Dwight Lyman Moody, also known as D. L. Moody, was a prominent American evangelist, publisher, and educator active during the late nineteenth century. Originally a successful businessman in the boot and shoe industry, Moody chose to abandon his lucrative career to dedicate his life to Christian revivalism. His early ministry included working with Union troops during the American Civil War through the YMCA and the United States Christian Commission.
Following the war, Moody established a major evangelical center in Chicago, which remains active today. He achieved international renown through his dynamic preaching tours across the United States and the British Isles, frequently collaborating with gospel singer Ira Sankey to draw massive crowds. His theological influence was closely connected with Keswickianism, emphasizing practical holiness and faith.
Beyond his preaching, Moody was a prolific founder of enduring institutions. He established the Moody Church, the Moody Bible Institute, and Moody Publishers, as well as the Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts (now merged as the Northfield Mount Hermon School). His legacy persists through these organizations and his widely remembered spiritual maxims.
