The Hearts of Unitarian Universalism Through the Years
Created for First Unitarian Church of Oakland
By Rev. Sunshine J. Wolfe
Fall 2008
The Hearts of Unitarian Universalism Through the Years
Can you define Unitarian Universalism? What is the core of who “we” are? Is there a “we” to be claimed in our movement? This course will look at the history of our denomination through the question- who are we? We will study the varied histories of two denominations stretched and challenged by the ever changing nature of their identities, beliefs, and values. We will then look at our current identities, beliefs, and values to ultimately get at the question- who are Unitarian Universalists?
This twelve week course will meet for 1 ½ hours each week. Some weeks will require reading prior to class (no more than twenty pages per week). Required readings will be given out each week. Optional readings will be available from my website at www.sunshineimaginarypage.com. This class is open to all members of the congregation. As always, this course is open to youth fourteen years and older who speak with the minister prior to attending the course. This class will have a maximum of 10 participants.
Course Outline:
Week 1: Unitarian and Universalist History: A Brief Introduction
Week 11: This We Believe or Covenant or…huh?: The Role of Covenant and Other Statements of Purpose
Can you define Unitarian Universalism? What is the core of who “we” are? Is there a “we” to be claimed in our movement? This course will look at the history of our denomination through the question- who are we? We will study the varied histories of two denominations stretched and challenged by the ever changing nature of their identities, beliefs, and values. We will then look at our current identities, beliefs, and values to ultimately get at the question- who are Unitarian Universalists?
This twelve week course will meet for 1 ½ hours each week. Some weeks will require reading prior to class (no more than twenty pages per week). Required readings will be given out each week. Optional readings will be available from my website at www.sunshineimaginarypage.com. This class is open to all members of the congregation. As always, this course is open to youth fourteen years and older who speak with the minister prior to attending the course. This class will have a maximum of 10 participants.
Course Outline:
Week 1: Unitarian and Universalist History: A Brief Introduction
- Get to know one another (15 minutes):
- Why take this class?
- What knowledge do you bring with you?
- What is the basic historical outline of the two denominations up to merger? (15 minutes)
- This will be a very simple outline with major events and some notes on where we will delve more deeply throughout the course.
- Review “Key Terms” Sheet (15 minutes)
- Is there a “center” to Unitarian Universalism? (45 minutes)
- Take 10 minutes to talk about two ways to consider the question of who we are:
- Theodore Parker asked the question, “What is transient and what is permanent in Christianity?” If we ask the question of what is transient and what is permanent in our movement- what answer do you come up with?
- “What holds us separate? What keeps us separated? As we walk these streets, what still connects us?” If we take this mantra from the Faithful Fools Street Ministries and apply to ourselves, what might we discover?
- Ask group to spend 5 minutes writing/reflecting on one of these questions.
- Spend 30 minutes discussing responses to questions.
- Closing Reading/Song
- Assigned Reading for Week 2:
- Required: http://www.wfu.edu/~matthetl/perspectives/four.html
- Optional: “Calvinism Improved” from The Universalist Movement in America 1770-1880 by Ann Lee Bressler
- Welcome and Questions (10 minutes)
- What questions arose from the prior week?
- Brief overview of early U.S. Christian church polity, denominationalism, and emergent churches from Puritans (15 minutes)
- Discussion of overview and the reading on “The Great Awakening.” (15 minutes)
- “Calvinism Improved” (15 minutes)
- Give overview of reading. Then read two excerpts from text that show consistencies and tension with current UU identity.
- Discussion in response to reading.
- Do Unitarian Universalists reflect a Puritan heritage? (15 minutes)
- Closing Reading/Song
- Class(ism) 101 (20 minutes)
- Ask group to name factors that determine class status (10 min)
- Ask group to identify categories within the named factors (5 min)
- What can they say they know from this exercise? (5 min)
- Brief history of class and early liberal Congregationalists (15 min)
- Discussion- has the connection between wealth, cultural, or social class standing carried forward into our current denomination? (80 min)
- A lot of time is given to this conversation due to the sensitive nature of the topic and the tendency for it not to be discussed at all in current U.S. or U.U. cultures. The facilitator will offer questions or direct the discussion in order to stay on topic and to continue to relate to questions of historical and/or current class cultural relationships.
- Explain next week’s assignment (5 minutes)
- Bring to class next week a description of a Unitarian and/or Universalist literary work, song, or invention prior to 1900 that has had a significant impact on U.S. or global culture.
- Examples-
- Literature by Louisa May Alcott, Walt Whitman, Emerson
- Inventions by Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Priestly
- Songs by Theador Parker or Julia Ward Howe
- Participants unsure of where to research will have an opportunity to ask questions after class.
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Presentations (50 minutes)
- Give brief description of the “influence” participant found to share
- Christmas and Cemeteries- influence on U.S. culture (5 minutes)
- Discussion of “our” inheritance. (30 minutes)
- How does the accomplishment of individuals impact our current identity?
- What narrative do we take from these inheritances?
- Who’s narrative is being told? Who’s narrative is not being told?
