Thomas K. Beecher - Contributions to the Study of Religion by Myra C Glenn Hardcover

About the Book

This is the first full-length biography of the Reverend Thomas K. Beecher, a member of the most famous family of reformers in 19th-century America. Unlike his famous siblings, Thomas Beecher defended slavery on the eve of the Civil War and condemned the abolitionist, temperance, and women's rights movements. This account of his anti-reform views examines important, but relatively unexplored, questions in the historiography of antebellum reform: Why did some Northern evangelical Protestants oppose these movements? To what extent did their opposition represent a backlash against the legacy of American Revolutionary ideals? Glenn emphasizes how Thomas Beecher's life and work illustrate important changes in the Protestant ministry during the latter half of the 19th century. This is an insightful and thorough biography that will appeal to readers interested in American cultural and religious history.

Book Synopsis

This is the first full-length biography of the Reverend Thomas K. Beecher, a member of the most famous family of reformers in 19th-century America. Unlike his famous siblings, Thomas Beecher defended slavery on the eve of the Civil War and condemned the abolitionist, temperance, and women's rights movements. This account of his anti-reform views examines important, but relatively unexplored, questions in the historiography of antebellum reform: Why did some Northern evangelical Protestants oppose these movements? To what extent did their opposition represent a backlash against the legacy of American Revolutionary ideals? Glenn emphasizes how Thomas Beecher's life and work illustrate important changes in the Protestant ministry during the latter half of the 19th century. This is an insightful and thorough biography that will appeal to readers interested in American cultural and religious history.

Review Quotes

?In this fascinating biography....Glenn achieves more than simply recounting Thomas K. Beecher's life and work. She uses his thoughts and ministry as a window onto the 19th century. For this reason alone the book is not only interesting but also useful....This meticulously researched study draws on a wealth of previously untapped archival resources. In short, Thomas K. Beecher makes a fine contribution to American cultural and religious history.?-The Journal of American History

?Not only a fascinating study of one pastor's struggle with a changing America, this work adds appreciably to understanding the entire Beecher family. Libraries would find this...useful in the areas of American religious and intellectual history.?-Choice

"Not only a fascinating study of one pastor's struggle with a changing America, this work adds appreciably to understanding the entire Beecher family. Libraries would find this...useful in the areas of American religious and intellectual history."-Choice

"In this fascinating biography....Glenn achieves more than simply recounting Thomas K. Beecher's life and work. She uses his thoughts and ministry as a window onto the 19th century. For this reason alone the book is not only interesting but also useful....This meticulously researched study draws on a wealth of previously untapped archival resources. In short, Thomas K. Beecher makes a fine contribution to American cultural and religious history."-The Journal of American History

About the Author

MYRA C. GLENN is Associate Professor of American History at Elmira College in New York. She is the author of Campaigns Against Corporal Punishment: Prisoners, Sailors, Women and Children in Antebellum America (1984).