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“Past Experiences With Unitarian Organization”
by Francis A. Christie (1923)
Francis Christie (1858-1938) became an instructor at Harvard Divinity School first then in 1893 began 33 years of teaching at Meadville Theological School as a professor of church history.
This is a rare effort to deal with the history of denominational organization.
The emphasis is on the organizational plan adopted by the Unitarians in 1884 and still in force when Christie wrote nearly 40 years later. (See by-laws attached of the American Unitarian Association for 1884 & 1885).
Obviously, theological issues impinged on Unitarian organization, but beyond that what other issues seem important?
What was the result of the by-law change to make the AUA delegates (except life members before 1925) represent local societies?
Could the real issues in the AUA be traced (after 1865) by the quarrels (and sometimes lethargy) over changes in the wider Unitarian organization?