- Closing Reading/Song
- Assigned reading: “Controversy and Identity” from The Universalist Movement in America 1770-1880 by Ann Lee Bressler
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Universalist Association- mix of presentation and discussion of reading (40 minutes)
- Activity: Reenactment of AUA Meeting (10 minutes)
- Discussion of Reenactment with appropriate historical notes from facilitator (35 minutes)
- Closing Reading/Song
- Assigned reading for Week 6: “The Trascendentalist Challenge” and “Organizing a National Movement” from Unitarian Universalism: A Narrative History by David Bambaugh
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Discussion of reading for this week (15 minutes)
- Overview of Christian themes in Universalism and Unitarianism (15 minutes)
- Presentation on moments in Universalist and Unitarian history when giving up “Christ” entered the conversation, how and what effect this had (15 minutes)
- Discussion of Christian identity (40 minutes)
- How did these moments when letting of “Christ” shape each denomination?
- Did these conversations impact us today?
- Are we still Christian in theology or culture?
- Closing Reading/Song
- Assigned Reading:
- Lydia Maria Francis Child, “Appeal to End Slavery” and “From An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans”
- Frances Ellen Watkins (Harper), “Bury Me in a Free Land” and “We Are All Bound Together”
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Discussion of Reading (20 minutes)
- Presentation on Abolition in Universalism and Unitarianism (15 minutes)
- Storytelling from “What Disturbed the Unitarian Church in This Very City?”: Alton, the Slavery Conflict and Western Unitarianism” (10 minutes)
- Discussion (40 minutes)
- What did we inherit from these different denominational responses to abolition?
- What sounds familiar? What’s surprising?
- What can we learn from these events and stories?
- Assigned Reading for Week 8:
- The following sections from Standing Before Us by Dorothy May Emerson
- Lucy Barns, “In Defense of Universalism”
- Phebe Ann Coffin Hanaford, “The Question Answered” and “Feminist Biblical Critique”
- Celia Parker Woolley, “The Ideal Unitarian Church”
- Aurelia Isabel Henry Reinhardt, “Worship: Its Fundamental Place in Liberal Religion”
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- The story of women in two movements- a general outline for discussion (15 minutes)
- some detail into the “feminizing processs” will be discussed. Also, some notes on women not mentioned in the reading including Alcott, Barnwell, Fahs, and the women’s movement in the 70s (chalice story as on-ramp).
- Discussion of reading (70 minutes)
- Given the history of women’s involvement in Unitarian and Universalist churches, what stands out for you in the reading?
- What themes sound familiar today?
- What is the role of women in our movement today?
- Closing reading/song
- Assigned reading for Week 9:
- “The Premise: A Common Faith” and “Some Assembly Required” from The Premise and the Promise by Warren R. Ross
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Discussion of reading and answering questions (20 minutes)
- Presentation and discussion: Prior attempts at merger and the stories of LREDA and LRY as merging before the denomination, themes, and identity questions (65 minutes)
- What seems unresolved today?
- What themes do you notice?
- Did we really become one new religion?
- Assigned reading for Week 10:
- “A Bitter Battle About Race” from The Premise and the Promise by Warren R. Ross
- “A Timeline of the Black Empowerment Controversy in American Unitarian Universalism” Compiled by Julie Kain
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Presentation/Discussion: Making sense of the controversy (30 minutes)
- Excerpts from Wilderness Journey: The Struggle for Black Empowerment and Racial Justice within the Unitarian Universalist Association, 1967-1970 (15 minutes
- Discussion of documentary (40 minutes)
- Closing Reading/Song
- Assigned Reading: Unitarian and Universalist Affirmations of Faith, 1790-1985 compiled by Paul Rasor and Susan Ritchie at http://img.uua.org/mfc/Faith_Affirmations_1790-1985.pdf
- Optional reading: “Cornrows, Kwanzaa, and Confusion: The Dilemma of Cultural Racism and Misappropriation” by Marjorie Bowens Wheatley at http://www.uua.org/leaders/leaderslibrary/culturalmisappropriation/37852.shtml
Week 11: This We Believe or Covenant or…huh?: The Role of Covenant and Other Statements of Purpose
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Discussion: What is the role of our Principles and Purposes? (20 minutes)
- Presentation on challenges for “diversity” in our covenant and sources (10 minutes)
- Discussion of “Cornrows, Kwanzaa, and Confusion” article in conjunction with presentation. (40 minutes)
- Closing Discussion (15 minutes):
- Can we come to some consensus on the role of our Principles and Purposes?
- Should we have such a declaration?
- Can we be all things to all people?
- Closing Reading/Song
- Assigned Reading: “Keep the Circle Whole: The Challenge of Unitarian Universalist Theology” by Rev. Dr. Rebecca Ann Parker at http://www.sksm.edu/research/sermons/unitarianantheol.pdf
- Assigned task: Bring a two minute statement of one way you have been impacted by this class
- Welcome and questions (5 minutes)
- Dialogue reading of Engaging Our Theological Diversity (20 minutes)
- Give brief overview of document and then read some passages from the text for discussion
- Discussion of “Keep the Circle Whole” reading (20 minutes)
- Closing discussion: Impact of this class presentation (30 minutes)
- Final thoughts (15 minutes)
- Closing meditation/prayer/blessing