The Credo Forum will meet in the Cottage Library on Sunday, April 1st at its new time, 10:30am. We will discuss two key doctrines of Unitarian Universalism - freedom of the pulpit and freedom of the pew. Here are several sermons, blogs and other items about this topic.
An Introduction to Freedom of the Pulpit and Freedom of the Pew
http://www.revkeyes.com/freedom-pulpit.htm
Rev. David Keyes, June 2003
In this sermon Rev. Keyes traces the history of the concepts of the free pulpit and the free pew and then he discusses how it has impacted his own ministry. "Freedom of the pulpit and the corollary, freedom of pew, are among the most sacred doctrines of our faith. It is in my contract, and the contract of most all of the ministers of our Association, that we shall enjoy freedom of the pulpit. Lip service is paid to the idea frequently. But seldom do we get deeper than that. Perhaps because the doctrine seems so self-evident, there is little teaching about it, and quite understandably, there is not much understanding of its history and scope."
Freedom of the Pulpit
http://iminister.blogspot.com/2009/01/freedom-of-pulpit.html
Rev. Christine Robinson, iMinister, Jan 2009
In her blog Rev. Robinson reminds us of the covenantal nature of the doctrine of the free pulpit. "Freedom of the pulpit doesn't belong to the pulpit, and you don't get it by virtue of standing behind the thing. It is a trust bestowed on persons who are in covenant with the congregation to speak the truth in love, to honor the congregation's mission, to be fair, balanced, and wise etc."
Freedom of Pulpit and Pew
http://www.uufcc.com/Sermons/sermon.0304.pdf
Rev. Mark Hayes, March 2007
After a brief review of the historical background of the freedom of the pulpit and the pew, Rev. Hayes discusses how these doctrines are rooted in our core values of freedom of conscience and freedom of expression. He also describes how these doctrines are necessary to explore our theological concept of a religion that is evolving and that draws from multiple sources of wisdom. "Authentic dialogue. That is what freedom of the pulpit and freedom of the pew are really about as far as I’m concerned. They help to create the conditions most conducive to authentic dialogue. Honest expression. Thoughtful listening. Respectful response."
The Purpose of the Pulpit… and the Pew
http://www.unitariansociety.org/sermons/080413.pdf
Rev. Susan Veronica Rak, April 2008
Rev. Rak examines the concepts of the free pulpit and pew in the wake of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy during the last presidential election. She asks the question "What's a pulpit for?"
UUism As I See It, Part IV: Freedom of the Pulpit. How Free is It?
http://uusarasota.org/sermons/sermonArchive/minister/don11.html
Rev. Don Beaudreault, December 1999
In this sermon Rev. Beaudreault discusses the rewards and dangers of a free pulpit. He describes how he has been slapped, sued and had his life threatened for things he has said in the pulpit. "Freedom of the pulpit, indeed! Freedom to say what is in your heart and to expect the consequences. Truly, this is the most challenging aspect for me as a minister of our liberating faith. At the same time, it is the most rewarding. It is a most humbling gift."
Pulpit politics divide Unitarian church
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1594430/posts
From American Statesman, March 2006
How should a UU church respond when its minister makes extremely controversial statements from the pulpit? In 2006 Rev. Davidson Loehr concluded a sermon by accusing the Bush administration of orchestrating 9/11. Several people walked out; others stood and applauded. Some felt he damaged the church’s credibility. Does freedom of the pulpit cover a situation like this?
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Congregations and Beyond
The Credo Forum will meet in the Cottage Library at 9:30am on Sunday, March 4. We will discuss Congregations and Beyond, a controversial new initiative by UUA President Rev. Peter Morales.
The UUA website states:
In Congregations and Beyond, the Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), offers a vision of the opportunities and challenges that face Unitarian Universalism as an international movement. He presents a strategic direction for Unitarian Universalism consistent with our core values and historic willingness to push beyond pre-determined boundaries. All Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to read, discuss, and share Congregations and Beyond.
