Theodore Parker (August 24, 1810 - May 10, 1860) was a reforming American minister of the Unitarian church, and a Transcendentalist. He was born in Lexington, Massachusetts, the youngest child in a large farming family, and died in Florence, Italy. August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Reform can refer to: Reform (think tank) Reform, Alabama Reform Judaism Reform movement Reform of an individual, from conditions stemming from crime, drugs, or physical maladies. ... In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder. ... Historic Unitarianism believed in the oneness of God as opposed to traditional Christian belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). ... A church building (or simply church) is a building used in Christian worship. ... ... Minute Man statue on Lexington Green, by H. H. Kitson. ... Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy, on the Arno River, with a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000. ...

According to the Faith and Social Justice web site (linked below under External links), he was a:

Transcendentalist, theologian, scholar, Unitarian minister, abolitionist, and social reformer...Theodore Parker was all of these things and more. A friend of Emerson, a foe of slavery, ...

Theodore Parker

Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. ... A scholar is either a student or someone who has achieved a mastery of some academic discipline. ... Historic Unitarianism believed in the oneness of God as opposed to traditional Christian belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). ... This poster depicting the horrific conditions on slave ships was influential in mobilizing public opinion against slavery in the United Kingdom and the United States. ... Reform movement is a kind of social movement that aims to make a change in certain aspects of the society rather than fundamental changes. ... Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was a famous American essayist and one of Americas most influential thinkers and writers. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... Theodore Parker, American clergyman File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Early life

Most of his family had died by the time he was 27, probably to tuberculosis, and he grew into faith that the soul was immortal, and in a God who would not allow lasting harm to any of his flock. His belief in God's benevolence made him reject Calvinist theology as cruel and unreasonable. Tuberculosis (commonly shortened to TB) is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (Miliary tuberculosis), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ... The word faith has various uses; its central meaning is similar to belief, trust or confidence, but unlike these terms, faith tends to imply a transpersonal rather than interpersonal relationship – with God or a higher power. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... God is the term used to denote the Supreme Being ascribed by monotheistic religions to be the creator, ruler and/or the sum total of, existence. ... Categories: Animal stubs | Animal behaviour | Social psychology ... Calvinism is a system of Christian theology and an approach to Christian life and thought, put forward by the predecessors, associates, followers and admirers of John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer in the 16th century. ...

He thought of a legal career, but his strong faith led him to theology. He certainly spoke Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and German, and claimed to learn a new language every month. His journal and letters show that he had acquaintance with many other languages, including Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopic, as well as the classical and the principal modern European languages. Law (a loanword from Old Norse lagu), in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, intended to provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide punishments of/for those who... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It can also refer to the study of other religious topics. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than 7 million people, mainly in Israel, the West Bank, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... Syriac is an Eastern Aramaic language that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Coptic language is the last phase of the Egyptian languages, and is the direct descendant of the ancient Egyptian language written in the hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic scripts. ... Geez (also spelt Giiz, translitered Gə‘əz, and pronounced ) is an ancient language that developed in the Ethiopian Highlands of the Horn of Africa as the language of the peasantry. ...

In 1834, despite no college degree, Harvard Divinity School gave him advanced standing. A patron helped with tuition. 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States of America. ...

Theological questions

While he started with a strong faith, with time he began to ask questions. He learned of the new field of historical Bible criticism, then growing in Germany, and he came to deny traditional views. Ultimately, he rejected all miracles, and saw the Bible as full of contradictions and mistakes. He retained his faith in God. The word faith has various uses; its central meaning is similar to belief, trust or confidence, but unlike these terms, faith tends to imply a transpersonal rather than interpersonal relationship – with God or a higher power. ... A question is any of several kinds of linguistic expressions normally used by a questioner to request the presentation of information back to the questioner, in the form of an answer, by the audience. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with The Historical-Critical Method. ... The word tradition, comes from the Latin word traditio which means to hand down or to hand over. ... According to many religions, a miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by God in the universe by which the operations of the ordinary course of Nature are overruled, suspended, or modified. ... The Bible (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the classical name for the Hebrew Bible of Judaism or the combination of the Old Testament and New Testament of Christianity (The Bible actually refers to... Broadly speaking, a contradiction is an incompatibility between two or more statements, ideas, or actions. ... Mistake of law and mistake of fact are two types of defense by excuse, via which a defendant may argue that they should not be held criminally liable for breaking the law or liable for damages under a civil law action. ...

