William Ellery Channing

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William Ellery Channing

William Ellery Channing (born April 7, 1780 in Newport , Rhode Island , USA , † October 2, 1842 in Old Bennington , Vermont ) was an American clergyman and writer. He became known as the "apostle of Unitarianism ". Channing was known for his passionate preaching and public speaking. He embodied the liberal theology of his time. Channing's religious attitudes and thoughts shaped transcendentalism in New England , although it did not belong to this movement.

Life

He first studied theology at Newport and graduated from Harvard in 1798 . He then worked as a tutor in Richmond. The radicalism of the French Revolution worried him as much as orthodox American Calvinism. He rejected the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and eternal damnation. His religious worldview was shaped by a forgiving God.

In 1803 Channing became a minister at Federal Street Church, Boston, where he stayed for the rest of his life. In 1809 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . He was considered a recognized spokesman for Unitarianism since he had given the ordination sermon for Jared Sparks in Baltimore in 1819 . Under the title " Unitarian Christianity ", he summarized the essential beliefs of the Unitarians in this speech: the rejection of the Trinity , the belief in the good in human beings, and the demand to interpret the Bible according to reason. In another well-known speech, " Likeness to God ", Channing stated a few years later that humans have the potential to perfect themselves ethically to the point where they can become like God. The established Calvinism then accused him of heresy .

In his later years, Channing preached against slavery but never explicitly called for it to be abolished. Although he always held moderate positions himself, his oratorical talent and his great influence on religious and social life in New England attracted the dislike of some conservatives. The dispute about the direction that broke out within the Unitarian Church, which caused Ralph Waldo Emerson and George Ripley to resign from their spiritual office or to distance themselves from the Church, could not be settled by Channing. Channing was known beyond the borders of New England. In Europe, his work spread not only in England and France, but also through Bunsen in Germany.

Two of his nephews were prominent transcendentalists: William Ellery Channing (1818–1901), commonly known as Ellery Channing, was the son of his brother Walter Channing (1786–1876). William Henry Channing was the son of his brother, Francis Dana Channing.

Selected Works

  • The Christian Examiner of Remarks on the Character and Writings of John Milton. 1826.
  • Analysis of the character of Napoleon Bonaparte. 1827–1828, was published in Leipzig by Karl Heinrich Hermes under the title Napoleon, his character and his time in 1831.
  • Essay on the Character and Writings of Fénelon. 1829.
  • The works. With an introduction. New and compl. ed., rearranged to which is added the perfect life, American Unitarian Assoc., Boston 1899 (V, 1060 pp.).

literature

Web links

Commons : William Ellery Channing  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Channing, William Ellery . In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon . 4th edition. Volume 3, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1885–1892, pp. 937–938.
personal data
SURNAME Channing, William Ellery
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American clergyman and writer
DATE OF BIRTH April 7, 1780
PLACE OF BIRTH Newport (Rhode Island)
DATE OF DEATH October 2, 1842
Place of death Bennington (Vermont)