{"id":38338,"date":"2017-01-16T16:09:34","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T21:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/?p=38338"},"modified":"2017-09-19T06:51:35","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T10:51:35","slug":"podcast-168-the-death-of-unitarian-congregationalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-168-the-death-of-unitarian-congregationalism\/","title":{"rendered":"podcast 168 &#8211; The Death of Unitarian Congregationalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_798\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-38338-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/trinities\/p\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/podcast\/trinities168.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/trinities\/p\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/podcast\/trinities168.mp3\">http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/trinities\/p\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/podcast\/trinities168.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/trinities\/p\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/podcast\/trinities168.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/?powerpress_pinw=38338-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/trinities\/p\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/podcast\/trinities168.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"trinities168.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_subscribe_links\">Subscribe: <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/7FuUF9DZM3zhtN41n6RJ6l\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_spotify\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe on Spotify\" rel=\"nofollow\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/subscribebyemail.com\/trinities.org\/blog\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_email\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe by Email\" rel=\"nofollow\">Email<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/feed\/podcast\/\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_rss\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe via RSS\" rel=\"nofollow\">RSS<\/a><\/p><p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-38357\" src=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Unitarian-Church-Providence-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Unitarian-Church-Providence-7.jpg 500w, https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Unitarian-Church-Providence-7-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Unitarian-Church-Providence-7-420x282.jpg 420w, https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Unitarian-Church-Providence-7-460x309.jpg 460w, https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Unitarian-Church-Providence-7-90x60.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/>How and why did American Unitarian Congregationalism die?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In this episode I react to <a href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-167-lamsons-history-of-the-unitarian-congregationalists\/\">last week&#8217;s chapter by Dr. Alvan Lamson<\/a>, and talk about some further statements of his.<\/p>\n<p>I then put this movement into its <strong>historical context<\/strong>, briefly explain how it ceased to be Christian, and then discuss<strong> factors which led to its demise<\/strong>. I focus in particular on their extreme anti-creedalism, their anti-intellectualism, their devotion to politics and focus on various humanitarian causes, the upper-class nature of the movement, their elitism and dismissal of more &#8220;emotional&#8221; piety, and their fetishizing of theological diversity.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, I discuss<strong> ten factors which sociologist Dr. Rodney Stark has suggested explain<\/strong> the success or failure of religious movements, and how they apply to the case at hand. If I&#8217;m right, Stark&#8217;s theory reveals some key weak points of the movement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Links for this episode<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Priestley\">Joseph Priestley, <\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Theophilus_Lindsey\">Theophilus Lindsey, <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Belsham\">Thomas Belsham<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=ftEUAAAAYAAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=new+testament+improved+version&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjPtIXhksfRAhWKTCYKHXiZAOoQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\"><em><strong>The New Testament, In an Improved Version<\/strong>, Upon the Basis of Archbishop Newcome&#8217;s New Translation: with a Corrected Text, and Notes Critical and Explanatory, 4th ed.<\/em> (1817)<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=ftEUAAAAYAAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=new+testament+improved+version&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjPtIXhksfRAhWKTCYKHXiZAOoQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-38361 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-New-Testament-in-an-improved-version-upon-the-basis-of-Archbishop-...-William-Newcome-Google-Books-Mozilla-Firefox-1162017-20614-PM-1.jpg\" width=\"338\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-New-Testament-in-an-improved-version-upon-the-basis-of-Archbishop-...-William-Newcome-Google-Books-Mozilla-Firefox-1162017-20614-PM-1.jpg 338w, https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-New-Testament-in-an-improved-version-upon-the-basis-of-Archbishop-...-William-Newcome-Google-Books-Mozilla-Firefox-1162017-20614-PM-1-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-New-Testament-in-an-improved-version-upon-the-basis-of-Archbishop-...