Thomas De Witt Talmage
Encyclopedia
Reverend Dr. Thomas De Witt Talmage (7 January 1832 – 12 April 1902) was a preacher
, clergyman and divine in the United States
who held pastorates in the Reformed Church in America
and Presbyterian Church. He was one of the most prominent religious leaders in the United States during the mid- to late-19th century, equaled as a pulpit orator perhaps only by Henry Ward Beecher
. He also preached to crowds in England. During the 1860s and 70s, Talmage was a well-known reformer in New York City and often involved in crusades against vice and crime.
During the last years of his life, Dr. Talmage ceased preaching and devoted himself to editing, writing, and lecturing. At different periods he was editor of the Christian at Work (1873–76), New York; the Advance (1877–79), Chicago; Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine (1879–89), New York; and the Christian Herald (1890–1902), New York. For years his sermons were published regularly in more than 3,000 journals, through which he was said to reach 25,000,000 readers.
on January 7, 1832. His actual location of birth was in what is now Franklin Township and he was a memeber of the Reformed Church of Bound Brook (located on Main Street South Bound Brook). His ancestors included some of the earliest Dutch families who settled in New York. His father's ancestors came from Barton Stacy, England, and included founders of South Hampton
and East Hampton, New York
.
Talmage earned an undergraduate degree at the University of the City of New York (now New York University
.) Following his graduation in 1853, Talmage studied law for a time before deciding on entering the ministry. He studied theology
at the Reformed Dutch Theological Seminary
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
.
Four of his brothers also entered the ministry, all of them earning the title Doctor of Divinity. John Van Nest Talmage
was a missionary
in China
, while his brothers James and Goyn Talmage became noted preacher
s in their own right. The fifth brother Daniel Talmage was a successful merchant
.
once he graduated in 1856. He spent two years at a pastorate in Syracuse, New York
before moving in 1862 to Philadelphia to become the pastor
for the Second Reformed Dutch Church. (In 1867 the denomination
changed its name to the Reformed Church in America
.) It was here that Talmage began to establish a reputation as a gifted orator and preacher. He also served as a chaplain
for the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
in Philadelphia on June 7, 1861.
In May 1863, Talmage married Susan Whittemore of Greenpoint, New York, a neighborhood of Brooklyn. They had five children together. Upon Susan's death after 32 years of marriage, Talmage inherited most of her estate, estimated at $200,000.
In January 1898, about three years after his wife died, Talmage married a third time, to 40-year-old Eleanor Collier of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. Collier was a wealthy young widow, having been married to the late Judge Charles W. Collier. She was 27 years younger than Talmage.
Once settled in Brooklyn, Talmage continued his dramatic services with even greater success than before. An example of one of his colorful performances was reported by a newspaper of the era:
Attending Talmage's sermons became one of the most popular religious experiences of the era. In 1870, the congregation built a tabernacle
solely to accommodate the large crowds who attended his church services. The building was built over an old church structure then being used as a Sunday School. The demand for his sermons helped with the raising of funds, and construction was completed in only three months. Although the tabernacle had been built to seat large crowds, seating was free of charge and hundreds were turned away every Sunday.
The original tabernacle was destroyed in a fire in December 1872, then regarded as one of the worst in Brooklyn's history. Talmage and his congregation met at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
until they built a newer and larger tabernacle in 1874. The building featured semicircular seating to provide an unobstructed view. Talmage continued to preach with great success for several more years. When the second tabernacle was destroyed in a fire in 1889, the congregation became convinced there was "a fatality about the location." They built a third tabernacle at a new location at Clinton Avenue and Greene Avenue, rather than in Schemerhorn Street. After the third tabernacle was destroyed by a fire in 1894, a discouraged Talmage announced his decision to retire from holding a regular pastorate in favor of taking up an evangelist
practice.
for four years. Although he continued to attract large crowds, they did not express the same enthusiasm as that of his Philadelphia or Brooklyn congregations. This may have been due to the more conservative attitudes of Washington residents. Increasingly interested in writing about religion, Talmage resigned on March 9, 1899. His writings, published in magazines and newspapers, were estimated to have reached millions of readers.
