American Unitarian clergyman (1780–1842)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Ellery Channing</span>

William Ellery Channing

<p><b>William Ellery Channing</b> (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was the foremost <a href="/en/Unitarianism" title="Unitarianism" class="wl">Unitarian</a> preacher in the <a href="/en/United_States" title="United States" class="wl">United States</a> in the early nineteenth century and, along with <a href="/en/Andrews_Norton" title="Andrews Norton" class="wl">Andrews Norton</a> (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 <a href="/en/New_England" title="New England" class="wl">New England</a> <a href="/en/Transcendentalist" title="Transcendentalist" class="mw-redirect wl">Transcendentalists</a> although he never countenanced their views, which he saw as extreme. His espousal of the developing philosophy and theology of <a href="/en/Unitarianism" title="Unitarianism" class="wl">Unitarianism</a> was displayed especially in his "Baltimore Sermon"<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-American_Unitarian_Conference_1-0"><a href="#cite_note-American_Unitarian_Conference-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span> of May<span class="nowrap"><span>&nbsp;</span></span>5, 1819, given at the ordination of the theologian and educator <a href="/en/Jared_Sparks" title="Jared Sparks" class="wl">Jared Sparks</a> (1789–1866) as the first minister of the newly organized <a href="/en/First_Unitarian_Church_(Baltimore,_Maryland)" title="First Unitarian Church (Baltimore, Maryland)" class="wl">First Independent Church of Baltimore</a>.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">American Unitarian clergyman (1780–1842)</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: William Ellery Channing, Born, Died, Resting ...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox biography vcard mobile-collapse-element"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size:125%;"><div class="fn" style="display:inline">William Ellery Channing</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size"><a href="/en/File:WilliamElleryChanning.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:WilliamElleryChanning.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/WilliamElleryChanning.jpg/220px-WilliamElleryChanning.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="538" data-file-type="bitmap" height="296" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/WilliamElleryChanning.jpg/330px-WilliamElleryChanning.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/WilliamElleryChanning.jpg 2x" alt="WilliamElleryChanning.jpg"></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Born</th><td class="infobox-data"><span style="display:none">(<span class="bday">1780-04-07</span>)</span>7 April 1780<br><div style="display:inline" class="birthplace"><a href="/en/Newport,_Rhode_Island" title="Newport, Rhode Island" class="wl">Newport, Rhode Island</a>, U.S.</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Died</th><td class="infobox-data">2 October 1842<span style="display:none">(1842-10-02)</span> (aged<span>&nbsp;</span>62)<br><div style="display:inline" class="deathplace"><a href="/en/Old_Bennington,_Vermont" title="Old Bennington, Vermont" class="wl">Old Bennington, Vermont</a>, U.S.</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Resting place</th><td class="infobox-data label"><a href="/en/Mount_Auburn_Cemetery" title="Mount Auburn Cemetery" class="wl">Mount Auburn Cemetery</a> <a href="/en/Cambridge,_Massachusetts" title="Cambridge, Massachusetts" class="wl">Cambridge, Massachusetts</a>, U.S.</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Education</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/Harvard_University" title="Harvard University" class="wl">Harvard University</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Occupation</th><td class="infobox-data role"><a href="/en/Unitarianism" title="Unitarianism" class="wl">Unitarian</a> preacher</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Parent(s)</th><td class="infobox-data">William Channing<br>Lucy Ellery</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Relatives</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/en/William_Ellery" title="William Ellery" class="wl">William Ellery</a> (grandfather)<br><span class="new">William Francis Channing</span> (son)<br><a href="/en/William_Ellery_Channing_(poet)" title="William Ellery Channing (poet)" class="wl">William Ellery Channing</a> (nephew)<br><a href="/en/William_Henry_Channing" title="William Henry Channing" class="wl">William Henry Channing</a> (nephew)</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header">Signature</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><span><a href="/en/File:Appletons'_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Appletons'_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Appletons%27_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg/150px-Appletons%27_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="467" data-file-height="137" data-file-type="bitmap" height="44" width="150" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Appletons%27_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg/225px-Appletons%27_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Appletons%27_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg/300px-Appletons%27_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg 2x" alt="Appletons%27_Channing_William_Ellery_signature.jpg"></a></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>
<figure class="mw-default-size wiki-thumb"><a href="/en/File:Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG/220px-Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG" decoding="async" data-file-width="661" data-file-height="800" data-file-type="bitmap" height="266" width="220" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG/330px-Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG/440px-Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG 2x" alt="Reverend_William_Ellery_Channing_by_Gilbert_Charles_Stuart.JPG"></a><figcaption><i>Reverend William Ellery Channing</i> by Gilbert Charles Stuart, c. 1815. Oil on canvas. Housed at <a href="/en/De_Young_Museum" title="De Young Museum" class="wl">De Young Museum</a>.</figcaption></figure>


William Ellery Channing was the foremost Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century and, along with Andrews Norton , 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" of May 5, 1819, given at the ordination of the theologian and educator Jared Sparks as the first minister of the newly organized First Independent Church of Baltimore. 