According to the Unitarians (below, references),

Parker's ideas were consonant with those of the Transcendentalist movement, which emerged among younger Unitarians in the mid-1830s. Parker attended meetings of the so-called "Transcendentalist Club" and contributed many articles and reviews to the most important Transcendentalist periodical, The Dial (1840-1844). In 1838, he enthusiastically listened to the Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson deliver the Divinity School Address. Its prophetic tone inspired Parker to begin preaching on church and social reform.

... The January 1920 issue of the Dial. ... Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was a famous American essayist and one of Americas most influential thinkers and writers. ... Prophecy, in a broad sense, is the prediction of future events. ...

Controversy and his split with the church

As he denied Biblical miracles, and the authority of the Bible and Jesus, he was attacked. Some felt he was not a Christian. He lost friends. Nearly all the pulpits in Boston area were closed against him. His career looked to be over. Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus the Nazarene (circa 4 BC/BCE – 30 AD/CE), is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ (from Greek Ιησούς Χριστός) with Christ being a title meaning Anointed One or Messiah. Christian viewpoints on Jesus (known as Christology) are... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ...

In January 1845, Parker accepted an invitation from supporters to preach in Boston. His first sermon was that February, and in December 1845, his supporters organized the 28th Congregational Society of Boston. His parishoners included Louisa May Alcott, William Lloyd Garrison, Julia Ward Howe, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. His congregation later grew to 7000. Look up January in Wiktionary, the free dictionary January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: www. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Template:DecemberCalendar2006 December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, best known for the novel Little Women, which she wrote in 1868. ... William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December 12, 1805, - May 24, 1879) was a prominent United States abolitionist, journalist and reformer. ... Julia Ward Howe Julia Ward Howe (May 27, 1819 – October 17, 1910) was a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet. ... Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her daughter Harriot. ...

His church and social mission

His church was called a "free church," and he lost more Unitarian support. His religious views were radical enough, but socially he moved even more left.

He came to support not only temperance, but prison reform, and most controversial of all – he became an abolitionist. One must understand that the American union was then beginning to split over slavery. He wrote the scathing To a Southern Slaveholder in 1848, as the abolition crisis was heating up. Temperance may refer to: Temperance (virtue) Temperance movement Temperance (Tarot card) Temperance (band) See also Astrud Gilberto, for the album Temperance This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Life in prison Prison reform is the steady improvement of conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ... Look up Controversy on Wiktionary, the free dictionary A controversy is a contentious dispute, a disagreement in opinions over which parties are actively arguing. ... This poster depicting the horrific conditions on slave ships was influential in mobilizing public opinion against slavery in the United Kingdom and the United States. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He defied slavery, advocated violating the Fugitive Slave Act (a controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 which required returning escaped slaves to their masters), and began working with fugitive slaves. He believed all had the God-given right to freedom, and while indicted, he was never convicted of violating the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Law or Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slaveholding interests and Northern Free-Soilers and abolitionists. ... Henry Clay takes the floor of the Old Senate Chamber; Millard Fillmore presides as Calhoun and Webster look on. ... Master is a term that indicates a person from stanton). ...

It is well known that he had fugitive slaves in his congregation, and would hide them in his home. It is often told that he would be home, composing his church services, and have a gun sitting on the table and a sword by the table. When he preached, he would lay a gun on the pulpit – just in case any slave-catchers dropped by. There seems no record of his using it. A gun is a mechanical device that fires projectiles at high velocity, using a propellant such as gun powder or compressed air. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Sword (Old English: sweord; akin to Old High German: swerd, wounding tool; Proto-Indo-European: *swer-, to wound, to hurt) is a term for a long-edged, bladed weapon, consisting in its most fundamental design of a blade, usually with two edges for striking... For other uses of Ambo, see Ambo, Ethiopia and ambulance. ...

