Packer’s first chapter “Unitarian beginnings” details the religious, political, and academic context from which transcendentalism emerged. Emerson’s 1841 speech “The Transcendentalist” defines the transcendentalist as one who wants to be loved, in spite of the perception that he is melancholy and sour. Yet it seems the transcendentalists were defined more about what they rejected than what they believed.

Politics at Harvard show the ideological wars between the wealthier, more politically conservative theological liberals, and the theological orthodox who were systematically pushed out of the university.

William Ellery Channing, a liberal preacher, rejected the orthodox Calvinists for the paralyzing fear inherent in their belief system where the focus is on God’s punishment instead of release from sin. Channing inspired his followers, some of who sought to destroy the “Babylon” of perversion they believed Calvinism has become.

The liberals eventually co-opted the derogatory term “Unitarian” given to them by their orthodox rivals. The Unitarians were known for avoiding religious conflict at virtually all costs and embracing diverse Christian views. Unitarianism grew especially among wealthier people in urban areas such as Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia, as they sought to rise above the superstition and ignorance they believed Calvinism perpetuated. Yet as they embraced rationality, they saw no conflict between certain religious truths unknowable by man, such as Christ’s Ascension.

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