Lincoln and Religion

"Lincoln and Religion deserves high marks for its responsible, accessible, and engaging treatment of a complicated, but important subject."—Mark A. Noll, Journal of Illinois History "Lincoln and Religion is an intelligently constructed work upon which conversations regarding Lincoln's religious allegiances and implications can be aptly built."—Foreword"[A] wonderfully measured and thoughtful analysis of the historical contexts of Lincoln's personal perspectives on religion. . . . The book offers an excellent and balanced introduction to the topic of Lincoln and religion for students and general readers."—Stacy Pratt McDermott, The Annals of Iowa"This welcome addition to the Concise Lincoln Library by the late Ferenc Morton Szasz deftly picks its way through the minefield constituted by the historical controversies regarding Lincoln's religious beliefs. It shows brilliantly how Lincoln has become the central figure in a civil religion and presents a carefully nuanced answer to the perennial question; Was Lincoln a Christian?"—Michael Burlingame, Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies, University of Illinois Springfield"[A] short, able, and important contribution to religion, Abraham Lincoln, and the Civil War. A good read, but beyond that, Richard W. Etulain provides an excellent summary of the subject from 1866 to today, and Sara Gabbard compiles great quotes from Lincoln on the topic of religion. If you are going to read a short book about the subject, this is the book."—Gabor S. Boritt, author of The Will of God Prevails"Perhaps the book’s most significant contribution is its expression of the centrality of religion to nineteenth-century Americans and the ways religious ideologies and rhetoric played a role in political discourse. For most students, this will be a new idea; and the knowledge that Abraham Lincoln arguably understood that connection better than most politicians and political observers of his era will open up a new dimension of Lincoln’s famous words with which most students are already acquainted. As Szasz explains so succinctly, “during the Civil War era, politics, religion, and sacred language overlapped on a variety of fronts”.—Stacy Pratt McDermott, Lincoln in Brief: A Review Essay