In 1850, there was a wanted fugitive slave in his congregation, one Ellen Craft. He hid her in his house, until sending her to Canada and freedom, in direct contravention of United States law. During the undeclared war in Kansas (see Bleeding Kansas and Origins of the American Civil War) prior to the actual outbreak of the American Civil War, he supplied money for arms for free state militias. He worked with many escaped slaves. 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom recognized throughout the world. ... An act of war - the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945, effectively ending World War II. The bombs over Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki immediately killed over 120,000 people. ... Official language(s) None Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 15th 82,277 mi²; 213,096 km² 211 mi; 340 km 400 mi; 645 km 0. ... Bleeding Kansas, sometimes referred to in the history of Kansas as Bloody Kansas or the Border War, was a sequence of violent events involving abolitionists (anti-slavery) and pro-slavery elements that took place in Kansas-Nebraska Territory and the western frontier towns of the state of Missouri between roughly... The origins of the American Civil War lay in the complex issues of political party politics, disagreements over the scope of state and federal powers,slavery, expansionism, sectionalism, and of the Antebellum Period. ... The American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought in North America between the United States of America, called the Union and the Confederate States of America, a new nation formed by 11 seceding states. ... The bayonet, still used in war as both knife and spearpoint. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ...

As a member of the Secret Six, he supported the abolitionist John Brown, whom many considered a terrorist, and whose provocations worsened the growing conflict and helped make the Civil War inevitable. He wrote a public letter defending John Brown's actions after his arrest, defending the right of slaves to kill their masters (John Brown's Expedition Reviewed). This article is about the historical Secret Six. ... John Browns Oath Engraving from daguerreotype by Augustus Washington, ca. ... The exact definition of terrorism is highly controversial. ...

Theodore Parker's first gravestone

Image File history File links Theodore Parkers first gravestone. ... Image File history File links Theodore Parkers first gravestone. ...

His last days

In 1859 his bad health forced his retirement. 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ...

He developed tuberculosis, and left for the warm climate of Italy, where he died in Florence on May 10, 1860, less than a year before the Union split. His grave is in the English Cemetery, Florence, the new tombstone replacing the original sculpted by Joel T. Hart. Founded 59 BC as Florentia Region Tuscany Mayor Leonardo Domenici (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  102 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 356,000 almost 500,000 3,453/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 43°47 N 11°15 E www. ... Ancient unreadable gravestones mark the position of graves in the parish churchyard at Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, England A grave is a place where the body of a dead animal, generally human, is buried, often after a funeral. ... The English Cemetery is in Piazzale Donatello, Florence, Italy. ... Joel Tanner Hart (February 10, 1810 - March 2, 1877) was an American sculptor. ...

Final words

He was the first to use the phrase, "of all the people, by all the people, for all the people," which later influenced the Gettysburg Address of Abraham Lincoln. He also predicted the success of the abolitionist cause, in words made famous a century later by Martin Luther King, Jr.: "The arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice." The only known photo of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg (seated, center), taken about noon, just after Lincoln arrived and some three hours before he spoke. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... Martin Luther King, Jr. ...

To the end, the Boston Unitarian leadership opposed him, but younger ministers admired him for his attacks on traditional ideas, his fight for a free faith and pupit, and his very public stances in social issues such as slavery. The Unitarian Universalists now refer to him as

a canonical figure—the model of a prophetic minister in the American Unitarian tradition.[1]

While some thought his ministry a "one man show," it continued after his death, until 1889. 1889 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

External links and references

• Theodore Parker page at the Faith and Social Justice website
• Unitarian Universalists on Theodore Parker
• The Transcendentalists on Theodore Parker
• 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica on Parker
• Columbia Encyclopedia on Parker
• He inspired Lincoln
• The Slave Power A collection of Parker antislavery writings at the Antislavery Literature Project.