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"The Life of Dwight L. Moody"

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Dwight Moody was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, in 1837. In 1854 he went to Boston and two years later to Chicago, where he kept a residence for the rest of his life. He began as a boot and shoe salesman and joined the Chicago YMCA. He was named president of that chapter in 1866. He had already begun preaching, using a style that won many converts. In 1873 he made an tour of England and Scotland that made him a celebrity. He introduced the dynamic style of American evangelism to them, a style that relied on drama and music to create a mounting air of excitement. Moody's speaking style was plain and direct, and his personal presence convinced his listeners of his integrity. Moody believed in the absolute word of the Bible, unqualified, uninterpreted, and fundamentally, although his personal warmth meant that he never rejected disbelievers personally. That simplicity of belief helped make him a champion of what is now known as religious fundamentalism. When he returned home, he conducted hundreds of revivals between 1875 and 1885. Between 1879 and 1881, he returned to Northfield and established the Northfield Seminary for girls and the Mount Herman School for boys, institutions that continue (although they have combined) to this day.

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