Cambridge Library Collection - Science and Religion
1 primary work • 2 total works
Volume 2
Henry Ward Beecher, a nineteenth-century American Congregationalist pastor and journal editor, was a renowned public speaker active in campaigns against slavery and for social reform. He was an advocate of the theory of evolution and firmly believed that Christianity should adapt itself in the face of change. Volume 1 of Evolution and Religion (published in two volumes in 1885, two years before his death) is a compilation of his lectures defending the science of evolution. In them, he discusses the implications of the 'new' evolutionary philosophy for various key Christian doctrines such as the divine nature, human sinfulness, the inspiration of the Bible, and divine providence, and asserts that change will only help and not hinder religious thought. Beecher's charisma, enthusiasm and flamboyant oratory is evident even in print, and this book stands as a lasting testimony to this influential activist and thinker.
Henry Ward Beecher, a nineteenth-century American Congregationalist pastor and journal editor, was a renowned public speaker active in campaigns against slavery and for social reform. He was an advocate of the theory of evolution and firmly believed that Christianity should adapt itself in the face of change. In Evolution and Religion (published in two volumes in 1885, two years before his death) he first discusses the implications of the 'new' evolutionary philosophy for various key Christian doctrines such as the divine nature, human sinfulness, the inspiration of the Bible, and divine providence, and then explores how evolutionism might affect the ethics and practice of Christianity. Beecher's charisma, enthusiasm and flamboyant oratory is evident even in print, and this book stands as a lasting testimony to this influential activist and thinker. It provides rich and enjoyable source material for historians of nineteenth-century science, religion and society.