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).