged 77) Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Occupation | Minister of religion |
| Known for | Theology writing Virchow controversy |
Joseph Taylor Goodsir FRSE (16 September 1815 – 27 April 1893) was a Scottish minister and theological author. He resigned from the ministry after only seven years expressing doubts about the doctrine and teaching of the Church of Scotland. He continued to write theological essays critical of the Church's theology and teaching. He is remembered for his unsuccessful attempt to prevent the election of the German physician and pathologist Rudolph Virchow to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In later years he developed a depressive illness with delusions and paranoia which resulted in admissions to the local asylum where he was detained for the last eleven years of his life.