-William-Newcome-Google-Books-Mozilla-Firefox-1162017-20614-PM-1-90x133.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rethinkinghell.com\/\">Rethinking Hell &#8211; Exploring Evangelical Conditionalism<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"podcast 85 \u2013 Heretic! Four Approaches to Dropping H-Bombs\" href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-85-heretic-four-approaches-to-dropping-h-bombs\/\">podcast 85 \u2013 Heretic! Four Approaches to Dropping H-Bombs<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Origen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Origen-Exhortation-Martyrdom-Prayer-Selected\/dp\/0809121980\/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484587613&amp;sr=8-7&amp;keywords=origen%2C+on+prayer\"><em>On Prayer<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Origen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Origen-Contra-Celsum\/dp\/0521295769\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1484587790&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Origen%2C+Contra+Celsum\"><em>Against Celsus<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/who-should-christians-worship\/\">Who Should Christians Worship?<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/who-should-christians-worship\/\"> (<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/who-should-christians-worship\/\">pdf)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/worship-and-revelation-4-5-part-3-revelation-5\/\">Worship and Revelation 4-5<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"podcast 48 \u2013 2 interpretations of Philippians 2 \u2013 part 1\" href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-48-2-interpretations-of-philippians-2-part-1\/\">podcast 48 \u2013 2 interpretations of Philippians 2 \u2013 part 1<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-49-2-interpretations-of-philippians-2-part-2\/\">part 2<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"podcast 141 \u2013 Dr. R.T. Mullins \u2013 Is God timeless?\" href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-141-dr-r-t-mullins-is-god-timeless\/\">podcast 141 \u2013 Dr. R.T. Mullins \u2013 Is God timeless?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"podcast 142 \u2013 Dr. R.T. Mullins on the coherence of \u201cclassical\u201d theism\" href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-142-dr-r-t-mullins-coherence-classical-theism\/\">podcast 142 \u2013 Dr. R.T. Mullins on the coherence of \u201cclassical\u201d theism<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-91-dr-joshua-thurow-on-theories-of-the-atonement\/\">podcast 91 \u2013 Dr. Joshua Thurow on theories of the atonement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong><a title=\"podcast 92 \u2013 Dr. Joshua Thurow on objections to atonement theories\" href=\"http:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/podcast-92-dr-joshua-thurow-on-objections-to-atonement-theories\/\">podcast 92 \u2013 Dr. Joshua Thurow on objections to atonement theories<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Noah Worcester, <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=dvVhAAAAcAAJ&amp;pg=PR1&amp;dq=noah+worcester,+love+not+wrath&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjh95DslcfRAhXKTSYKHQbtD0cQ6AEIIzAB#v=onepage&amp;q=noah%20worcester%2C%20love%20not%20wrath&amp;f=false\"><em>The Atoning Sacrifice; A Display of Love, Not of Wrath<\/em><\/a>, 3rd ed.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.harvardsquarelibrary.org\/biographies\/ralph-waldo-emerson-theology\/\">Ralph Waldo Emerson&#8217;s Theology<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Earl Morse Wilbur, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pacificuu.org\/wilbur\/ouh\/book.html\"><em>Our Unitarian Heritage<\/em><\/a> (1925) (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bahaistudies.net\/asma\/ourunitarianheritage.pdf\">pdf<\/a>)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Grodzins, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s\/ref=assoc_res_sw_view_all?tag=trinitiesorg-20&amp;link_code=w14&amp;linkID=ISZSX35I27NLT3KG&amp;_encoding=UTF-8&amp;field-keywords=American+Heretic%3A+Theodore+Parker+and+Transcendentalism\"><em>American Heretic: Theodore Parker and Transcendentalism<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/public.wsu.edu\/~campbelld\/amlit\/awakening.htm\">The Great Awakening, <\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/history\/people\/evangelistsandapologists\/george-whitefield.html\">George Whitefield<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Rodney Stark, &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/13537909608580764\">Why Religious Movements Succeed or Fail: A Revised General Model<\/a>&#8220;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Matthew 28: 16-20; 1 Corinthians 1:10-30; Revelation 5.<\/li>\n<li>This week&#8217;s thinking music is &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/freemusicarchive.org\/music\/Little_Glass_Men\/Debut_EP\/Golden_1541\">Golden<\/a>&#8221; by <a href=\"http:\/\/freemusicarchive.org\/music\/Little_Glass_Men\/\">Little Glass Men<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How and why did American Unitarian Congregationalism die?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[61,62,58,14,57,77,43,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-atonement","category-calvinism","category-creeds","category-history","category-podcast","category-protestant","category-unitarianism","category-worship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38338"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38368,"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38338\/revisions\/38368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}