In 2023 the Southern Illinois University Press published my book Abraham Lincoln and the Bible: A Complete Compendium. In this book I tabulate every instance Lincoln quoted or alluded to scripture in the five thousand pages of the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (9 volumes plus supplement, Roy P. Basler, ed.).

Over the course of reviewing and analyzing the writings that span from the Calvinist roots of his youth through his mature faith as president, I found that he quoted or alluded to the Bible over two hundred times.

Abraham Lincoln and the Bible is already on the shelves of over one hundred university libraries worldwide. What are scholars and reviewers saying about it? Is it a trustworthy assessment of Lincoln’s Biblical faith? What did Lincoln learn from the Bible? How did it affect his leadership? My book digs deep into all of these subjects.

Brief comments from respected Lincoln historians such as Mark Noll, Michael Burlingame, Richard Carwardine and Jonathan White give us a quick picture:

• Mark Noll: “By narrating Lincoln’s life with a focus on how he quoted the Bible—also when and under what circumstances—Leidner makes a vital contribution to never ending debates over the character of Lincoln’s faith. The book excels for its specificity and its detail, but also for its caution.”
• Michael Burlingame: “Gordon Leidner’s exceptionally thorough, careful analysis of the sixteenth president’s many biblical references, both direct and indirect, shows how profoundly affected Abraham Lincoln was by scripture and how that helped make him such a successful political leader. This book is a most welcome contribution to the Lincoln literature.”
• Richard Carwardine: “Through his painstaking scrutiny of Lincoln’s spoken and written words, Gordon Leidner has produced a unique documentary record of Lincoln’s use of the Bible. Identifying almost two hundred biblical allusions, including many previously overlooked, he presents a political leader whose language during a time of acute political crisis derived particular moral power from being saturated with the scriptures.”
• Jonathan W. White: “Gordon Leidner has written a fascinating account of Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with the Bible. By revealing Lincoln’s personal interactions with the scriptures, Leidner shows the many ways that the Bible influenced and inspired Lincoln’s thinking. Even readers who have been studying Lincoln for years will find new insights in this deeply researched and well-crafted biography.”

For in-depth reviews and academic articles that critique Abraham Lincoln and the Bible, see the following:

From well-known Lincoln historian Allen C. Guelzo:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/church-history/article/abs/abraham-lincoln-and-the-bible-a-complete-compendium-by-gordon-leidner-carbondale-il-southern-illinois-university-press-2023-245-pp-2795-paper/FC968123EC29B02FAFCC550C5C63B705

From the respected Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association:

Iverson, Ian T., (2024) “Abraham Lincoln and the Bible: A Complete Compendium, by Gordon Leidner,” The Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, Vol 45(1):71-76. doi: https://doi.org/10.3998/jala.6751

From the Federalist, online:

Krause, Paul. https://thefederalist.com/2024/02/19/in-the-bible-abraham-lincoln-found-the-antidote-to-slavery-despair-and-death/

From Christianity Today, online magazine:

McKenzie, Robert T. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/july-web-only/abraham-lincoln-evangelical-gordon-leidner-joshua-zeitz.html

The publisher, Southern Illinois University provides this short video presentation:

https://www.tiktok.com/@siupress/video/7236130535750405422