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Table of Contents

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[All page numbers listed in this Table of Contents refer to pages in Raible’s original collection of documents. All links (other than the prefatory material) lead to Peter Raible’s helpful introductions and guiding questions, provided for each text in the collection. The introductory pages themselves either contain the material in question or link to it on an external website. – ERM]

 

HSL’s Introduction, by Emily Mace

Introduction, by Peter Raible, page viii

Preface, by Patricia Bowen, page x

Acknowledgements, by Peter Raible, page xi

Biography of Peter Raible, page i

 

SECTION I: The European Background Before 1800

David Robinson, The Unitarians and the Universalists, page 1

George H. Williams, “The Polish Brethren,” page 2

“Act of Religious Tolerance” – Diet of Torda  (three translations), page 16

Robert Browne, “The Life and Manners of All True Christians,” page 18

James II “Declaration of Indulgence,” page 29

Earl Worse Wilbur, “Liberal Dissenters Unite to Form the Unitarian Church,” page 33

 

SECTION II: The America Colonial Experience: 1620-1800

Conrad Wright, “Walking Together,” page 44

The Mayflower Compact, page 45

The Salem Symbols,” page 47

Thomas Hooker, “The Principles of 1645,” page 51

James Gustafson, “A Study in the Problem of Authority in Congregational Church Order“, page 58

The Cambridge Platform of 1648,” page 73

Henry Wilder Foote, “The Significance and Influence of the Cambridge Platform,” page 85

Conrad Wright, “A Doctrine of the Church for Liberals,” page 96

Conrad Wright, “Autonomy and Fellowship,” page 97

David Hall, “The Meeting House,” page 98

J. William Youngs, Jr., “Congregational Clericalism: New England Ordinations Before the Great Awakening,” page 99

Preface to the Result of 1662,” page 110

The Proposals of 1705,” page 128

Declaration … Relating to the Rev. Mr. Davenport…,” page 140

C.C. Goen, “Revivalistic Innovations,” page 143

Nathaniel Thayer, “On Revivals in Religion,” page 172

Earl Morse Wilbur, “Religious Tendencies in Colonial New England,” page 185

 

SECTION III: Birthing the Unitarian Movement – 1800-25

(This section contains a number of documents which are not time-specific, but relate to issues fundamental to starting organized Unitarianism, so they are included here.)

Paul M. Harrison, “Authority and Power in the Free Church Tradition,” page 208

Sidney Mead, “The Nation With the Soul of a Church,” page 209

Phillip Hewett, “Why Unitarian?,” page 240

William Ellery Channing, “Remarks on Association,” page 256

George Ellis, “The Church and the Parish in Massachusetts,” page 264

Conrad Wright, “Unitarian Universalist Denominational Structure,” page 286

Conrad Wright, “The Growth of Denominational Bureaucracies,” page 287

Virgil E. Murdock, “Institutional History of the American Unitarian Association – 1825,” page 288

Earl Morse Wilbur, “The Period of Controversy: 1800-1825,” page 304

 

SECTION IV: The Unitarian Struggle to Organize: 1825-65

Earl Morse Wilbur, “Organization and Development of the Unitarian Movement,” page 338

Thomas L Smith, “Evangelical Unitarianism,” page 371

Frederick May Eliot, “Tensions in Unitarianism a Hundred Years Ago,” page 380

James Freeman Clarke, “A Discourse Delivered at the Dedication of the Chapel,” page 385

J. H. Allen, “On Some Results of the Voluntary System, Especially in Our Country Parishes,” page 388

Ron Clark, “Our Church as Seen by Religious Geography,” page 412

John Pierpoint, “M. Grandpierre on American Unitarianism,” page 426

James Freeman Clarke, “A Sermon on the Principles and Methods of the Church of the Disciples,” page 450

George Willis Cooke, “The Period of Radicalism,” page 472

Sylvester Judd, “The Birthright Church,” page 505

Frederic Henry Hedge, “The Broad Church,” page 541

Henry W. Bellows, “The Relation of Liberal Christians to a True Theology and a Higher Religious Life,” page 551

Henry W. Bellows, “The Suspense of Faith,” page 568

Conrad Wright, “Henry W. Bellows and the Organization of the National Conference,” page 583

 

SECTION V: Unitarians Organize, Divide and Diddle: 1865 – 1900

Earl Morse Wilbur, “The Unitarian Church Matures and Finds its Mission,” page 584

George Willis Cooke, “The Denominational Awakening,” page 606

Samuel Hobart Winkley, “Some Conditions of the Modern Ministry,” page 643

Henry W. Bellows, “The Reformed Church of Christendom or the Duties of Liberal Christians to the National Faith at this Crisis of Opinions,” page 657