The vision statement is available on the UUA website at: http://uua.org/uuagovernance/officers/president/moralespeter/192145.shtml. Here are some links to blogs that appeared soon after the Congregations and Beyond white paper was published.
Our Responsibility to Those Beyond our Walls (1/20/12)
http://celestiallands.org/wayside/?p=781
In his blog Celestial Lands Rev. David Pyle supports the vision of the Congregations and Beyond statement but cautions us to pursue it for the right reasons. "It is time we move away from the circles that are closing us in, and open up our religious movement so that we can transform and engage with as many lives as we possibly can, in any way that we can...But let us do this for the right reason… not because of what we might expect to gain, but because of what we have to give to this wounded, broken, hurting world."
Beyond "Congregations and Beyond" (1/21/12)
http://somaywebe.com/2012/01/21/beyond-congregations-and-beyond/
In his blog So May We Be the Rev. Chip Roush questions the focus of Congregations and Beyond. "I’d like this to be less about making it easy to 'connect' and more about it making it mean something once connected."
Thoughts on "Congregations and Beyond" (1/24/12)
http://revcyn.blogspot.com/2012/01/thoughts-on-congregations-and-beyond.html
Although she thinks Rev. Morales' statement is vague, Rev. Cynthia Landrum is intrigued by his new approach. "But what I think is new about 'Congregations and Beyond' is that Peter Morales is not suggesting we find out why they're not in churches, but, rather, find out what they are interested in doing that would connect them to our movement in other ways. Some people will never be church-goers, he's saying, but that doesn't mean that they can't be part of the UU religious movement."
On "Congregations and Beyond" (1/24/12)
http://boyinthebands.com/archives/on-congregations-and-beyond/
In his blog Boys in the Band the Rev. Scott Wells explains why he finds Congregations and Beyond neither a source for inspiration nor a cause for concern. "Let’s call it head scratching because this is hardly the launch into a brave, new world one would expect from its internal tone, much less the betrayal of congregational polity I’ve heard expressed."
Becoming a Religious Movement (1/25/12)
http://peterboullata.com/2012/01/25/becoming-a-religious-movement/
Rev. Peter Boullatta explores the idea of UUism as a religious movement and the role of the UUA. "If Unitarian Universalism is a religious movement, then the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations is its institutional expression. What is the relationship between movement and institution?"
Beyond Congregations -- What's a Religious Movement (1/30/12)
http://www.tomschade.com/2012/01/beyond-congregations-whats-religious.html
The Rev. Tom Schade does not view Unitarian Universalism as a movement. Instead he believes "Unitarian Universalism is an institution that operates within the Liberal Religious movement, one of many such institutions."
Congregations and Beyond (1/31/12)
http://uuminister.blogspot.com/2012/01/congregations-and-beyond.html
J.F. Crawford writes in the blog The Journey: "One thing I feel quite certain about: if we want to make a significant change in the world, if we want to extend our saving message beyond those who manage to figure out that they’re 'Unitarian Universalists without knowing it,' it is going to require change and an 'all hands on deck' mentality. No more protecting our own little square of real estate or working from models crafted 50 (or 200) years ago."
The Emperor Has No Clothes…or Yet Another View On “Congregations and Beyond” (2/1/12)
http://eastofmidnight.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/the-emperor-has-no-clothes-or-yet-another-view-on-congregations-and-beyond/
Kim Hampton is critical of Peter Morales' statement because "The longer that I’ve sat with 'Congregations and Beyond' the more I get stuck on a question that I don’t think this document even remotely tries to answer–how do you measure success?"
Congregations and Beyond: Consultation (2/14/12)
http://president.blogs.uua.org/ministry/congregations-and-beyond-consultation/
Finally, Rev. Morales reports on a consultation between UUA staff and ministers to explore the ideas in the Congregations and Beyond statement. "The group’s discussion focused on three main areas: congregations reaching out in new ways, a culture change among UUs as we explore new ways of creating religious communities, and new ways of engaging people using rapidly changing technology. Now the hard, but exciting, work begins of translating these visions into practical strategies."
