Who were the Universalists?

A sermon delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the New River Valley, May 4, 2003, by the Reverend Christine Brownlie.

I’d guess that most UUs, as we call ourselves, know the Unitarian side of our heritage fairly well. We know names like Channing, Emerson and Parker. We acknowledge the humanist tradition that was the backbone of Unitarianism for almost half a century. But we’re not so well acquainted with the history and beliefs that belong to our Universalist roots. Some of us feel so disconnected from this important branch of our family tree that we sometimes drop Universalist in order to shorten our name. Yet the spirit of Universalism is growing within our movement. (At the time of the merger of the two denominations in 1962, there were people who thought that Universalist was still our proper name and Unitarian was a modifier which distinguished us from the Trinitarian Universalists.)

This morning I’ll introduce you to a few of our American Universalist forbearers and trace how Universalism evolved over the past two centuries. I hope that by the end of this sermon that you will have a stronger sense of connection to these valiant and determined men and women such that you will be proud to be identified the name Universalist!

First and foremost, the Universalists were Christians who believed in a moral and good God, a “Father of mercies” who loved all humanity and would not subject His children to eternal torment

In the mid to late 1700s, Charles Chauncy taught that according to scripture, all people shall finally be happy — that is, reconciled to God. Most of humankind would not go directly to heaven upon death Chauncy believed that after death, the souls of the unrighteous would be subjected to a time of purgation and spiritual re-education. But none would be doomed to eternal flames, because a good God would not turn away from the suffering of even one individual. Chauncy preached that Jesus was concerned with all of humankind, and that his act of salvation was for all! God had an infinite amount of time to save every soul, and all would be reconciled.

Chauncy was noted not only for his unusual and heretical doctrine of universal salvation, but also for his careful use of reason as he challenged the common belief in the eternal damnation of unbelievers and the unrepentant sinner. In an age of conservative theology and emotionalism in religion, he was a thoughtful liberal who believed that every individual should be free of creeds and doctrines in order to discover the meaning of the revealed truths in scripture, which he held as the only real authority.

While Chauncy was one of the earliest preachers of the Universalist message, the title of Father of American Universalism goes to and English immigrant named John Murray. Murray’s message was very similar to Chaucey’s: the eventual reconciliation of all humanity to a merciful and loving God. He also taught that human beings had free will and that our most glorious choices helped to create heaven right here on earth.

Murray was a man of passion, and his preaching was filled with emotion — not carefully constructed arguments. He appealed to the working class folk of New England society. He spent four years as an itinerant preacher, carrying the good news of Universalism up and down the New England coast. Accused of preaching heresy, he was often the target of hooligans who disrupted his sermons. On one occasion, a large rock crashed through the window of a church during the sermon, barely missing his head. It’s said that Murray picked up the rock and calmly remarked,

“Though this argument may be substantial and weighty, it is not convincing.”

and continued with his sermon.

As the message of Universalism was passed from one generation to another, the theology evolved. Murray’s successor, Hosea Ballou, expanded the message of Universalism. Ballou did not believe in the doctrine of the trinity or the divinity of Jesus. He believed in reason, open-mindedness, and tolerance for all beliefs. Like Murray, Ballou taught that God is good, God is loving, and God is generous to his children; offering free will and the promise of abundant happiness on this earth. His view of human nature was positive and hopeful. He believed that true and lasting happiness came from recognizing God’s love and graciousness and living a life that expressed

“the power of everlasting love and the sacrificial spirit to seek the establishment of the reign of good and the Kingdom of God here on earth.”

Ballou taught that this love for God and goodness was more “happifying” to humanity than the illusory pleasures that might come from any sin.

More traditional Christians criticized this optimistic view of a human nature and wondered what human beings would do once they were no longer controlled by threats of eternal punishment in hell. Once Ballou and a Baptist preacher were riding the circuit in the New Hampshire hills, arguing theology as they traveled. The Baptist said,

“Brother Ballou, if I were a Universalist and feared not the fires of hell, I could hit you over the head, steal your horse and saddle, and ride away and I’d still go to heaven.”

Hosea looked at him and replied,

“Brother, if you were a Universalist such an idea would never occur to you!”

This Universalist belief in the goodness of God and the “happifying” of human life through love to God and the effort to bring about the kingdom of God on earth, led the Universalists to a steadfast effort to improve the lot of the oppressed. Their belief that everyone was a child of a loving God led them to formulate a statement against slavery in the late 1700s — long before any other religious group addressed this social issue.

