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History in the Making
Recent
decades have seen an increased historical awareness among Unitarian
Universalists and the publication of important works of historical
scholarship in the field of religious studies.
These new developments are exemplified in the work of Conrad
Wright, a lifelong member of First Parish. As Professor of American
Church History at the Harvard Divinity School, he has introduced
the history of the denomination to many of those active in the Unitarian
Universalist ministry and to scholars of the evolution of the Puritan
church in America.
His many books and articles have significantly advanced the understanding
of Unitarian history and congregational polity among both scholars
and the general public. Among his publications are: The Beginnings
of Unitarianism in America (1954), The Liberal Christians
(1970), The Unitarian Controversy (1994), and Congregational
Polity (1997).
Dr. Wright was also, for many years, the President of the Unitarian
Historical Society. For his contributions to scholarship and education,
his colleagues and friends dedicated, in 2002, the C. Conrad
Wright Room in Andover-Harvard Theological Library at the Harvard
Divinity School.
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A Unique Media Ministry at First Parish
The
First Parish in Cambridge is widely known through its creation
and sponsorship of The Cambridge Forum, a weekly program
begun in the late 1960’s, in which leaders in academia, politics,
and the professions speak out on critical issues and respond to
audience questions.
Herbert F. Vetter, Minister at Large at First Parish, was
the founder of the Forum and, for many years, acted as
moderator of the popular series. The programs were first broadcast
in the Boston area by the WGBH Educational Foundation via WGBH-FM
and then by public radio stations across the country. Cambridge
Forum also broadcast many special national television programs,
notably the 1980 Channing Bicentennial series, I Call That
Mind Free, co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Cambridge Forum has continued to expand its outreach and is being
webcast worldwide through the WGBH Community Forum. A promising
new website at www.harvardsquarelibrary.org, created by
Herbert Vetter, presents issues which religious liberals stand
for – and against – to audiences around
the globe. For his pioneering work in the communications field,
he was honored in 1983, by the award of the Doctor of Divinity
degree by the Meadville/Lombard Theological School in Chicago.
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Cambridge, Massachusetts