Unitarian Polity Linnea Nelson Credentialed Religious Educator Project

Unitarian Polity

Linnea Nelson, Credentialed Religious Educator Project for Unitarian Universalist History taught by Rev. Dr. Meg Richardson, Dean of the Faculty, Assistant Professor of Unitarian Universalist History, Director, Certificate in Unitarian Universalist Studies Starr King School of Ministry

• Forming Faith

• Forming Faith • Fulfilling Service

• Forming Faith • Fulfilling Service • Embracing Wholeness

• Forming Faith • Fulfilling Service • Embracing Wholeness

Unitarian Polity Do You Wonder? • How did Unitarians govern themselves? • How did early Unitarian publishing and Religious Education begin the Unitarian Universalist merger?

Unitarian Controversy primarily around church polity and in particular the covenant. Unitarian Controversy For 27 years, Samuel Atkins Eliot III, built strength in the American Unitarian Association but also criticized for his racism by suppressing African American ministers and congregations.

Meaning of Congregational Polity has been described as: “Putting our faith into practice” by Paul Harrison. Definition noted in Faith Like a River. ”Our unwritten constitution. ” Commission on Institutional Change

Great Migration Puritans 1630 s Salem Church covenant written in 1629: Congregational. Polity Based "We Covenant with the Lord and one with an other; and doe bynd our selves in the presence Noncreedal of God, to walke together in all his waies, Covenantal according as he is pleased to reveale himself unto us in his Blessed word of truth. " Wikipedia

Unitarian Polity in the 1700 s • Gradual movement toward more liberal churches appreciating free will. • More Orthodox liberal churches became more creedal • More Liberal churches focused on covenant

Unitarian Polity in the 1800 s Henry Ware, Hollis Chair of Divinity at Harvard Churches were considered: • Unitarian if a Harvard Graduate, and • Calvinist if a Yale or Andover Graduate was in the pulpit.

Unitarian Strength Over 1800 s Universalism • Centralized Funds: Unitarians had • There was racism within Unitarianism, but it was funds in the 1800 s and easier to grow Unitarianism centralized their money, which in the South than allowed for expansion of churches. Universalism, since universal (Universalists kept their funds salvation was not accepted local. ) by those who endured and • Political Influence: Unitarians had abhorred slavery. influence in political circles, especially in the North East US.

Unitarian Polity in the 1900 s James Luther Adams (1901 -1994) Harvard and Meadville Professor in ethics and society. “Adams’s name is most closely associated with the study of voluntary associations and their role in a free society. ” Harvard Square Library

Heading Toward Consolidation: Religious Education Sophia Lyon Fahs • Liberal Religious Educator • Developmentally appropriate materials • Used science to promote “Wonder and Awe” • Fahs Collaborative Innovation in Religious Education at Meadville Lombard

Heading Toward Consolidation: RE Publishing Sophia Lyon Fahs created materials for Unitarian Sunday Schools in the early 20 th Century that was used by both Unitarians and Universalists before the merger and helped bring our denomination. Legacy: Fahs Library Receiving the degree of Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Meadville/Lombard Theological School, Chicago, January 16, 1962. Left to right: the Rev. Edwin Theophil Buehrer, James K. Killian, Jr. , Sophia Lyon Fahs, Dr. Malcolm R. Sutherland, President. Harvard Square Library

Early and Important Role of Youth from Unitarian and Universalist congregations worked together and became the initial point of collaboration in the decade before the 1961 merger.

Can you tell the stories? Why was covenant so important to early Unitarians? How did publishing and RE play an early role in bringing Unitarians and Universalists together?

Resources to Learn More The Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography is a public web resource that contains hundreds of concise biographies of Unitarian and Universalist leaders and celebrated individuals whose religion was Unitarian, Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist.

Books to Read Unitarian Universalist History Robinson, David. The Unitarians and the Universalists. 1985. Note: Very readable and sections available online for free! Mc. Kanan et al, Documentary History of Unitarian Universalism, volumes one and two. Primary documents from Origen to 2015. Volume 1 Beginning to 1899 Volument 2 1899 to the Present (2015)

Next in Series: Unitarian Theology

MORE SACRED SKILLS HISTORY OF… Unitarian Polity Unitarian Theology Unitarian Justice Making Universalist Polity Universalist Theology Universalist Justice Making Unitarian Universalist Polity Unitarian Universalist Justice Making Unitarian Universalist Theology