author
William Cleaver Wilkinson
1833–1920
A Baptist preacher, teacher, and literary critic, he wrote with the aim of making poetry, scripture, and classic literature lively and approachable. His books range from religious studies to literary appreciation, reflecting a career spent in both the pulpit and the classroom.
4 Audiobooks
Classic French Course in English
by William Cleaver Wilkinson
The Epic of Saul
by William Cleaver Wilkinson
The Epic of Paul
by William Cleaver Wilkinson
French Classics
by William Cleaver Wilkinson
About the author
Born in Westford, Vermont, in 1833, William Cleaver Wilkinson was an American Baptist minister, educator, and man of letters. He studied at the University of Rochester and at Rochester Theological Seminary, and went on to build a career that blended preaching, teaching, and writing.
Wilkinson became known as a professor of theology and later of poetry, and he also served in literary education connected with the Chautauqua movement. His work covered a wide range of subjects, including biblical themes, poetry, literary criticism, and classical literature, showing a strong interest in helping general readers engage with serious books.
He died in Chicago in 1920. Today he is remembered less as a single-book author than as a versatile 19th-century writer and lecturer whose career joined religion, education, and literature in an accessible, public-facing way.