His sermons were regularly printed in newspapers across the country. The performance aspect was lost in print, however. In addition, tastes were changing. Talmage's popularity began to wane after his resignation from the pastorate in 1899.
. By the time he returned to Washington, he had become seriously ill. His condition was not considered life threatening until the first week of April. The immediate cause of death on April 12 was inflammation
of the brain.
Three days later, his body was brought to the Church of the Covenant, where a quiet funeral service was held. Those who assisted included Dr. Teunis S. Hamlin of the Church of the Covenant; Dr. Thomas Chalmers of the Eastern Presbyterian Church of Washington; St. Louis preacher and lifelong friend Dr. Samuel J. Nicols; and former classmates Dr. E.P. Terhune, Dr. Howard Suydam and Dr. James Demarest. His death received international attention, and condolence messages were sent to the family from England, Russia
and other countries. Talmage was buried in the family plot at Green-Wood Cemetery
in Brooklyn.
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
, clergyman and divine in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who held pastorates in the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
and Presbyterian Church. He was one of the most prominent religious leaders in the United States during the mid- to late-19th century, equaled as a pulpit orator perhaps only by Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century...
. He also preached to crowds in England. During the 1860s and 70s, Talmage was a well-known reformer in New York City and often involved in crusades against vice and crime.
During the last years of his life, Dr. Talmage ceased preaching and devoted himself to editing, writing, and lecturing. At different periods he was editor of the Christian at Work (1873–76), New York; the Advance (1877–79), Chicago; Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine (1879–89), New York; and the Christian Herald (1890–1902), New York. For years his sermons were published regularly in more than 3,000 journals, through which he was said to reach 25,000,000 readers.
Early life and education
T. De Witt Talmage was born in Bound Brook, New JerseyBound Brook, New Jersey
Bound Brook is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. At the United States 2010 Census, the population was 10,402.Bound Brook was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 24, 1869, within portions of Bridgewater Township...
on January 7, 1832. His actual location of birth was in what is now Franklin Township and he was a memeber of the Reformed Church of Bound Brook (located on Main Street South Bound Brook). His ancestors included some of the earliest Dutch families who settled in New York. His father's ancestors came from Barton Stacy, England, and included founders of South Hampton
South Hampton
South Hampton may refer to:* South Hampton, New Hampshire, USA* South Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA...
and East Hampton, New York
East Hampton (town), New York
The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
.
Talmage earned an undergraduate degree at the University of the City of New York (now New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.) Following his graduation in 1853, Talmage studied law for a time before deciding on entering the ministry. He studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at the Reformed Dutch Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary
New Brunswick Theological Seminary is a professional and graduate school founded in 1784, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to educate ministers for the congregations of the Reformed Church in America...
in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
.
Four of his brothers also entered the ministry, all of them earning the title Doctor of Divinity. John Van Nest Talmage
John Van Nest Talmage
John Van Nest Talmage , was a Protestant Christian missionary to Amoy, China. He was sent by the Reformed Church in America from 1847 to 1890.-Biography:...
was a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, while his brothers James and Goyn Talmage became noted preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
s in their own right. The fifth brother Daniel Talmage was a successful merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
.
Pastoral career
Talmage began preaching in Belleville, New JerseyBelleville, New Jersey
Belleville is a Township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 35,926.-History:...
once he graduated in 1856. He spent two years at a pastorate in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
before moving in 1862 to Philadelphia to become the pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
for the Second Reformed Dutch Church. (In 1867 the denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
changed its name to the Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
.) It was here that Talmage began to establish a reputation as a gifted orator and preacher. He also served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Philadelphia and the Reformed Dutch Church
Under his guidance, the church grew from a minor congregation to one of the most powerful and influential institutions in the city. Talmage began attracting large crowds almost from the time of his arrival. Despite his being called a "pulpit clown" and "mountebank" for his sensational sermons, Talmage attracted a growing audience. The church could no longer seat everyone who attended. Larger and wealthier congregations began to recruit him and in 1869, Talmage accepted an offer from the Central Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, New York.Marriage and family
His first wife, Mary R. Avery, was from Brooklyn. They had two children together before she drowned in the Schuylkill RiverSchuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
in Philadelphia on June 7, 1861.
