On December 23, 1899, front-page headlines announced the death of renowned preacher Dwight Lyman Moody. A century later his legacy endures, not only in publishing and educational institutions that bear his name, but also in the work of his successors in the field of mass evangelism. Now students of North American religious history, pastors, and lay Christians who revere his memory can get to know him through his own words.

In Commending the Faith, church historian Garth Rosell presents a selection of Moody's sermons, prayers, and talks. This volume showcases the qualities that accounted for Moody's mass appeal: his sincerity, humility, enthusiasm, generosity, and clarity of focus. It also shows the quiet power of the heartwarming stories with which he abundantly illustrated his points. Rosell's introduction, specially prepared for this centennial of Moody's death, assesses Moody's historical importance and offers him as an inspiration and a model for Christians today.