William Ellery Channing was a prominent Unitarian clergyman in the early 19th century United States. He studied at Harvard and became a successful preacher, adopting liberal Unitarian views. Channing influenced New England Transcendentalism with his rejection of Calvinism in favor of a gentle relationship with God. He remained a moderate who opposed extremes from both liberals and conservatives. Channing addressed issues like slavery and poverty, becoming one of the most influential clergymen of his time.

2. William Ellery Channing
(April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842)
William Ellery Channing was the foremost Unitarian preacher and
clergyman in the United States in the early nineteenth century
He was known for his articulate and impassioned sermons and public
speeches, and as a prominent thinker in the liberal theology of the
day
Channing's religion and thought were among the chief influences on
the New England Transcendentalists, though he never countenanced
their views, which he saw as extreme

3. Biography
• He studied theology at Harvard University and became a successful preacher.
From 1803 until his death he was pastor of Boston's Federal Street Church
• He began his career as a Congregationalist but gradually adopted liberal and
rationalist views that came to be labeled Unitarian
• In 1820 he established a conference of liberal Congregationalist clergy, later
reorganized as the American Unitarian Association known as the apostle of
Unitarianism
• He also became a leading figure in New England Transcendentalism, and his
lectures and essays on slavery, war, and poverty made him one of the most
influential clergymen of his day

4. Views and Beliefs
In opposition to traditional American Calvinist orthodoxy, Channing
preferred a gentle, loving relationship with God.
He opposed Calvinism for
… proclaiming a God who is to be dreaded. We are told to
love and imitate God, but also that God does things we
would consider most cruel in any human parent, "were
he to bring his children into life totally depraved and
then to pursue them with endless punishment"
(Channing 1957: 56)

5. Views and Beliefs (Cont.)
In 1803 Channing was called as pastor of the Federal Street Church
in Boston, where he remained for the rest of his life.
He lived through the increasing tension between religious liberals and
conservatives and took a moderate position, rejecting the extremes of
both groups
In 1815, Channing engaged in a noted controversy on Unitarianism
with Samuel Worcester. A review, attributed to Jeremiah Evarts, had
been published in the The Panoplist in June 1815 of a pamphlet on
American Unitarianism
Channing objected to the way Unitarians in the United States were
portrayed in the review

6. Cont…
In later years Channing addressed the topic of slavery, although he was never an
ardent abolitionist. He held a common American belief about the inferiority of African
slaves and held a belief that once freed, Africans would need overseers.
He often chose to remain separate from organizations and reform movements. This middle
position characterized his attitude about most questions, although his eloquence and strong
influence on the religious world incurred the enmity of many extremists. Channing had an
enormous influence over the religious (and social) life of New England, and America, in the
nineteenth century.
Towards the end of his life Channing embraced immediate abolitionism. His evolving view
of abolitionism was fostered by the success of British abolition in the British West Indies in
1834 and the lack of the expected social and economic upheaval in the post-emancipated
Caribbean.
Channing wrote extensively about the emerging new national literature of the United States.
He wrote that national literature is "the expression of a nation's mind in writing" and "the
concentration of intellect for the purpose of spreading itself abroad and multiplying its
energy.

7. Movement
Transcendentalism

8. Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism was a
philosophical movement that was
developed in the 1830s and 1840s in
the Eastern region of the United
States as a protest to the general state
of culture and society, and in
particular, the state
of intellectualism at Harvard
University and the doctrine of
the Unitarian church taught
at Harvard Divinity School.

9. Core Beliefs
Core beliefs was the inherent goodness of both people and nature.
Transcendentalists believed that society and its institutions—
particularly organized religion and political parties—ultimately
corrupted the purity of the individual.
They had faith that people are at their best when truly "self-reliant"
and independent. It is only from such real individuals that true
community could be formed.

10. Cont…
Transcendentalists were strong believers in the power of the
individual and divine messages. Their beliefs are closely linked with
those of the Romantics
The movement directly influenced the growing movement of
"Mental Sciences" of the mid-19th century, which would later
become known as the New Thought movement
New Thought considers Emerson its intellectual father. Emma Curtis
Hopkins "the teacher of teachers", Ernest Holmes, founder
of Religious Science, the Fillmores, founders of Unity, and Malinda
Cramer and Nona L. Brooks, the founders of Divine Science, were
all greatly influenced by Transcendentalism

11. Criticism
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a novel, The Blithedale Romance (1852), satirizing the
movement, and based it on his experiences at Brook Farm, a short-lived utopian
community founded on transcendental principles.
Edgar Allan Poe wrote a story, "Never Bet the Devil Your Head", in which he
embedded elements of deep dislike for transcendentalism, calling its followers
"Frogpondians" after the pond on Boston Common.
The narrator ridiculed their writings by calling them "metaphor-run" lapsing into
"mysticism for mysticism's sake" and called it a "disease."