In 1857, The Universalist Reform Association met to assess the needs of society. The delegates created a list of forty areas of concern that need attention. Slavery, women’s rights, the conflict between the races, temperance, poverty, prison reform, the care of the insane were just a few among the concerns on their list. Given the times and a history of opposing slave holding by their own members, it’s not surprising that the abolition of slavery became a major focus within the denomination. But for this religious body, abolition was not only about winning freedom for the slaves. Universalists themselves were admonished to “conquer their own miserable prejudices” for only then could true social justice be achieved. In this warning, we hear echoes of the future; the anti-oppression, anti-prejudice work that is going on our congregations today.

By the mid 1800s, the Universalism had become a more mature movement. Realizing the value of an educated clergy, they poured a great amount of energy and money into new seminaries and co-educational colleges. In 1863, Olympia Brown graduated from a Universalist seminary and was ordained to the Universalist ministry: the first woman in American to be ordained by a denomination. This achievement opened the way for other women, and today in our association of congregations over half of our clergy are female. But this was only the beginning for Rev. Brown. She soon joined with another courageous Universalist woman, Mary Livermore, on the issue of the vote for women. This cause became so important to Brown that she eventually gave up the ministry to devote all her energies to helping women gain the right to vote. Her devotion to the dreams of women’s equality and her great personal sacrifice, paved the way for women in ministry and other leadership positions in religious settings and other positions of power all over the globe.

In the years between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the First World War, Universalism began a slow but steady decline in numbers and influence. Where once it was the sixth largest denomination in the country, it was becoming one of the smallest Christian churches. One reason for this was that other, respectable mainline churches were adopting some of the liberalism of Universalism — and of Unitarianism. Why would anyone be associated with a heretical church when they could hold on to their belief in universal salvation or a non-literalist view of the Bible and still worship in a Methodist or Presbyterian church? Three men: Quillan Shinn, Clarence Skinner, and Kenneth Patton were the leaders of three movements that saved Universalism and pulled it into the 20^th century.

Quilllen Shinn carried the old message of God’s all-encompassing love and the responsive goodness of the individual to communities all over the country. His missionary efforts took him to 34 states and two Canadian provinces. He also carried his concern for prison reform and the abolition of the death penalty as part of his Universalist concern for the welfare of every person. His spirit and his passion for his faith gave encouragement to a floundering movement and re-energized the faithful

The prophetic voice of the Rev. Clarence Skinner reminded the Universalists of their proud tradition of social reform: bring God’s love to the oppressed and those in need. Like many UUs today, he believed in faith in action. He believed that Universalists, who emphasized freedom of the mind and spirit, were called to

“... pledge themselves to free humanity from the economic degradation which fetters it, body mind and soul. Universalism, by its very genius is led into the great social maelstrom because it is essentially a battle for the freedom of the common man.”

Each person, regardless of wealth or status, is an expression of God’s presence, and so it matters how anyone and everyone is treated. For Skinner, there was a direct link between the idea of a universal God who cared for all and the growth of democracy in the world. Borrowing from the language of physics, Skinner wrote that

“Social action and theological reaction are equal and in the same direction.”

By the end of World War II, the majority of Universalists had moved from the Bible-based theology of their religious ancestors into a broader view of the world and the vision of their faith. The identification with Protestantism was gone. Now, according to the Rev. Robert Cummins, all are welcome: theist and humanist, Unitarian and Trinitarian, all races, and backgrounds.

“A circumscribed Universalism is unthinkable.”

With this new self-understanding, modern Universalists began to investigate the religions of the world and to include their scriptures and practices in Sunday Services. Science too became a source of religious truth, and humanism also had a strong influence on the movement. The new vision was that Universalism would emerge as a new world religion that would unify and celebrate the old religions in a way that brought out the truth in each.

The Rev. Kenneth Patton was the energetic leader of the new effort to create worship materials, hymns and even a new architectural setting for this new, syncretistic Universalism. He believed that all people shared a common humanity, and that this was the true focus of religions. He pointed to the United Nations as an ideal, and proclaimed with Terence that

“I am a man, and nothing that is human can be alien to me.”

The décor of Patton’s church included numerous symbols from the religions of the world and murals of two nebulas that served as “windows into the universe.” Although Patton’s congregation eventually disbanded, his influence is still felt in our congregations as we draw from the wells of the sciences — as well as the religions art and literature of the world — for truth and inspiration.

Who are the Universalists? I think that many of us can identify with aspects of this branch of our family tree: a concern for all people, respect for the religions of the world and a focus on love and bringing about the old vision of justice and compassion on earth. We want a religion that speaks to the heart and the spirit as well as the mind. We’re developing a more mature understanding of traditional theological language and a new sense of the great and impenetrable mystery in which we live and move and have our being. We are the next generation, the new chapter of Universalist history, and I hope that we will treasure our heritage as we carry it forward into a new age.

May it be so!

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