The UUA website states:
In Congregations and Beyond, the Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), offers a vision of the opportunities and challenges that face Unitarian Universalism as an international movement. He presents a strategic direction for Unitarian Universalism consistent with our core values and historic willingness to push beyond pre-determined boundaries. All Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to read, discuss, and share Congregations and Beyond.
The vision statement is available on the UUA website at: http://uua.org/uuagovernance/officers/president/moralespeter/192145.shtml. Here are some links to blogs that appeared soon after the Congregations and Beyond white paper was published.
Our Responsibility to Those Beyond our Walls (1/20/12)
http://celestiallands.org/wayside/?p=781
In his blog Celestial Lands Rev. David Pyle supports the vision of the Congregations and Beyond statement but cautions us to pursue it for the right reasons. "It is time we move away from the circles that are closing us in, and open up our religious movement so that we can transform and engage with as many lives as we possibly can, in any way that we can...But let us do this for the right reason… not because of what we might expect to gain, but because of what we have to give to this wounded, broken, hurting world."
Beyond "Congregations and Beyond" (1/21/12)
http://somaywebe.com/2012/01/21/beyond-congregations-and-beyond/
In his blog So May We Be the Rev. Chip Roush questions the focus of Congregations and Beyond. "I’d like this to be less about making it easy to 'connect' and more about it making it mean something once connected."
Thoughts on "Congregations and Beyond" (1/24/12)
http://revcyn.blogspot.com/2012/01/thoughts-on-congregations-and-beyond.html
Although she thinks Rev. Morales' statement is vague, Rev. Cynthia Landrum is intrigued by his new approach. "But what I think is new about 'Congregations and Beyond' is that Peter Morales is not suggesting we find out why they're not in churches, but, rather, find out what they are interested in doing that would connect them to our movement in other ways. Some people will never be church-goers, he's saying, but that doesn't mean that they can't be part of the UU religious movement."
On "Congregations and Beyond" (1/24/12)
http://boyinthebands.com/archives/on-congregations-and-beyond/
In his blog Boys in the Band the Rev. Scott Wells explains why he finds Congregations and Beyond neither a source for inspiration nor a cause for concern. "Let’s call it head scratching because this is hardly the launch into a brave, new world one would expect from its internal tone, much less the betrayal of congregational polity I’ve heard expressed."
Becoming a Religious Movement (1/25/12)
http://peterboullata.com/2012/01/25/becoming-a-religious-movement/
Rev. Peter Boullatta explores the idea of UUism as a religious movement and the role of the UUA. "If Unitarian Universalism is a religious movement, then the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations is its institutional expression. What is the relationship between movement and institution?"
Beyond Congregations -- What's a Religious Movement (1/30/12)
http://www.tomschade.com/2012/01/beyond-congregations-whats-religious.html
The Rev. Tom Schade does not view Unitarian Universalism as a movement. Instead he believes "Unitarian Universalism is an institution that operates within the Liberal Religious movement, one of many such institutions."
Congregations and Beyond (1/31/12)
http://uuminister.blogspot.com/2012/01/congregations-and-beyond.html
J.F. Crawford writes in the blog The Journey: "One thing I feel quite certain about: if we want to make a significant change in the world, if we want to extend our saving message beyond those who manage to figure out that they’re 'Unitarian Universalists without knowing it,' it is going to require change and an 'all hands on deck' mentality. No more protecting our own little square of real estate or working from models crafted 50 (or 200) years ago."
The Emperor Has No Clothes…or Yet Another View On “Congregations and Beyond” (2/1/12)
http://eastofmidnight.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/the-emperor-has-no-clothes-or-yet-another-view-on-congregations-and-beyond/
Kim Hampton is critical of Peter Morales' statement because "The longer that I’ve sat with 'Congregations and Beyond' the more I get stuck on a question that I don’t think this document even remotely tries to answer–how do you measure success?"