12. Effects on American Culture
The movement directly influenced the growing
movement of "Mental Sciences" of the mid-19th
century, which would later become known as the New
Thought movement
promotes the ideas that Infinite Intelligence, or God, is
everywhere, spirit is the totality of real things, true
human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for
good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right
thinking" has a healing effect

13. Unitarian-Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a theologically liberal
religion characterized by a "free and responsible search
for truth and meaning".
Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they
are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and
by the understanding that an individual's theology is a
result of that search and not a result of obedience to an
authoritarian requirement. Unitarian Universalists draw on
many different theological sources and have a wide range
of beliefs and practices.
Contemporary Unitarian Universalism espouses a pluralist
approach to religious belief, whereby members may
describe themselves
as humanist, agnostic, deist, atheist, pagan, christian, mon
otheist, pantheist, polytheist, or assume no label at all. As
of 2006, fewer than about 20% of Unitarian Universalists
identified themselves as Christian.

14. Beliefs
There is no single unifying belief that all Unitarian Universalists (UUs) hold, aside from
complete and responsible freedom of speech, thought, belief, faith, and disposition.
Unitarian Universalists believe that each person is free to search for his or her own
personal truth on issues, such as the existence, nature, and meaning of
life, deities, creation, and afterlife. UUs can come from any religious background, and hold
beliefs and adhere to morals from a variety of cultures or religions.
Concepts about deity are diverse among UUs. Some are monotheistic. Some have no belief
in any gods (atheism); others believe in many gods (polytheism). Some believe that the
question of the existence of any god is most likely unknowable (agnosticism). Some believe
that God is a metaphor for a transcendent reality.
Some believe in a female god (goddess), an Abrahamic god, or a god identified with nature
or the universe (pantheism). Still others may hold with the Deist notion that a creator God
exists, but does not intervene in the world or reveal itself, and can only be apprehended (if
at all) through the use of reason. Many UUs reject the idea of deities and instead speak of
the "spirit of life" that binds all life on earth. UUs support each person's search for truth
and meaning in concepts of spirituality.

15. Diversity of Practices and Heritages
Unitarian Universalists believe that the divine can be found in all people and in many
faiths. Unitarian Universalists draw inspiration from a variety of other faith traditions.
Many Unitarian Universalist churches celebrate observances associated with other
religious traditions
There is great variety among Unitarian Universalist congregations, with some favoring
particular religious beliefs or forms of worship over others, with many more home to
an eclectic mix of beliefs.
Regardless of their orientation, most congregations are fairly open to differing beliefs,
though not always with various faith traditions represented to the same degree
Both Unitarianism and Universalism were originally Christian denominations, and still
reference Jewish and Christian texts

16. Rituals and Beliefs
Unitarian Universalist worship and ritual are often a combination of
elements derived from other faith traditions alongside original
practices and symbols.
In form, church services might be difficult to distinguish from those
of a Protestant church, but they vary widely among congregations
Transcendentalists were strong believers in the power of the
individual and divine messages.
Their beliefs are closely linked with those of the Romantics.

17. Symbol
The most common symbol of
Unitarian Universalism is the flaming
chalice, often framed by two
overlapping rings that many interpret
as representing Unitarianism and
Universalism
The flaming chalice was initially the
logo of the Unitarian Service
Committee during the Second World
War, The holy oil burning in it is a
symbol of helpfulness and sacrifice.

18. Services of worship
Religious services are usually held on Sundays and most closely resemble the
form and format of Protestant worship in the Reformed tradition Services at a
vast majority of congregations utilize a structure that focuses on a sermon or
presentation by a minister, a lay leader of the congregation, or an invited
speaker.
Sermons may cover a wide range of topics. Since Unitarian Universalists do not
recognize a particular text, inspiration can be found in many different religious
or cultural texts as well as the personal experiences of the minister
The service also includes hymn-singing, accompanied by organ, piano, or other
available instruments, and possibly led by a song leader or choir
Pastoral elements of the service may include a time for sharing Joys and
Sorrows/Concerns, where individuals in the congregation are invited to light a
candle and/or say a few words about important events in their personal lives

19. Contribution to Politics
Historically, Unitarian Universalists have often been active in political causes,
notably the civil rights movement, the gay rights movement, the social justice
movement, and the feminist movement.
On June 29, 1984, the Unitarian Universalists became the first major church "to
approve religious blessings on homosexual unions.“
Unitarian Universalists have been in the forefront of the work to make same-sex
marriages legal in their local states and provinces, as well as on the national level

20. Unitarianism Today in USA
Unitarian Universalist congregations
hold growing appeal throughout the
U.S.
De Lee is one of a growing number of
Unitarian Universalists, a group of
people who believe in organized
religion but are skeptical about
doctrine. The denomination grew
nationally by 15.8% from 2000 to
2010, according to the Association of
Statisticians of American Religious
Bodies.

21. Sources
"Transcendentalism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Mar.
2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2013
"William Ellery Channing." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19
Mar. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2013
"Unitarian Universalism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Mar.
2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2013
"William Ellery Channing." William Ellery Channing. N.p., n.d. Web.
19 Mar. 2013
"Unitarian Faith Growing Nationwide." USA Today. Gannett, n.d.
Web. 19 Mar. 2013