Nathan Henry Chamberlain (25 December 1830, Bourne, Massachusetts - 1 April 1901) was a United States clergyman, first a Unitarian, and later an Episcopalian. [lower-alpha 1]
He graduated from Harvard in 1853, and studied theology at the divinity school there, and at Heidelberg, Germany, eventually becoming a Unitarian minister. He was pastor at Canton, Massachusetts, 1857–59, and at Baltimore, Maryland, 1860-63. He then took orders in the Episcopal Church, and became rector at Birmingham, Connecticut, 1864–67; Morrisania, New York, 1868–71; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1871–73; Somerville, Massachusetts, 1874–79; East Boston, Massachusetts, 1882-89. He then retired to devote himself to literary pursuits.
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Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement that believes that the God in Christianity is one entity, as opposed to a Trinity. Most other branches of Christianity define God as one being in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Unitarian Christians, therefore, believe that Jesus was inspired by God in his moral teachings, and he is a savior, but he was not a deity or God incarnate.
William Ellery Channing 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. He espoused, especially in his "Baltimore Sermon" 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, the principles and tenets of the developing philosophy and theology of Unitarianism, leading to the organization in 1825 of the first Unitarian denomination in America and the later developments and mergers between Unitarians and Universalists, resulting finally in the Unitarian Universalist Association of America in 1961.
Edward Everett Hale was an American author, historian, and Unitarian minister, best known for his writings such as "The Man Without a Country", published in Atlantic Monthly, in support of the Union during the Civil War. He was the grand-nephew of Nathan Hale, the American spy during the Revolutionary War.
William Henry Channing was an American Unitarian clergyman, writer and philosopher.
Octavius Brooks Frothingham, was an American clergyman and author.
Minot Judson Savage was an American Unitarian minister, psychical researcher and author.
Nathan Appleton was an American merchant and politician and a member of "The Boston Associates".
Charles Henry Bell was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Exeter, New Hampshire. Bell served New Hampshire in both the New Hampshire House of Representatives and the New Hampshire Senate, as a U.S. Senator, and as governor.
John White Chadwick was an American writer and clergyman of the Unitarian Church.
Field Marshal Sir Neville Bowles Chamberlain was a distinguished British military officer in British India. He served in the Bengal Army and saw action in the First Anglo-Afghan War, Gwalior Campaign, Second Anglo-Sikh War, Indian Rebellion and Second Anglo-Afghan War. He later became Commander-in-chief of the Madras Army.
Samuel Joseph May was an American reformer during the nineteenth century, and championed multiple reform movements including education, women's rights, and abolition of slavery. May argued on behalf of all working people that the rights of humanity were more important than the rights of property, and advocated for minimum wages and legal limitations on the amassing of wealth.
Isaac Parker was a Massachusetts Congressman and jurist, including Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1814 to his death.
Joshua Mason Macomber, A.M., M.D, was a noted educator and a physician from New Salem, Massachusetts, United States.
James Kendall Hosmer was an American (Union) soldier during the American Civil War, a pastor, library director, historian, author and a professor of history and literature. Members of the Hosmer family fought in the French and Indian War, American Revolution and the Civil War. As a pastor of the First Church in Deerfield, Massachusetts he left the ministry, feeling duty bound to join the U.S. Army to serve in the Civil War, insisting to serve at the front, where he participated in several major campaigns. As an author and historian he later wrote and published several works about and involving the Civil War and how he viewed the cause of both the North and South. He also authored a number of other works relating to early American history, along with several novels and a fair number of poems. Hosmer also reviewed and published accounts about the Lewis and Clark expedition at a time when full accounts of the expedition were very few in number and out of print. During his career he corresponded with many prominent writers and historians involving his works. In his latter life he held several prominent positions in various literary associations, including his position as president of the American Library Association.
Arthur Buckminster Fuller was a Unitarian clergyman of the United States.
Allin Congregational Church is a historic United Church of Christ church in Dedham, Massachusetts. Built in 1818 by conservative breakaway members of Dedham's First Church and Parish, the current building was constructed in 1819 in the Greek Revival style.
Alvan Lamson was a minister at First Church and Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts. His ordination led to a split in the church and eventually a lawsuit, Baker v. Fales, that helped disestablish the church and state in Massachusetts.
Benjamin Holloway Bailey (1823–1919) was an American Unitarian minister. At the time of his death, he was "one of [the Unitarian church's] best known and best loved as well as one of its oldest ministers."
The 85th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1864 during the governorship of John Albion Andrew. Jonathan E. Field served as president of the Senate and Alexander Hamilton Bullock served as speaker of the House.
Joshua Young was an abolitionist Congregational Unitarian minister who crossed paths with many famous people of the mid-19th century. He received national publicity, and lost his pulpit (job) for presiding in 1859 over the funeral of John Brown, both the most famous person in the country and the first person executed for treason in the history of the United States. Contrary to his friends' expectations, his reisignation under pressure in Burlington did not ruin his career; the church in Burlington later apologized and invited him back to speak. There is a memorial tablet in the church.