Henry W. Bellows, “On the Alleged Unattractiveness of the Christian Pulpit,” page 668

Edward T. Atkinson, “The Battle of Syracuse,” page 676

Stow Persons, “A Voice Without a Hand,” page 680

Frederic H. Hedge, “The Destinies of Ecclesiastical Religion,” page 705

Edward Everett Hale, “People and Minister,” page 714

Grindall Reynolds, “Ecclesiastical and Denominational Tendencies,” page 732

George Willis Cooke, “Growth of Denominational Consciousness,” page 753

Francis A. Christie, “Past Experience with Unitarian Organization,” page 777

George Willis Cooke, “The American Unitarian Organization,” page 785

Sidney E. Mead, “An Address to Unitarians,” page 817

 

SECTION VI: The Modern American Unitarian Association, 1900-35

Samuel Eliot, “Report of the Secretary of the AUA,” page 823

Unitarian Yearbook – 1900, page 854

“Official Report of the Proceedings of the General Conference – 1917,” page 859

John Haynes Holmes, “The Community Church,” page 889

Anonymous (Samuel Eliot?) Handbook for Unitarian Churches, page 895

Louis C. Cornish, Work and Dreams and the Wide Horizon, page 904

 

SECTION VII: Unitarians Face a New Age 1936-1960

Commission on Appraisal, Unitarians Face a New Age, “Findings and Recommendations,” page 955

Commission on Appraisal, Unitarians Face a New Age, page 982

 

SECTION VIII: Universalist Polity: The First Century 1770 -1870

(See reading list for additional sources for which texts are not included herewith)

Introduction and Reading List, page 1017

L.B. Fisher, A Brief History of the Universalist Church, page 1021

John Coleman, Adams Universalism and the Universalist Church, page 1055

M. Hale Smith, Text-Book of Universalism, page 1069

Richard Eddy, Universalism in America. Vol. I., page 1081

Richard Eddy, Universalism in America. Vol. II., page 1090

Joseph Henry Allen and Richard Eddy, A History of the Unitarians and the Universalists in the United States, page 1112

Elmo Robinson, American Universalism, page 1124

 

SECTION IX: Universalist Polity: Centenary Through Merger – 1870-1960

(See reading list for additional sources for which texts are not included herewith)

Introduction and Reading List, page 1158

Hosea W. Parker, “Denominational Organization and Polity,” page 1162

Walter Stuart Kelly, “Denominational Administration in Our Church,” page 1169

Robert Cummins, “A United Church,” page 1171

Emerson Lalone, “The Convention Recommends,” page 1177

John van Schaick, “Dr. Cummins on the Four Year Plan,” page 1178

Emerson Lalone, “An Indictment by a Friend,” page 1181

Emerson Lalone, “Shall We Have More Centralization?”, page 1183

R.S.Kellerman, “The Decline of the Denomination,” page 1184

“A Board Meeting in New York,” page 1186

Frank D. Adams, “The Fatal Policy of Centralization,” page 1188

“The Pivot of the Forward Turn,” page 1189

“The Report of the General Superintendent,” page 1190

Emerson Lalone, “A New Name and a New Charter,” page 1192

“Our New Name and Our History,” page 1193

“Charter of the Universalist Church of America,” page 1194

Albert Q. Perry, “Decisions and Implications,” page 1196

Robert Cummins, “Freedom is Still the Issue,” page 1200

John Murray Atwood, “Can Free Churches Be Efficient?” page 1203

Manual of the Universalist General Convention, 1900, page 1215

By-Laws and Laws of Fellowship, Universalist Church of America, 1943, page 1242

Robert Cummins, Parish Practice in Universalist Churches, page 1258

Laws of Fellowship. UCA, 1953, page 1295

Elmo Robinson, “American Universalism,” page 1307

Richard Woodman, “The Decline of Universalism,” page 1328

Gordon McKeeman, “Letter to Patricia Bowen,” page 1338

 

SECTION X: Unitarian Universalist Association Polity: Since 1961 

Article XI, By-Laws of the Unitarian Universalist Association, page 1342

Judith Walker-Riggs, “Congregational Polity: Some History,” page 1343

Earl Holt, “Does Congregational Polity Sanction Any Vice? Yes,” page 1346

Earl Holt, “Ordination Sermon,” page 1350

David O. Rankin, “From the Masthead to the Hatches,” page 1354

“The Church and Its Leadership,” page 1367

Robert Tapp, Religion Among the Unitarian Universalists: Converts in the Stepfather’s House, page 1387

Paul Beattie, “Democracy, Covenant, and Dissent in the Unitarian Universalist Association,” page 1416

Peter Raible, “The Meaning of Ministry Among Present Day Liberals,” page 1426

Robert Bowman, “Ministry – the Last General Practice,” page 1436