He was part-time instructor in Hebrew at the University of Pennsylvania (1946–1947) and then taught for twenty years at Faith Theological Seminary (1937–1956). He resigned from that institution because of his belief in the propriety of denomination-controlled institutions, and he then helped found the Covenant Theological Seminary, which was a denominational institution and where he was chairman of the Old Testament department until he retired in 1981. Harris served as Professor of Old Testament (and later adjunct professor) at Knox Theological Seminary at its founding in 1989. He was actively involved with the development of the Old Testament department there, teaching Hebrew, Hebrew Exegesis, the Pentateuch, and Survey through 1993.[1]
Harris's first wife, Elizabeth K. Nelson, was born on April 30, 1910, and died in 1980. He then married Anne P. Krauss and lived in Quarryville, Pennsylvania.
Publications
Harris published several books including Introductory Hebrew Grammar, Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible, Your Bible, and Man—God's Eternal Creation
He also served as editor of The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament and was a contributing editor to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. He was contributed articles to the Wycliffe Bible Commentary and the Expositor's Bible, and he served as chairman of the Committee on Bible Translation for the New International Version.
Works
Books
Harris, R. Laird (1949). Fundamental Protestant Doctrines. Wilmington, DE: Bible Presbyterian Press. OCLC30412899. - in 5 volumes
——— (1950). Introductory Hebrew Grammar. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. OCLC8797155.
——— (1969). Inspiration and Canonicity of the Bible: an historical and exegetical study. Contemporary Evangelical Perspectives. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. OCLC259213.
——— (1971). Man — God's Eternal Creation: Old Testament teaching on man and his culture. Chicago, IL: Moody Press. OCLC135063.
———; Quek, Swee-Hwa; Vannoy, J. Robert, eds. (1986). Interpretation & History: essays in honour of Allan A. MacRae. Singapore: Christian Life Publishers. ISBN978-9971-9911-4-2. OCLC14167631.
——— (1990). You & Your Bible: an introduction to the Word. Wheaton, IL: Evangelical Training Association. ISBN978-0-910566-12-4. OCLC31596117.
———; Cotton, Roger D. (1995). Lint, Gregory A. (ed.). The Old Testament Study Bible: Leviticus - Numbers. Complete Biblical Library: The Old Testament. Vol. 3. Springfield, MO: World Library Press. ISBN978-1-884642-27-2. OCLC34181429.
——— (1995). The Beatitudes in the Gospels and in the Gospel of Thomas. Evangelical Theological Society papers. Vol. ETS-0563. Evangelical Theological Society. OCLC33116099.
——— (1996). Form of the Quotations of the OT in the Book of Hebrews. Evangelical Theological Society papers. Vol. ETS-0576. Evangelical Theological Society. OCLC35708150.
——— (1997). The Origin of Luke's Religion. Evangelical Theological Society papers. Vol. ETS-0588. Evangelical Theological Society. OCLC37314261.
——— (1986). "Prophecy, Illustration and Typology". In ———; Quek, Swee-Hwa; Vannoy, J. Robert (eds.). Interpretation & History: essays in honour of Allan A. MacRae. Singapore: Christian Life Publishers. ISBN978-9971-9911-4-2. OCLC14167631.
——— (Dec 1961). "The Meaning of the Word Sheol as Shown by Parallels in Poetic Texts". Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. 4 (4): 129–135.
——— (Fall 1963). "Barth and Eschatology". Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. 6 (4): 114–123.
——— (Fall 1966). "Was the law and the prophets two-thirds of the Old Testament canon". Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. 9 (4): 163–171.
——— (Winter 1966). "The Basis For Our Belief in Inerrancy". Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. 9 (1): 13–18.
——— (Winter 1967). "Factors promoting the formation of the Old Testament canon". Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. 10 (1): 21–27.
——— (Fall 1968). "The mist, the canopy, and the rivers of Eden". Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. 11 (4): 177–179.
———. "The Doctrine of Revelation and Inspiration in the Old Testament". Grace Journal. 6 (1): 16–.
——— (March 1962). "The Bible and Cosmology". Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society. 5 (1): 11–17.