Newell Dwight Hillis

Congregationalist minister Newell Dwight Hillis, ca. 1900

Newell Dwight Hillis (September 2, 1858 – February 25, 1929) was a Congregationalist minister, writer, and philosopher from Brooklyn. He served as pastor of historic Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn, and he oversaw the completion of the last major renovation of the church.^[1]

Controversial views

As a minister in a major metropolis, Hillis railed against immorality, and he told reporters in 1900 that "a common whipping post might be very wholesome for New York today."^[2] Hillis was upset over what he deemed the immoral behavior found in Broadway plays, in particular the play Sapho, which featured English actress Olga Nethersole in the role of Fanny. The offensive scene involved Fanny being carried up a flight of stairs by a man to whom she was not married, with Fanny discussing her excitement onstage about what might await the couple after they reached the top of the stairs.

Hillis also authored a book containing World War I German atrocity stories. Based upon his belief in the veracity of the reports of alleged German inhumanity, he called for the sterilization of Germans.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Our History". Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims. 2008. http://www.plymouthchurch.org/our_history.php. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
2. ^ "The Sapho Affair". PBS. 1999. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/1900/peopleevents/pande30.html. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
3. ^ Hillis, Newell Dwight (1918). The Blot on the Kaiser's 'Scutcheon. p. 22. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/383449/The-Blot-on-the-Kaisers-Scutcheon-by-Hillis-Newell-Dwight. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 

Bibliography

• Hillis, Newell Dwight. The Influence of Christ in Modern Life. New York: MacMillan & Company, 1900.
• Hillis, Newell Dwight. "The Quest of Happiness". New York: The MacMillan Company, 1902.
• Hillis, Newell Dwight. German Atrocities, Their Nature and Philosophy: Studies in Belgium and France. New York: Fleming H. Revell and Company, 1918.
• Hillis, Newell Dwight.The Blot on the Kaiser's 'Scutcheon. New York: Fleming H. Revell and Company, 1918.
• Swing, David and Hillis, Newell Dwight. The Message of David Swing to His Generation: Addresses and Papers. New York: Fleming H. Revell and Company, 1913.
• Hillis, Newell Dwight. " Right Living As A Fine Art". Fleming H Revell Company New York Chicago Toronto,1899.

Persondata
Name	Hillis, Newell Dwight
Alternative names
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Date of birth	1858-09-02
Place of birth
Date of death	1929-02-25
Place of death