Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
The Reverend Caleb Stetson (1793-1870) was a Harvard graduate and Congregationalist minister, serving a succession of three Unitarian churches in Massachusetts. This episode is my presentation of most of his tract “The Apostle Paul a Unitarian” (1828). He starts with the portrait of Paul and his preaching given in Acts, and then surveys all of Paul’s letters. He argues that Paul is a unitarian – someone who thinks that the one God is just the Father, and who does not say that “Jesus is God” or that he is “divine” in the way that the one God is divine.
I present all but his last five pages, which deal with the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, which most scholars now think is not by Paul.
Does he present a strong case? Why or why not?
Links for this episode:
- “The Apostle Paul a Unitarian” @ Google Books
- Biography of Caleb Stetson by his granddaughter
- podcast 100 – Dr. Larry Hurtado on God in New Testament Theology
- Hans Küng on New Testament theology
- God and his Son: the logic of the New Testament
- podcast 16 – How is Jesus “the one Lord”?
- podcast 48 – 2 interpretations of Philippians 2 – part 1
- podcast 49 – 2 interpretations of Philippians 2 – part 2
- This week’s thinking music is “Paper Planes” by Durden.
It’s always great to hear how the early Unitarians used the beautiful name of Jehovah instead of the modern, crazy-sounding “yahweh.”
I’d like to hear a podcast about some of the early Unitarians who were also Universalists. Of course, I’m not talking about anything resembling the modern UU movement. I know Thomas Belsham was a Universalist as well as a Unitarian. I am definitely a Unitarian and am heavily leaning toward the concept of Universal Restoration. And, just as all the objections to Unitarianism by the Trinitarians have been studied out and faithfully answered, so would it seem to be in this case also.
Good podcast.
It’s always interesting to hear how previous generations attempted to explain the controversial Christology texts from a biblical unitarian perspective.
I really appreciate all your efforts. It has helped my understanding tremendously! Even though I came from a Mormon background and almost all of your podcasts is geared toward the mainstream, it has helped immensely. I can now layout a coherent case fore the one God to my Mormon friends and family. God bless you!
Thank you! That really makes my day. God bless.
When you hear the biblical case for unitarianism laid out so clearly and so powerfully as this you just have to wonder why more Christians are not convinced. Either they are blinded by tradition or they simply have never heard such a cogent defense of the clearly unitarian perspective of the Scriptures. Thanks Dale.
Thank you, Dale, brother, for posting this. I was very edified in the Lord, by the whole presentation, as lots of Scripture is quoted. It is such a blessing that this man’s writing was preserved for us. He wrote such a powerful apologia of our Unitarian understanding of God and Jesus Christ. I wonder if he was persecuted or shunned as a “heretic” like we are today?
Comments are closed.