Saturday, December 3, 2011

Current Reading/ Henry Beecher

In the vein of getting context for Emerson, Hawthorn, Abolition movements and Beecher family, I have this book out from Concordia  library on  "The Most Famous Man in America", the Pastor Henry Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe of "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

http://www.amazon.com/Most-Famous-Man-America-Biography/dp/0385513976/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322965850&sr=8-1

The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher

It is most fascinating and thorough.  I feel that I am getting a really good view of what a number of contexts were the first part of the 19th century America, for example the differences in settings between Boston, New York and the frontier in Indiana.  It is interesting to note that the religious feeling was quite intense everywhere, but represented mostly by Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist churches.  Henry Beecher's own Calvinism was of a variable sort.  He did not like to be pinned down on intricacies of Reformed doctrine.  He tended to weasel through doctrinal examinations but was accepted anyhow for his charismatic preaching and engaging rhetoric, deep thinking and empathetic views.

3 comments:

Steve Martin said...

reedliI read some of the pages on the Amazon preview. Terrific!

I did not know of this "most famous man in America" but he surely should be known by all Americans.

I will have to get the book.

Thanks for sharing it, Brigitte.

Brigitte said...

Henry Beecher is the great great gandfather, or something like that, of Sam Scoville we talk to on NakedPastor.

Martin and I are passing the book back and forth. He likes it, too.

Steve Martin said...

Wow! Lucky Sam!

Good stuff, Gitte. Keep 'em coming.