Congregations and Beyond: Consultation (2/14/12)
http://president.blogs.uua.org/ministry/congregations-and-beyond-consultation/
Finally, Rev. Morales reports on a consultation between UUA staff and ministers to explore the ideas in the Congregations and Beyond statement. "The group’s discussion focused on three main areas: congregations reaching out in new ways, a culture change among UUs as we explore new ways of creating religious communities, and new ways of engaging people using rapidly changing technology. Now the hard, but exciting, work begins of translating these visions into practical strategies."
Monday, January 2, 2012
Whither Humanism in Unitarian Universalism
The Credo Forum will meet in the Cottage Library at 9:30am on Sunday, February 5. We will discuss the future of Humanism within Unitarian Universalism.
Sermons listed previously
Some of the sermons listed for the January forum include a discussion about the future of Humanism in UUism:
Humanism is Alive & Well & Living in Unitarian Universalism! (Just not so much as before!)
http://www.sermons.uuwayland.org/2005/12/humanism-is-alive-well-living-in-unitarian-universalism/
(from December 2005)
Making Sense of Religious Humanism
http://www.uuakron.org/display/files/7-10-11MakingSenseofReligiousHumanism.doc
(from July 2011, top of pg 3)
Theological Options for Unitarian Universalists Part III: Humanism and Beyond
http://www.uuchurch.net/sermons/2011-10-09_theological_options_for_UUs-humanism.pdf
(from October 2011, bottom of pg 3-pg 5)
New articles and sermons
Here are new items that discuss the future of Humanism in UUism:
The New Humanism and the New Theism
http://www.firstparishcambridge.org/node/103
This 2002 sermon provides an interesting perspective on how the cultural changes of the 1960's and 1970's offered challenges to both western theism and humanism.
Our Humanist Legacy
http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/27168.shtml
This article appeared in the Nov/Dec 2003 issue of the UUWorld. It is an excerpt from the book Making the Manifesto: The Birth of Religious Humanism by former UUA President William F. Schulz, the 2000 Humanist of the Year. The article is divided into five segments, the last two of which address our theme.
All of Us Humanists
http://revmelanie.blogspot.com/2011/06/all-of-us-humanists.html
This is a sermon given last June by the minister at the First UU Church of New Orleans. It is her view that humanism is the foundation for Unitartian Universalism but it is evolving and diversifying. "I contend, along with many other UU thinkers and theologians, that nearly ALL current-day Unitarian Universalists are religious humanists of one form or another. It’s just that...humanism is evolving, and there are now many different ways to be a religious humanist. Today, there are atheist humanists, agnostic humanists, Christian humanists, Jewish humanists, Buddhist humanists, pagan humanists, mystical humanists, and so on."
Moving Away from the Humanist-Theist Debate
http://danielharper.org/yauu/2011/10/moving-away-from-the-humanist-theist-debate/
This blog from October contains a presentation to a class co-facilitated by Dan Harper, assistant minister at the UU church in Palo Alto. In this presentation he promotes religious naturalism as an approach which can move UUism past the humanism-theism debate. "The reason I wanted to talk about religious naturalism is because in my experience it is the only theological position within Unitarian Universalism that doesn’t by definition shut out one or more other theological positions."
How others see us
Here are two very different articles that reveal how some outside of Unitarian Universalism view us. These articles don't contribute much to the theme of the future of Humanism in UUism but they were too much fun to pass up.
Strained Bedfellows: Pagans, New Agers, and "Starchy Humanists" in Unitarian Universalism
http://www.americanneopaganism.com/Strained%20Bedfellows.pdf
In this 1995 article from the journal Sociology of Religion the author investigates why Unitarian Universalism has assimilated new religious movements such as neopaganism and new age despite the considerable resistance of its largely humanist membership. In an interesting observation he claims that UUism retains important denominational features but "resembles a cult in the crucial dimensions of belief and belonging." He uses a specific sociological definition for the term "cult".
