Lincoln and the Preachers

Frankly, one of the reasons I purchased this book was to have at least one book written by Edgar DeWitt Jones, who served as minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Bloomington, Illinois for 14 years, 1906-1920. First Christian is where I have my membership.

I am happy to have added this particular book. Jones was a many-times-over published author and a widely respected authority on Abraham Lincoln. In fact, Jones was one of 32 Lincoln scholars invited to attend the opening of the Robert Todd Lincoln papers, on July 26, 1947, in Washington, DC.

The small book consists of 16 short chapters after an Introduction by Lincoln scholar, William H. Townsend, of Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two appendixes and a helpful show more index. Appendix I is "A Who's Who of the Preachers in the Lincoln Story," and Appendix II is "Henry Ward Beecher's Sermon, Preached in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, NY, Sunday Morning, February 26, 1860, and Heard by Abraham Lincoln."

Although the book is now "old," I believe that continues to be a valuable resource to persons interested in Lincoln, particularly those interested in the religious side of the man. Chapters I, II, VII, and Appendix I were most interesting to me as they included discussions of people and places that relate to Illinois and/or Disciples.

I'm a little bit surprised that so few of us on LibraryThing have this book. show less