John Henry Barrows
| John Henry Barrows | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 5th President of Oberlin College | |
|
In office 1899 – July 3, 1902 |
|
| Preceded by | William Gay Ballantine |
| Succeeded by | Henry Churchill King |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 1, 1847 Medina Township, Michigan |
| Died | July 3, 1902 (aged 55) Oberlin, Ohio |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Eleanor |
| Residence | Oberlin, Ohio |
| Alma mater |
Olivet College (BA, 1867) Yale Divinity School (1867–1868) Union Theological Seminary (1868–1869) Andover Theological Seminary (1875) |
| Profession | clergyman, author |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Rev. Dr. John Henry Barrows (1847–1902) was an American clergyman of First Presbyterian Church and Chairman of the 1893 General Committee on the Congress of Religions (later to be known as the World's Parliament of Religions). He was the one who claimed that Abraham Lincoln had become a Christian in 1863.
Barrows is best known for organizing and leading World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago by bringing together renowned persons of different religious backgrounds from all over the world to increase interest in the studies of religions, clarify the misconceptions about varying religious traditions, and seemingly to show the supremacy of one religion over another. He is more credited for introducing a new concept of "tolerance" and "understanding" between all nations and religions through Parliament of Religions for Americans.
He authored several books and notably two volumes of The World's Parliament of Religions: An Illustrated and Popular Story of the World's First Parliament of Religions, Held in Chicago in Connection with the Columbian Exposition of 1893. The Department on the Study of Islam at the University of Chicago Divinity School is named after him.
Barrows was born in Medina Township, Michigan on July 11, 1847, to John Manning and Catherine Moore Barrows.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Olivet College in 1867. He received his theological training from Yale Divinity School and Union Theological Seminary during 1867–1868 and 1868–1869 respectively. He became the member of Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims and was a student of pulpit oratory of Henry Ward Beecher, while at Union Theological Seminary.
...
Wikipedia