William Ellery Channing

William Ellery Channing
Born(1780-04-07)7 April 1780
Died2 October 1842(1842-10-02) (aged 62)
Resting placeMount Auburn Cemetery Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationHarvard University
OccupationUnitarian preacher
Parent(s)William Channing
Lucy Ellery
RelativesWilliam Ellery (grandfather)
William Francis Channing (son)
William Ellery Channing (nephew)
William Henry Channing (nephew)
Signature
Reverend William Ellery Channing by Gilbert Charles Stuart, c. 1815. Oil on canvas. Housed at De Young Museum.

William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was the foremost Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century and, along with Andrews Norton (1786–1853), one of Unitarianism's leading theologians. Channing was known for his articulate and impassioned sermons and public speeches, and as a prominent thinker in the liberal theology of the day. His religion and thought were among the chief influences on the New England Transcendentalists although he never countenanced their views, which he saw as extreme. His espousal of the developing philosophy and theology of Unitarianism was displayed especially in his "Baltimore Sermon"[1] of May 5, 1819, given at the ordination of the theologian and educator Jared Sparks (1789–1866) as the first minister of the newly organized First Independent Church of Baltimore.

  1. ^ "William Ellery Channing 1819 Speech". Unitarian Christianity. Retrieved 25 July 2023.