author
William Allen Knight
1863–1957
A Congregational minister, lecturer, and storyteller, he wrote fiction and devotional works shaped by his years of travel and religious life. His books often turn toward Bethlehem, the Middle East, and the spiritual meaning of ordinary encounters.
1 Audiobook
The Song of our Syrian Guest
by William Allen Knight
About the author
Born in Missouri in 1863, William Allen Knight became an American clergyman, journalist, lecturer, and author. Reference sources connect him with studies at Hiram College, Oberlin Theological Seminary, and Harvard, and later recognition from Bates College. He died in 1957 at the age of 93.
Knight left behind a wide range of books, including No Room in the Inn, On the Way to Bethlehem, The Song of Our Syrian Guest, and A Bedouin Lover. His work suggests a writer drawn to travel, faith, and vivid settings, especially stories that bring biblical places and people close to everyday readers.
Archival records at the Congregational Library & Archives show that his papers survive, which hints at a life active in both ministry and literary work. Though he is not widely known today, his writing still offers a window into an earlier American religious imagination and a warm, reflective style of storytelling.