Editing Lyman Abbott (section)

===Career===
He was pastor of the Congregational Church in [[Terre Haute, Indiana]], from 1860 to 1865 and of the [[New England]] Church in New York City in 1865–1869.<ref name="BDA1906" />  From 1865 to 1868 he was secretary of the [[American Union Commission]] (later called the American Freedmen's and Union Commission).<ref name="BDA1906" />  In 1869 he resigned his pastorate to devote himself to literature.

[[File:Booker Washington and some of his distinguished guests LCCN2004679030.jpg|thumb|With [[Booker Washington]] and other dignitaries]]
Abbott worked variously in the publishing profession as an associate editor of ''[[Harper's Magazine]]'', and was the founder of a publication called the ''Illustrated Christian Weekly,''<ref name=WWNY>Lewis Randolph Hamersly (ed.), ''Who's Who in New York: A Biographical Dictionary of Prominent Citizens of New York City and State.'' Seventh Edition, 1917–1918. New York: Who's Who Publications, 1918; pg. 2.</ref> which he edited for six years. He was also the co-editor of ''The Christian Union'' with [[Henry Ward Beecher]] from 1876 to 1881. Abbott later succeeded Beecher in 1888 as pastor of [[Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims|Plymouth Church]], Brooklyn. He also wrote the official biography of Beecher and edited his papers.<ref name="DCB" />

From 1881 Abbott was editor-in-chief of ''The Christian Union'', renamed ''[[The Outlook (New York)|The Outlook]]'' in 1891;<ref name="BDA1906" /> this periodical reflected his efforts toward social reform, and, in theology, a liberality, humanitarianism and nearly [[Christian Unitarianism|unitarian]].  The latter characteristics marked his published works also.

Abbott's opinions differed from those of Beecher. Abbott was a constant advocate of [[Industrial Democracy]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76626904/lyman-abbott-fears-worse-than-hearst/ |title=Lyman Abbott Fears Worse Than Hearst; Says Leaders to Industrial Democracy Are Needed. Appreciates the President: Striking Address Made at the Fourth Annual Dinner of the Maine Society |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=4 |date=1906-11-16 |access-date=2021-04-27 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429173233/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76626904/lyman-abbott-fears-worse-than-hearst/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and was an advocate of [[Theodore Roosevelt]]'s [[Progressivism in the United States|progressivism]] for almost 20 years. He later adopted a pronouncedly liberal theology. 

He was a pronounced Christian [[Evolution]]ist.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76627221/lyman-abbotts-sermon/ |title=Lyman Abbott's sermon; the last in "The Theology of an Evolutionist" series. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=2 |date=May 4, 1896 |access-date=2021-04-27 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=April 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430094123/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/76627221/lyman-abbotts-sermon/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In two of his books, ''The Evolution of Christianity'' and ''The Theology of an Evolutionist'' (1897), Abbott applied the concept of [[evolution]] in a Christian theological perspective. Although he objected to being called an advocate of [[Darwinism]], he was an optimistic advocate of evolution, once saying "what Jesus saw, humanity is becoming."

Abbott was a religious figure of some public note and was called upon on October 30, 1897, to deliver an address in New York at the funeral of economist, [[Henry George]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cooperative-individualism.org/georgists_unitedstates-aa-al.html |title=A Biographical History of the Georgist Movement |publisher=The School of Cooperative Individualism |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205030233/http://cooperative-individualism.org/georgists_unitedstates-aa-al.html |archive-date=2016-02-05 |url-status=dead |access-date=2021-04-27}}</ref> He ultimately resigned his pastorate in November 1898.<ref name=WWNY />

His son, [[Lawrence Fraser Abbott]], accompanied [[Theodore Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]] on a tour of Europe and Africa (1909–10).  In 1913 Lyman Abbott was expelled from the [[American Peace Society]] because military preparedness was vigorously advocated in ''The Outlook'',<ref>[[New International Encyclopedia]]</ref> which he edited, and because he was a member of the [[Army and Navy League]].  During [[World War I]], he supported the government's war policies.

He received the degree [[D.D.]] from the University of the City of New York in 1879; from Harvard in 1891, from Yale in 1903, and [[LL.D.]] from [[Western Reserve Academy|Western Reserve]] in 1900.<ref name="BDA1906" />