Henry James Sr.

Henry James Sr.
Daguerreotype of James, c. 1855
Born	(1811-06-03)June 3, 1811 Albany, New York, U.S.
Died	December 18, 1882(1882-12-18) (aged 71) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	Union College Princeton Theological Seminary
Occupation	Theologian
Spouse	Mary Robertson Walsh ​ ​ (m. 1840; died 1882)​
Children	William Henry Garth Robertson Alice
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Henry James Sr. (June 3, 1811 – December 18, 1882) was an American theologian and the father of the philosopher William James, the novelist Henry James, and the diarist Alice James.

Following a dramatic moment of spiritual enlightenment, he became deeply absorbed in Swedenborgianism, repudiating materialism and following the utopian path to grace. In this way, he was generally out of sympathy with contemporary American leaders of philosophical thought. His influence was felt more in frequent lively debates within his own circle of friends than in public life. He said “I love the fireside rather than the forum."