Educated at Harvard University where he graduated at the head of his class, Channing began work as a tutor for a family in Richmond, Virginia. After two years, he returned to Boston and in 1803 became the pastor of the Federal Street Church; a position he would hold for the remainder of his life. Opposed to Calvinism, Channing became the leading light of the Unitarianism movement in America. He was also a leading figure in the development of Transcendentalism, influencing such writers as Emerson. He was a gifted and popular speaker and wrote essays for many Boston periodicals. In 1819, he published Unitarian Christianity, a sermon he had delivered in Baltimore defending his position against Calvinist attacks in the press. Travelling throughout Europe from 1822 to 1823, Channing developed his literary interests which led to his publication of numerous literary criticisms. An early opponent of slavery, Channing published Slavery in 1835. His other writings include Likeness to God (1828), Remarks on Associations (1829), Remarks on National Literature (1830), Self-Culture (1838), The Elevation of the Laboring Classes (1840) and The Duty of the Free States (1842). |
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