In this episode of the Noble American Lives Podcast, host William H. Benson delves into the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson, focusing on his journey from divinity student and junior pastor to an independent thinker and influential literary figure. Benson explores Emerson's initial ministerial career at the Second Church in Boston, his personal and spiritual struggles following the death of his wife Ellen, and his eventual resignation from the ministry due to his evolving religious beliefs. Emerson's subsequent travels in Europe, friendships with prominent thinkers like Thomas Carlyle, and his rise as a lecturer and intellectual in New England are also discussed. The episode highlights Emerson's development of new ideas on religion, self-reliance, and the sanctity of the individual.

(00:00) Introduction to the Noble American Lives Podcast (00:17) Overview of the Parallel Lives Series (01:21) Roger Williams and Cotton Mather (02:41) Thomas Payne and George Whitfield (04:02) Ralph Waldo Emerson vs. Joseph Smith (04:56) Ralph Waldo Emerson's Early Ministry (10:56) Personal Struggles and Evolving Beliefs (15:11) Resignation from the Ministry (20:49) A New Path: Travel and Intellectual Pursuits (23:44) Return to America and the Lecture Circuit (29:14) Settling in Concord and Personal Life