A Remembrance of
Reverend Archer Reuben Torrey

Nadine Stoner

[Reprinted from GroundSwell, 2002]

Your GroundSwell editor was informed of the death because of ill health on August 6 in Korea of Rev. Archer Torrey. Word came from Yoon-sang Kim of Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea; he is the University of Pennsylvania PhD graduate who is the Korean translator of "Progress and Poverty". (See Henry George Association of Korea, 1996-97 Georgist Registry. Web site is http://www.land.kimc.net, or email yskim@knu.ac.kr)

Archer Torrey was born in China, attended Yenching University in China from 1934 to 1935, attended Davidson College from 1935 to 1939, and attended Princeton Theology Seminary 1939 to 1941. He was ordained in the Anglican Church in 1946. He attended Harvard University from 1950 to 1951.

Archer Torrey is survived by his wife, Jane, whom your GroundSwell tried to contact, and sons. The last U.S. address your editor has is from a letter from Archer in August, 2001: World Outreach International Mission, Jesus Abbey, Box 472, Charlotte Court House, Va 23923 USA.

In 1965 Rev. Torrey established Jesus Abbey in Taebaek, South Korea, a Christian community. He enthusiastically advocated Land Value Taxation as a modern application of Jubilee and moved many a Korean to get involved in the Georgist cause spiritually as well as politically.

Progress Australia correspondent Karl Williams visited Archer Torrey and Jesus Abbey last December. He writes in the Jan.-Feb. 2002 issue of "Progress": "A rousing Korean version of 'Amazing Grace' is not the way you expect an economics study group to begin, but this was no ordinary study group. Much of the thriving Georgist movement here is closely aligned to Christianity, and the same idealism and fervor that often propels religious adherents also lies behind the Georgist movement.

"Georgist economics was practically unknown in Korea until the arrival in 1960 of the American, Reverend Archer Torrey, who is deeply revered by practically all who have met him because of the power of his compassion and sincerity. His elegant blend of Georgism and Christianity soon spread from the pulpit to the hearts of the listeners.

"Soon after Torrey's arrival, the fledgling Georgist movement received a major setback. Georgist literature was banned, and nearly all of the copies of the Korean translation of "Progress and Poverty" were destroyed by the anti-communist military dictatorship, along with anything else which smacked of social justice. For almost twenty years Georgists had to keep a low profile, although the church presented a veil behind which Georgists could operate.

"Today Georgists in Korea number almost 500, many of whom are active in the academic sphere. I met five professors who hold posts in fairly respectable universities, and all of them are free to express Georgist economics from the lectern, as academic freedom is respected here. ..."