In Time of Need
Sermons and Essays from the Meadville Lombard Theological School Community, 2005
Edited by Tina Porter
This volume includes twelve sermons and an essay from current students, alumni/ae, and faculty from the calendar year 2005. In the foreword, Lee Barker, DMin '78 DD '01, says "The whole world is caught in a time of need. Globally, the repercussions fo the terrorist attacks of September 11 continue to shape our era. ... It is a time of need in every precinct of the world, a time that begs for a liberal religious response. For in our Unitarian Universalist perspective, there is to be found renewed hope and imaginative solutions. That is apparent in this collection .... These authors and preachers provide us with a way to begin looking at how we Unitarian Universalists might lead our battered humanity away from violence and adversity and hatred toward the holy shores of peace and plenty and love."
The Price of Truth
Sermons preached by Jacob Frank Schulman at Emerson Unitarian Church
edited by Mark Edmiston-Lange
This is a tribute to the long life of faith and work of Frank Schulman. Mark and Becky Edmiston-Lange, in their foreword to the collection say Schulman's "point of view was almost entirely theological. He believed the church existed for one purpose: to save souls from the many forms of perdition that infect human existence. ... Simply put, he loved his faith. He loved its intellectual sturdiness, its bracing honesty, and its enduring loyalty to truth-telling."
This collection is a testament to Schulman's love of his faith. It also includes a section on prayers given by Schulman at Emerson Unitarian Church.
A Language of Reverence
Edited by Dean Grodzins
Unitarian Universalists are currently engaged in a wideranging discussion on the "language of reverence." The dialogue revolves around two big questions: "Are we talking about religion in a way adequate to our needs as a religious community?" and "What are we talking about when we talk about religion?" In this anthology, five prominent Unitarian Universalists illuminate these issues from different perspectives.
Unitarian Universalism: A Narrative History
By David E. Bumbaugh
This is the first book published by the new Meadville Lombard Press. Bumbaugh provides an overview of Unitarianism, Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism from their beginnings in Europe to the end of the twentieth century, and he tells the story in a readable and accessible way.
Ernest Cassara states in the preface, "Both students and general readers will find this history by David Bumbaugh a welcome addition to the historiography of liberal religion . As Professor Bumbaugh recounts it, the story makes fascinating reading . "
Bumbaugh's book is the only one-volume history that comes up all the way to the present, and its narrative form allows more direct comparisons between Universalist and Unitarian histories. The book is perfect for ministers and students seeking a review of the history, Adult Religious Education and New Member classes, and those outside Unitarian Universalism who seek a comprehensive introduction to our movement.
The Larger Message
By Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Strong
The Universalists' struggles and scholarship to remain a relevant faith in the face of the dramatic movements at the turn of the 20th century is a moving story of determination and courage. From 1830 to 1930 Universalist efforts in religious education met the cultural challenges of Higher Biblical Criticism, evolutionary theory, the science of geology, and progressive education with original scholarship of their own, and advocacy of the compatibility of religion and science. Internally they moved with the theological changes that shook the foundations of their belief in universal salvation by a loving God. This is one story of their courageous endeavor.