In May 1863, Talmage married Susan Whittemore of Greenpoint, New York, a neighborhood of Brooklyn. They had five children together. Upon Susan's death after 32 years of marriage, Talmage inherited most of her estate, estimated at $200,000.
In January 1898, about three years after his wife died, Talmage married a third time, to 40-year-old Eleanor Collier of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. Collier was a wealthy young widow, having been married to the late Judge Charles W. Collier. She was 27 years younger than Talmage.
Brooklyn and the Central Presbyterian Church
Attending Talmage's sermons became one of the most popular religious experiences of the era. In 1870, the congregation built a tabernacle
Tabernacle (disambiguation)
The Tabernacle most commonly refers to the Jewish Tabernacle , which was a movable tent and worship facility used by the Israelites for the worship of Yahweh as recorded in the Book of Exodus...
solely to accommodate the large crowds who attended his church services. The building was built over an old church structure then being used as a Sunday School. The demand for his sermons helped with the raising of funds, and construction was completed in only three months. Although the tabernacle had been built to seat large crowds, seating was free of charge and hundreds were turned away every Sunday.
The original tabernacle was destroyed in a fire in December 1872, then regarded as one of the worst in Brooklyn's history. Talmage and his congregation met at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music
Brooklyn Academy of Music is a major performing arts venue in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, United States, known as a center for progressive and avant garde performance....
until they built a newer and larger tabernacle in 1874. The building featured semicircular seating to provide an unobstructed view. Talmage continued to preach with great success for several more years. When the second tabernacle was destroyed in a fire in 1889, the congregation became convinced there was "a fatality about the location." They built a third tabernacle at a new location at Clinton Avenue and Greene Avenue, rather than in Schemerhorn Street. After the third tabernacle was destroyed by a fire in 1894, a discouraged Talmage announced his decision to retire from holding a regular pastorate in favor of taking up an evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
practice.
Later years
Talmage changed his mind to accept an offer to join the First Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. He was the associate pastor with Dr. Byron SunderlandByron Sunderland
Byron Sunderland was an American Presbyterian minister and served as a Chaplain of the United States Senate during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
for four years. Although he continued to attract large crowds, they did not express the same enthusiasm as that of his Philadelphia or Brooklyn congregations. This may have been due to the more conservative attitudes of Washington residents. Increasingly interested in writing about religion, Talmage resigned on March 9, 1899. His writings, published in magazines and newspapers, were estimated to have reached millions of readers.
His sermons were regularly printed in newspapers across the country. The performance aspect was lost in print, however. In addition, tastes were changing. Talmage's popularity began to wane after his resignation from the pastorate in 1899.
Death
In early 1902, Talmage vacationed in Mexico for six weeks to recover from influenzaInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. By the time he returned to Washington, he had become seriously ill. His condition was not considered life threatening until the first week of April. The immediate cause of death on April 12 was inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the brain.
Three days later, his body was brought to the Church of the Covenant, where a quiet funeral service was held. Those who assisted included Dr. Teunis S. Hamlin of the Church of the Covenant; Dr. Thomas Chalmers of the Eastern Presbyterian Church of Washington; St. Louis preacher and lifelong friend Dr. Samuel J. Nicols; and former classmates Dr. E.P. Terhune, Dr. Howard Suydam and Dr. James Demarest. His death received international attention, and condolence messages were sent to the family from England, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and other countries. Talmage was buried in the family plot at Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
in Brooklyn.
External links
, contains two speeches by Talmage.- Talmage on Miracles, recited by Len Spencer, Cylinder Preservation and Digitization ProjectCylinder Preservation and Digitization ProjectThe Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project is a free digital collection maintained by the University of California, Santa Barbara Libraries with streaming and downloadable versions of over 10,000 phonograph cylinders manufactured between 1893 and the mid 1920s.- History :The project began...
, University of California, Santa Barbara Library.