Tamed and guided by religion and morality, its future would be "glorious. In , Beecher delivered a series of lectures and published an influential book, A Plea for the West , denouncing the church and warning of its inevitable and corrupting influence.
In the wake of his warnings, a Boston mob, influenced by false rumors that schoolgirls were being held captive against their will, burned the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown, Mass. The infrastructure created by these organizations contributed to social cohesion and unity, and Beecher believed that religious leaders should look past denominational differences to come together to reform the nation: "With trumpet-tongue, the providence of God is calling upon Christians of every denomination, to cease from their limited views, and selfish ends, and to unite in the conflict which is to achieve the subjugation of the world to Christ.
Even as he called for unity, he became caught up in fractious religious controversies, including a debate about the proper role of ministers. Should they take the lead on social reform efforts? Or should they focus on saving individual souls?
Beecher strongly favored religious voluntarism and competition, but his defense of religious diversity had limits. To Beecher, religious disagreement and competition was desirable only if the end result was Protestant agreement and unity. Christians who did not believe in the Trinity, such as Unitarians, did not belong in his vision of America. This was especially true on the Kentucky and Ohio frontier and one of its major champions was Lyman Beecher.
His ancestry can be dated to Massachusetts. At age eighteen he entered Yale College and was graduated in He married Roxana Foote and together they started one of the most prominent families of the nineteenth century. In the Beechers moved to Litchfield, Connecticut where he served as minister for 16 years. Of significant concern to New Englanders was slavery and The Second Great Awakening catalyzed the abolitionist movement. The college president, Timothy Dwight, greatly influenced his religious beliefs and enthusiasm for revivalism.
Dynamic preaching and a published sermon against dueling earned him a modest reputation, and in he accepted the more prestigious pulpit of the Congregational Church of Litchfield, Conn. For 16 years at Litchfield he attracted large crowds, and his influence extended beyond his own congregation. Persons warmed by his revivals were urged to support a growing list of voluntary societies and moral reforms, especially temperance.
His defense of orthodox Christianity against Unitarianism in Connecticut was noted by church leaders, and he was invited to move to Boston, where he could be even more effective in that cause. His efforts again resulted in spiritual awakening, and his reputation for defending orthodoxy against Unitarianism became widespread.
He spent the rest of his life living with his son, Henry Ward Beecher. He was comforted by his children, who continued their father's work. Henry was a Presbyterian minister and used his pulpit to urge Northerners to protest slavery and to avoid alcohol. The book inspired many people to stand up against slavery.
Lyman Beecher died in Toggle navigation. Jump to: navigation , search. Lyman Beecher Lyman Beecher was a prominent theologian, educator and reformer in the years before the American Civil War.
Lyman Beecher.
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