Henry Ward Beecher
American clergyman and abolitionist known for his adultery trial.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: Lyman Beecher · see source
Henry Ward Beecher's rhetorical focus on the love of Christ has influenced mainstream Christianity through the 21st century.
Background
Henry Ward Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, the eighth of 11 children who survived to adulthood of Lyman Beecher, a Calvinist minister. His siblings included author Harriet Beecher Stowe and educators Catharine Beecher and Thomas K. Beecher.
He developed a theology emphasizing God's love above all else and grew interested in social reform, particularly the abolitionist movement. Before the Civil War, he raised money to purchase slaves from captivity and sent rifles—nicknamed 'Beecher's Bibles'—to abolitionists in Kansas. He toured Europe during the Civil War, speaking in support of the Union.
Did You Know?
- Beecher's childhood stammer and poor performance led to punishments such as being forced to sit in the girls' corner wearing a dunce cap.
- He championed Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, stating it was not incompatible with Christian beliefs.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Henry Ward Beecher (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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