About
William Ellery Channing, born in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780, was an American theologian and a leading figure of Unitarianism. Graduating from Harvard in 1798, he became minister of the Federal Street Church in Boston in 1803, a position he held until his death. His 1819 sermon 'Unitarian Christianity' earned him the title 'apostle of Unitarianism.' He helped found the American Unitarian Association in 1825. Channing spoke out against slavery, war, and poverty, and wrote influential essays on Milton and Napoleon. He died in 1842 in Bennington, Vermont.
Major works
- Unitarian Christianity (1819)sermon
- Slavery (1835)book
- Remarks on the Character and Writings of John Milton (1826)essay
Key milestones
- 1803Becomes minister of the Federal Street Church in Boston.
- 1825Helps found the American Unitarian Association.
- 1900Posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans.
Themes
UnitarianismSocial reformAbolition of slaveryCritique of warReligious liberalism
Sources: britannica.com · anb.org · anb.org