Chadwick's sermons attracted attention, and he developed a reputation as a radical preacher of Unitarian doctrines.[4] His beliefs were in part shaped by his long friendship and correspondence with the radical Unitarian minister William Channing Gannett.[5]
In 1876, Chadwick published his first book of poems and would continue to write poetry over subsequent decades. In 1885 he was elected Phi Beta Kappa poet at Harvard.[4] For the occasion, he read his poem "A Legend of Good Poets".[6] The following year he preached the alumni sermon at Harvard Divinity School.[4] In 1888 he was awarded an honorary A.M. degree from Harvard.[1]
He remained at the Second Unitarian Church until his death in Brooklyn on December 11, 1904.[7]
Works
In addition to contributing articles to Unitarian journals,[4] Chadwick was a prolific author of books, producing over 30 in his lifetime.[8] They consisted of his sermons and other theological writings (which were published in a series), historical and biographical monographs, and volumes of poetry. His best-known collection was titled A Book of Poems. First published in 1876, its tenth edition was released posthumously in 1905 by Little, Brown and Company.[9]
His list of books include:
Way, Truth, and Life: Sermons by N. A. Staples (Boston, 1870)
The Great Salvation: A Sermon (New York, 1876)
A Book of Poems (Boston, 1876)
Thomas Paine: The Method and Value of His Religious Teachings (New York, 1877)
The Bible of To-day (New York, 1878)
The Faith of Reason: A Series of Discourses on Leading Topics of Religion (Boston, 1879)
The State of the Nation: A Sermon (New York, 1879)
Some Aspects of Religion (New York, 1879)
An Educated Will (New York, 1881)
The Man Jesus: A Course of Lectures (Boston, 1881)
Belief and Life (New York, 1881)
Origin and Destiny (Boston, 1883)
In Nazareth Town, a Christmas Fantasy, and Other Poems (Boston, 1883)
A Daring Faith (Boston, 1885)
The Good Voices: Poems (New York, 1885)
Birth and Triumph of Cupid, with verses by J.W.C. (New York, 1885)
Gnostics and Agnostics: A Sermon (Boston, 1886)
The Two Voices: Poems of the Mountains and the Sea (New York, 1886)
The Revelation of God and Other Sermons (Boston, 1889)
1234Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds. (1900). "Chadwick, John White". Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton. p.563. OCLC24509677.
