Professor Samuel W. Calhoun recently published his article, Abraham Lincoln’s Religion: The Case for His Ultimate Belief in a Personal, Sovereign God, in the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association (2012). Prof. Calhoun co-authored the article with Professor Lucas Morel, the Lewis G. John Term Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University.
While scholars have often debated the specifics of President Abraham Lincoln’s religion, some elements of his religious faith appear “beyond doubt;” that is, specific beliefs have been “verified … at least as far as historical facts can be verified.” Professors Calhoun and Morel assert that another element of Lincoln’s faith should be added to the list: his belief in a personal, sovereign God. They utilize the historical record including Lincoln’s words (both written and spoken), and his actions to come to the conclusion that by the end of his life, he believed in a personal, sovereign God.
