David Atwood Wasson
Encyclopedia
David Atwood Wasson was an American minister and Transcendentalist author, an essayist and poet. He was early influenced by Thomas Carlyle
, an influence he would shed; he is usually regarded as a disciple of Ralph Waldo Emerson
.
for just one year from 1845. After theological training at Bangor Theological Seminary
, he became pastor at Groveland, Massachusetts
, but only briefly after a conflict with his congregation. He then moved to Worcester, Massachusetts
. He lost a position at the Medford Unitarian Church because of his abolitionist views.
He was appointed by the "28th Congregational Society" of Boston
, and succeeded Theodore Parker
, who died in 1860, in 1865. In 1867 he became a founder of the Free Religious Association
.
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
, an influence he would shed; he is usually regarded as a disciple of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
.
Life
He was born in West Brooksville, Maine. He studied at Bowdoin CollegeBowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
for just one year from 1845. After theological training at Bangor Theological Seminary
Bangor Theological Seminary
Located in Bangor, Maine, and Portland, Maine, Bangor Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary, founded in 1814, in the Congregational tradition of the United Church of Christ. It is the only accredited graduate school of religion in Northern New England....
, he became pastor at Groveland, Massachusetts
Groveland, Massachusetts
Groveland, Massachusetts Groveland is a small residential town located in northern Essex County, bordering Boxford, Georgetown, Haverhill, and West Newbury. The town is divided into two precincts, Groveland and South Groveland.-History:...
, but only briefly after a conflict with his congregation. He then moved to Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. He lost a position at the Medford Unitarian Church because of his abolitionist views.
He was appointed by the "28th Congregational Society" of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, and succeeded Theodore Parker
Theodore Parker
Theodore Parker was an American Transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church...
, who died in 1860, in 1865. In 1867 he became a founder of the Free Religious Association
Free Religious Association
The Free Religious Association was formed in 1867 in part by David Atwood Wasson and Reverend William J. Potter. to be, in Potter's words, a "spiritual anti-slavery society" to "emancipate religion from the dogmatic traditions it had been previously bound to." It was opposed not only to organized...
.
Works
- The Radical Creed: A Discourse At The Installation Of Rev. David A. Wasson, As Minister of the Twenty Eighth Congregational Society of Boston, May 7, 1865. Delivered by the Pastor Elect (1865)
- Poems By David Atwood Wasson (1888)
- Beyond Concord; Selected Writings of David Atwood Wasson (1965), edited Charles H. Foster