Orville Dewey

Orville Dewey (1794–1882) was an American Unitarian minister and theologian whose liberal religious thought exemplified the nineteenth-century shift away from Calvinist orthodoxy toward rational Christianity. A prominent voice in the American transcendentalist movement, Dewey articulated a humanistic theology that emphasized moral perfectibility and the dignity of human reason, as evidenced in works such as *The Claims of Puritanism*, which critically examined the legacy of Puritan doctrine in American religious life. His prolific writings and pulpit ministry significantly influenced the development of American religious liberalism during the antebellum period.