No Sorrow Like Our Sorrow: Northern Protestant Ministers and the Assassination of Lincoln

Sermons as historical documents reflect the thoughts, emotions, values, prejudices, and beliefs of their time. “The more popular a preacher, the more likely it is that she or he mirrors the hopes and fears of a significant number of people,” explains David B. Chesebrough in “No Sorrow like Our Sorrow.” His analysis of more than 300 sermons delivered in a seven-week period following Lincoln’s assassination (April 16-June 1, 1865) examines the influence of religious leaders on public opinion ...