Abbott, Lyman

ABBOTT, LYMAN: American Congregationalist; b. at Roxbury, Mass., Dec. 18, 1835. He was educated at New York University (B.A., 1853), and after practising law for a time was ordained a minister in the Congregational Church in 1860. He was pastor in Terre Haute, Ind., from 1860 to 1865, after which he held the pastorate of the New England Church, New York City, for four years, resigning to devote himself to literary work. In 1888 he succeeded Henry Ward Beecher as pastor of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, but resigned in 1898. He was secretary of the American Union Commission from 1865 to 1869, and later was a member of the New York Child Labor Committee and of the National Child Labor Committee. Among other societies, he is a member of the Bar Association of New York, New York State Historical Association, National Conference of Charities and Correction, Indian Rights Association, New York Association for the Blind, Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, The Religious Education Association, American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, American Institute of Sacred Literature, American Peace Society, New York State Conference of Religion, and the Universal Peace Union. His theological position is that of a Congregationalist of the Liberal Evangelical type. In addition to editing the “ Literary Record “ of Harper’s Magazine, he edited The Illustrated Christian Weekly (1871-76) and since 1876 The Christian Union (with Henry Ward Beecher till 1881; name changed to The Outlook, 1893). He has written Jesus of Nazareth (New York, 1869); Old Testament Shadows of New Testament Truth (1870); Illustrated Commentary on the New Testament (New York, 1875); Dictionary of Religious Knowledge (Boston, 1876; in collaboration with T. J. Conant); How to Study the Bible (1877); In Aid of Faith (New York, 1886); Evolution of Christianity (Boston, 1896); The Theology of an Evolutionist (1897); Christianity and Social Problems (1897); Life and Letters of Paul (1898); Problems of Life (New York, 1900); Life and Literature of the Ancient Hebrews (Boston, 1900); The Rights of Man (1901); Henry Ward Beecher (1903); The Other Room (New York, 1903); The Great Companion (1904); Christian Ministry (Boston, 1905); Personality of God (New York, 1905); and Industrial Problems (Philadelphia, 1905).