author
Phillips Brooks
1835–1893
A celebrated American preacher and author, he brought warmth, imagination, and broad appeal to nineteenth-century Protestant Christianity. He is also remembered as the lyricist of the beloved Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
2 Audiobooks
Addresses by the Right Reverend Phillips Brooks
by Phillips Brooks
Heart's-ease
by Phillips Brooks
About the author
Born in Boston on December 13, 1835, Phillips Brooks studied at Boston Latin School and Harvard University before entering the Episcopal ministry. He served churches in Philadelphia and became rector of Trinity Church, Boston, in 1869, where his eloquent, accessible preaching drew audiences far beyond his own denomination. During the Civil War, he opposed slavery and preached a widely noted sermon after Abraham Lincoln’s death.
Brooks was elected Bishop of Massachusetts in 1891, but his episcopate lasted only fifteen months before his sudden death in Boston on January 23, 1893. Alongside his sermons and lectures, he wrote hymns and carols, including “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” and his published writings helped carry his message of faith and moral encouragement to a wide readership.