Cults in Culture: Unitarian Universalist - A Multiple Choice Religion
http://www.christianpost.com/news/cults-in-culture-unitarian-universalist-a-multiple-choice-religion-part-6-63955/
This article from The Christian Post consists primarily of quotes from various Christian commentators discussing the failings of Unitarian Universalism from a Christian perspective. For example, R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, notes "it seeks to transform all religious truth-claims into matters of personal choice and opinion. Christianity, stripped of its offensive theology, is reduced to one ‘spirituality’ among others.”
Sermons listed previously
Some of the sermons listed for the January forum include a discussion about the future of Humanism in UUism:
Humanism is Alive & Well & Living in Unitarian Universalism! (Just not so much as before!)
http://www.sermons.uuwayland.org/2005/12/humanism-is-alive-well-living-in-unitarian-universalism/
(from December 2005)
Making Sense of Religious Humanism
http://www.uuakron.org/display/files/7-10-11MakingSenseofReligiousHumanism.doc
(from July 2011, top of pg 3)
Theological Options for Unitarian Universalists Part III: Humanism and Beyond
http://www.uuchurch.net/sermons/2011-10-09_theological_options_for_UUs-humanism.pdf
(from October 2011, bottom of pg 3-pg 5)
New articles and sermons
Here are new items that discuss the future of Humanism in UUism:
The New Humanism and the New Theism
http://www.firstparishcambridge.org/node/103
This 2002 sermon provides an interesting perspective on how the cultural changes of the 1960's and 1970's offered challenges to both western theism and humanism.
Our Humanist Legacy
http://www.uuworld.org/ideas/articles/27168.shtml
This article appeared in the Nov/Dec 2003 issue of the UUWorld. It is an excerpt from the book Making the Manifesto: The Birth of Religious Humanism by former UUA President William F. Schulz, the 2000 Humanist of the Year. The article is divided into five segments, the last two of which address our theme.
All of Us Humanists
http://revmelanie.blogspot.com/2011/06/all-of-us-humanists.html
This is a sermon given last June by the minister at the First UU Church of New Orleans. It is her view that humanism is the foundation for Unitartian Universalism but it is evolving and diversifying. "I contend, along with many other UU thinkers and theologians, that nearly ALL current-day Unitarian Universalists are religious humanists of one form or another. It’s just that...humanism is evolving, and there are now many different ways to be a religious humanist. Today, there are atheist humanists, agnostic humanists, Christian humanists, Jewish humanists, Buddhist humanists, pagan humanists, mystical humanists, and so on."
Moving Away from the Humanist-Theist Debate
http://danielharper.org/yauu/2011/10/moving-away-from-the-humanist-theist-debate/
This blog from October contains a presentation to a class co-facilitated by Dan Harper, assistant minister at the UU church in Palo Alto. In this presentation he promotes religious naturalism as an approach which can move UUism past the humanism-theism debate. "The reason I wanted to talk about religious naturalism is because in my experience it is the only theological position within Unitarian Universalism that doesn’t by definition shut out one or more other theological positions."
How others see us
Here are two very different articles that reveal how some outside of Unitarian Universalism view us. These articles don't contribute much to the theme of the future of Humanism in UUism but they were too much fun to pass up.
Strained Bedfellows: Pagans, New Agers, and "Starchy Humanists" in Unitarian Universalism
http://www.americanneopaganism.com/Strained%20Bedfellows.pdf
In this 1995 article from the journal Sociology of Religion the author investigates why Unitarian Universalism has assimilated new religious movements such as neopaganism and new age despite the considerable resistance of its largely humanist membership. In an interesting observation he claims that UUism retains important denominational features but "resembles a cult in the crucial dimensions of belief and belonging." He uses a specific sociological definition for the term "cult".
Cults in Culture: Unitarian Universalist - A Multiple Choice Religion
http://www.christianpost.com/news/cults-in-culture-unitarian-universalist-a-multiple-choice-religion-part-6-63955/
This article from The Christian Post consists primarily of quotes from various Christian commentators discussing the failings of Unitarian Universalism from a Christian perspective. For example, R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, notes "it seeks to transform all religious truth-claims into matters of personal choice and opinion. Christianity, stripped of its offensive theology, is reduced to one ‘spirituality’ among others.”
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