Theodore Parker Quotes

A collection of quotes by Theodore Parker.

Theodore Parker was an influential American minister and abolitionist who played a significant role in the fight against slavery in the United States. Born on August 24, 1810, in Lexington, Massachusetts, he grew up in a religious family and developed a passion for social justice from an early age.

Parker graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1836 and began preaching at the Unitarian Church in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. He became known for his liberal theology and progressive views, advocating for reforms such as women's rights, education for all, and the abolition of slavery.

As a prominent figure in the antislavery movement, Parker's sermons and speeches denounced the institution of slavery, and he actively supported fugitive slaves seeking freedom. He played a crucial role in popularizing the phrase "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," famously later quoted by Martin Luther King Jr.

Parker's commitment to social justice extended beyond the pulpit. He was a founding member of the Free Soil Party, a political organization opposed to the expansion of slavery into newly admitted states. He also contributed to theological and philosophical writings, including his notable work, "A Discourse on Matters Pertaining to Religion."

Theodore Parker's dedication to equality and justice made a lasting impact on American history. His strong abolitionist stance and progressive beliefs inspired generations to fight for civil rights and social reform. He died on May 10, 1860, but his legacy lived on through the abolitionist movement and the wider struggle for equal rights.

It is very sad for a man to make himself servant to a single

It is very sad for a man to make himself servant to a single thing; his manhood all taken out of him by the hydraulic pressure of excessive business.

Theodore Parker

The books that help you most are those which make you think

The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.

Theodore Parker

Truth stood on one side and Ease on the other; it has often

Truth stood on one side and Ease on the other; it has often been so.

Theodore Parker

Truth never yet fell dead in the streets; it has such affini

Truth never yet fell dead in the streets; it has such affinity with the soul of man, the seed however broadcast will catch somewhere and produce its hundredfold.

Theodore Parker

Every rose is an autograph from the hand of the Almighty God

Every rose is an autograph from the hand of the Almighty God. On this world about us He has inscribed His thought, in these marvelous hieroglyphics which sense and science have been these many thousand years seeking to understand. The universe itself is a great autograph of the Almighty.

Theodore Parker

We are a rebellious nation. Our whole history is treason; ou

We are a rebellious nation. Our whole history is treason; our blood was attained before we were born; our creeds were infidelity to the mother church; our constitution treason to our fatherland.

Theodore Parker

Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect

Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect.

Theodore Parker

Self-denial is indispensable to a strong character, and the

Self-denial is indispensable to a strong character, and the highest kind comes from a religious stock.

Theodore Parker

Let us do our duty, in our shop in our kitchen, in the marke

Let us do our duty, in our shop in our kitchen, in the market, the street, the office, the school, the home, just as faithfully as if we stood in the front rank of some great battle, and knew that victory for mankind depends on our bravery, strength, and skill. When we do that, the humblest of us will be serving in that great army which achieves the welfare of the world.

Theodore Parker

Wealth and want equally harden the human heart, like frost a

Wealth and want equally harden the human heart, like frost and fire both are alien to human flesh.

Theodore Parker

Remorse is the pain of sin.

Remorse is the pain of sin.

Theodore Parker

Regret & Remorse

Outward judgment often fails, inward judgment never.

Outward judgment often fails, inward judgment never.

Theodore Parker

Judgment Judging

Let others laugh when you sacrifice desire to duty, if they

Let others laugh when you sacrifice desire to duty, if they will. You have time and eternity to rejoice in.

Theodore Parker

As society advances the standard of poverty rises.

As society advances the standard of poverty rises.

Theodore Parker

It is very sad for a man to make himself servant to a single

It is very sad for a man to make himself servant to a single thing his manhood all taken out of him by the hydraulic pressure of excessive business.

Theodore Parker

Politics is the science of urgencies.

Politics is the science of urgencies.

Theodore Parker

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward j

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Theodore Parker

The miser, starving his brother's body, starves also his own

The miser, starving his brother's body, starves also his own soul, and at death shall creep out of his great estate of injustice, poor and naked and miserable.

Theodore Parker