Francis Greenwood Peabody

Born in 1847 and educated at Harvard, he went on to become a longtime professor at Harvard University and a well-known Protestant minister and theologian. He is especially associated with the Social Gospel, a movement that urged Christians to address social problems such as poverty and inequality rather than treating religion as only a private matter.

Across a long academic career, he taught generations of students and wrote widely on ethics, religion, and the responsibilities of modern society. His books and essays helped make complex moral and religious questions feel connected to everyday public life.

He died in 1936, leaving behind a reputation as a thoughtful teacher, reform-minded religious scholar, and important voice in American liberal Protestantism.