Reviews for Lincoln's Greatest Speech
Review - Lincoln's Greatest Speech
This book fascinated me. White does for Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address what Garry Wills did for the Gettysburg Address, but in simpler language. He moves section by section through the speech and explains Lincoln’s background and how his thinking developed throughout his life. Since much of the speech was theological in nature, White concentrates on that aspect of Lincoln’s life.
Because Lincoln never officially joined a church, many (most?) of his biographers have assumed that he wasn’t a Christian. But he attended Presbyterian churches in Springfield and Washington, and that church, in the 19th century, was conservative and Calvinistic. Lincoln read the Bible daily and had large portions of it committed to memory. White never definitively states that Lincoln was a Christian, and he only gives one example of Lincoln referring to Jesus Christ. Still, I found it hard to come to any other conclusion by the time I was done with the book.
Lincoln was challenged throughout his years in the White House with the conflicting priorities of upholding the Constitution and ending slavery. He took his oath of office very seriously, which is why he concentrated his efforts on limiting the expansion of slavery. But he felt it was evil and wanted it to end.
Lincoln himself stated that the theme of the speech was “The Almighty has His own purposes.” White says at the end of the book, “The separation of church and state in the United States has never meant the separation of religion and politics. In words that surprised his audience, Lincoln brought to his address deep theological thinking and argument. But even as he grounds his argument with Biblical moorings, Lincoln speaks forever against any “God bless America” theology that fails to come to terms with evil and hypocrisy in its own house. While the audience waited to hear words of self-congratulation, Lincoln continued to explain the implications of the judgment of God. He knew that the peril of theological politics is the danger of self-righteousness.”
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is on the Carp 500. You can gain a much deeper understanding of it if you read it in the context of this book.
Because Lincoln never officially joined a church, many (most?) of his biographers have assumed that he wasn’t a Christian. But he attended Presbyterian churches in Springfield and Washington, and that church, in the 19th century, was conservative and Calvinistic. Lincoln read the Bible daily and had large portions of it committed to memory. White never definitively states that Lincoln was a Christian, and he only gives one example of Lincoln referring to Jesus Christ. Still, I found it hard to come to any other conclusion by the time I was done with the book.
Lincoln was challenged throughout his years in the White House with the conflicting priorities of upholding the Constitution and ending slavery. He took his oath of office very seriously, which is why he concentrated his efforts on limiting the expansion of slavery. But he felt it was evil and wanted it to end.
Lincoln himself stated that the theme of the speech was “The Almighty has His own purposes.” White says at the end of the book, “The separation of church and state in the United States has never meant the separation of religion and politics. In words that surprised his audience, Lincoln brought to his address deep theological thinking and argument. But even as he grounds his argument with Biblical moorings, Lincoln speaks forever against any “God bless America” theology that fails to come to terms with evil and hypocrisy in its own house. While the audience waited to hear words of self-congratulation, Lincoln continued to explain the implications of the judgment of God. He knew that the peril of theological politics is the danger of self-righteousness.”
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is on the Carp 500. You can gain a much deeper understanding of it if you read it in the context of this book.
Reviewed by Roger on 2004-03-15 18:14:54