Harry Emerson Fosdick

author

Harry Emerson Fosdick

1878–1969

A prominent Protestant preacher and public theologian, he became one of the best-known liberal religious voices in 20th-century America. His sermons and books reached far beyond the pulpit, speaking to readers interested in faith, doubt, and social change.

2 Audiobooks

The Meaning of Faith

The Meaning of Faith

by Harry Emerson Fosdick

Christianity and Progress

Christianity and Progress

by Harry Emerson Fosdick

About the author

Born in 1878 and ordained as a Baptist minister in 1903, Harry Emerson Fosdick studied at Colgate University, Union Theological Seminary, and Columbia University. He first served in Montclair, New Jersey, and later became nationally known for preaching in New York City.

Fosdick was a leading figure in liberal Protestantism and gained wide attention during the fundamentalist-modernist controversies of the 1920s. He is especially remembered for the sermon "Shall the Fundamentalists Win?" and for his long ministry at Riverside Church, where his preaching reached a large national audience through print and radio.

Alongside his work in the pulpit, he wrote many books and devotional works, including the hymn "God of Grace and God of Glory." He died in 1969, leaving a legacy as a thoughtful, accessible religious writer who tried to connect Christian faith with modern life.