Is The Young Man Absalom Safe? A Sermon Preached in The Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Stoke Bishop, on Sunday, July 19th, 1885

Is The Young Man Absalom Safe? by David Wright is a compelling 1885 sermon that confronts the tenderness and tension of a biblical question with Victorian pastoral clarity. Delivered at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Stoke Bishop, Wright’s sermon meditates on 2 Samuel xviii.29—“Is the young man Absalom safe?”—using the Old Testament story to explore human sympathy, fidelity of scripture, and the enduring pastoral concerns of grief, loyalty, and moral responsibility. Wright, a M.A. and vicar steeped in the religious life of late 19th-century England, situates his reflections in the wider context of Victorian sermon culture, emphasizing how biblical narratives reveal unvarnished human nature and invite compassionate response. The sermon balances careful exegesis with accessible homiletic insight, illustrating how ancient texts speak to contemporary ethical and spiritual dilemmas. Ideal for listeners drawn to Religion audiobooks, Victorian religious history, or thoughtful biblical interpretation, this recording will appeal to clergy, theology students, and anyone curious about how a 19th-century pulpit approached scripture, sympathy, and pastoral care without losing theological depth or human warmth.