author
Henry Ware
1794–1843
A leading Unitarian thinker of early 19th-century America, he wrote sermons, hymns, and religious essays shaped by a warm, practical faith. He also taught at Harvard Divinity School and influenced young ministers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson.
1 Audiobook
Hints on extemporaneous preaching
by Henry Ware
About the author
Born in Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1794, Henry Ware Jr. grew up in a family deeply connected to New England religious life. He graduated from Harvard and went on to become a Unitarian minister, serving Boston's Second Church before joining the faculty of Harvard Divinity School.
Ware was known less for controversy than for clarity, kindness, and moral seriousness. His writing ranged from sermons and theological works to hymns and devotional verse, and his books helped express a form of Christianity that valued reason, character, and inward piety.
He died in 1843, but his influence lasted through both his published work and his teaching. Readers who come to him now often find a gentle, thoughtful voice: earnest without being severe, and deeply interested in how faith should shape everyday life.