Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President

By Allen C. Guelzo

Book Overview

An enlightening "intellectual biography" of Lincoln, Allen Guelzo's peerless account of America's most celebrated president explores the role of ideas in Lincoln's life, treating him as a serious thinker deeply involved in the nineteenth-century debates over politics, religion, and culture. Written with passion and dramatic impact, Guelzo's masterful study offers a revealing new perspective on a man whose life was in many ways a paradox.

Since its original publication in 1999, Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President has garnered numerous accolades, not least the prestigious 2000 Lincoln Prize. As journalist Richard N. Ostling has noted, "Much has been written about Lincoln's belief and disbelief," but Guelzo's extraordinary account "goes deeper."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802842933
• ISBN13: 9780802842930
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 1.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

An Important Book in Lincoln Studies

Thousands of books have been written about Abraham Lincoln. These books have ranged from general biographies, multi-volume biographies, examinations of his political career, his presidency, and his views on slavery. Allen Guelzo, in this excellent book, gives us an ideological look at the 16th president. Most historians have ignored Lincoln as a philosophical thinker and Guelzo tries to open up this aspect of Lincoln's character and thought. Examining Lincoln's moral and religious beliefs and how they evolved, Guelzo portrays Lincoln, not as a religious skeptic or as a Christian Redeemer as other biographers have, but as a seeker. Throughout his life, according to Guelzo, Lincoln is looking for a religious structure that he can believe in, but never finds one that meets his needs. Lincoln continues to sense a feeling of inadequacy as the beliefs from his predestinarian Calvinist background give him a sense that he was not one of the elect. This predestinarian background also makes Lincoln feel that, in Lincoln's words, "events have controlled me." During the Civil War, it is this sense of inevitability and predetermination that guides Lincoln in many of his anti-slavery and reconstruction policies. Lincoln sees himself as a tool in bringing about God's will, even though he doubts that he will achieve salvation.

Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President

Allen Guelzo has written a masterly and long-overdue intellectual biography of a leader whose political, moral and religious thought shaped and guided our nation at the time of its greatest crisis. Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President traces every important thread in the formation of Lincoln's intellectual development, and sets each in the context of historical events and the main currents of American thought. Guelzo's remarkable and important book should be read by all students of American history, period, and by anyone with any pretension to understand the intellectual history of this country.

Supremely satisfying

I've never written one of these reviews before but having just finished this book I feel compelled to sing its praises. I have also never been a big fan of biographies as a genre, but given this book as an unexpected gift I thought I'd make a go of it.I made the mistake of reading one of the appendices of this book before starting it. This appendix detailed the many prior attempts to put Lincoln's life into one or two volumes and the consequent warping of the details and ideas of his life by these biographers. It was enough to plant a seed of doubt in anyone's mind that justice could be done to Lincoln's life as a biography.But after the introduction to this book, the reader is easily reassured that this is no ordinary biography - it focuses in a very analytical way on the culture and community philosophy of 19th century America and brings the details of Lincoln's life into play only within that context. It never sinks into outright eulogies or worship of Lincoln, but rather takes pains to emphasize his conflicting priorities, and above all his humanity. It is an approach that makes one appreciate Lincoln much more than if he were simply praised for 400 pages.I was infatuated with this book from beginning to end, and am already planning on reading it again.

Intellectual President

Fascinating portrait and analysis of the sixteenth president through the lens of the religious, political, economic and social issues of his day. Though a scholarly work, I found the book to be thoroughly entertaining as well. The book is a unique study of Lincoln that focuses on the development of his religious and political beliefs and how those in turn influenced his character and actions. The author's writing style and choice of vocabulary seemed to me at times a bit peculiar, but in an almost endearing sort of way.