Books about Unitarian from Amazon.com

On a February day in 2008, Forrest Church sent a letter to the members of his congregation, informing them that he had terminal cancer; his life would now be measured in months, not years. In that remarkable letter, he wrote: "In more than one respect, I feel very lucky." He went on to promise that he would sum up his thoughts on the topics that had been so pervasive in his work—love and death—in a final book.

Church has been justly celebrated as a writer of American history, but his works of spiritual guidance have been especially valued for their insight and inspiration. As a minister, Church defined religion as "our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die." The goal of life, he tells us "is to live in such a way that our lives will prove worth dying for." This last book in his impressive oeuvre is imbued with ideas and exemplars for achieving that goal. The stories he offers—drawn from his own experiences and from the lives of his friends, family, and parishioners—are both engrossing and enlightening. Forrest Church's final work may be his most lasting gift to his readers.

"Truly a gift, one that will echo in my own preaching and teaching, and in my own life as well. Like Moses gazing at the Promised Land he would not enter, Forrest Church blesses us with his eloquence, his faith, and, mostly, his love."
—Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

"Love & Death is transformative. I was not prepared for the power of this splendid, soaring book. It totally captured me."
—Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of Creating a Life

"In the midst of an extremity for which there is no euphemism—the prospect of his own imminent death—Forrest Church has written a book that defies the usual adjectives. It is poignant, moving, candid, and eloquent; but it is also so much more. Love & Death, a meditation on the end of life, is really a book about life—a book that shows us how to love ourselves and others, how to know God, how to live. I read it with inexpressible gratitude."
—James Atlas, author of My Life in the Middle Ages

"Forrest Church is one of our great prophetic intellectuals and compassionate voices. His poignant and wise words on the two ultimate realities of our journey—love and death—reveal his grand courage and vision."
—Cornel West, author of Race Matters

"Forrest Church, a deeply spiritual but always practical visionary, is a minister to us all with this moving and instructive book on the lessons of life and death. A lovely, important book."
—Tom Brokaw

"This beautiful book by a matchless preacher, poet, and author is Forrest Church in his finest hour."
—Senator George McGovern.
Price: $14.96 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The inspirational classic that has
sold over 250,000 copies!

In this classic work, Eric Butterworth sees the divine within us all to be a hidden and untapped resource of limitless abundance. Exploring this "depth potential," Butterworth outlines ways in which we can release the power locked within us and let our "light shine."

"There is only one way under the sun by which a man can achieve his 'Mt. Olympus' -- that is to say, achieve the realization and unfoldment of his own innate divinity -- and that is by bringing about a radical and permanent change for the better in his own consciousness," writes Butterworth.

Butterworth demonstrates that the existence of this divine dimension in each individual is the greatest discovery of all time. He explains the universality of such vital subjects as: how to succeed; how to pray; how to find confidence; how to overcome personal problems; and how to find healing. With insight and sensitivity, Butterworth opens new doors of self-knowledge, and outlines ways in which we can release the power within.

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A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism, by John A. Buehrens and Forrest Church, is hard to describe The book is a history of the denomination, with lively passages depicting the lives and ministries of important Unitarian-Universalist leaders such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Ellery Channing. Yet it is also a collection of testimonies by contemporary laypeople and ministers, who describe their churches' responses to questions ranging from "How do I know when to get married?" to "How should the government treat single mothers?" The funny and wise introduction was written by Robert Fulghum, who indulges the often invoked criticism that Unitarian Universalism's ideals are interchangeable with those of PBS. And, finally, it contains some straightforward explications of the denomination's core principles. The Church's aversion to creeds will be off-putting to some readers--at times, it seems Unitarian Universalists believe in nothing so much as not committing to any one belief. But there's something universally refreshing about this protean faith: most religious people, at one time or another, find that God leads them to reject some tenets of their religion. Unitarian Universalists have a true genius for accepting God's most surprising Words, which makes A Chosen Faith a valuable resource for all of us. --Michael Joseph Gross.
Price: $8.50 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"Sixteenth-century clergyman Francis David said, `There have always been many opinions about faith and salvation You need not think alike to love alike.' At interfaith or secular gatherings, a widely diverse population needs to share a common language of love, respect, justice, peace, and hope. When our faith differences are acknowledged and supported, we are more likely to find ourselves united."— from the Introduction

 For interfaith gatherings, collection of nearly 80 prayers.
 Prayers are grouped for easy reference, including Ordinations and Installations; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Events; Dedications; Unity and Diversity; Peace and Justice; Gratitude and Remembrance.
 Focus is on what people of all faiths can share.
 Practical advice on prayer making is presented in 3 opening chapters on how to address the holy, creating sacred space with prayer, and how to close prayers.

Though prayer itself is universal, many traditional prayers are not accessible to people of all faiths. Occasions of public prayer, often occurring at secular events, are most successful when they welcome all that are present. A fitting prayer must invoke a sense of the holy and provide a common ground of belonging for everyone. In this inspiring collection, Annie Foerster presents a wealth of useful guidance on crafting universal prayers, along with an abundant sampling of beautiful prayers of all kinds, for adaptation or for use as they are. Beneficial for clergy, lay ministers, anyone participating in interfaith worship and readers who want to write prayers of their own..
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The Golden Thread

God’s Promise of Universal Salvation

In our modern pluralistic world, the barriers imposed by the old doctrine of religious exclusivity are confronted every day by individuals, families, and nations. Now more than ever, the inspirational message of God’s Universal and eternal love for all humanity needs to be retold. By reacquainting readers with the God who is too good to condemn anyone to Eternal Hell, The Golden Thread, God’s Promise of Universal Salvation offers a Biblical interpretation present in Christianity from the earliest Jesus-Followers to the 21st Century. Salvation for all is known as Universalism, and the idea that all people will be saved—either immediately or eventually—is called Universal Restoration.

Proponents of Universalism can be found today within a wide variety of denominations from post-Vatican II Catholics to Primitive Baptists. The Golden Thread brings together the Bible verses that ancient and modern Universalist theologians have used to show that God is the parent of all and, in the end, will save the “Lost Sheep” and the “Prodigal Son.” The Golden Thread continues with 2,000 years of Christian mystical religious experience and modern-day near-death experiences—testimony to God’s abiding love for all.

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Forty inspiring contributors share their personal spiritual practices for making each day more meaningful and satisfying--from meditation and prayer, to recycling and vegetarianism, to quilting and art. This collection suggests a wide variety of ways in which you can spiritually examine, shape, and care for your life, to achieve wholeness, satisfaction, depth, and meaning..
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In a work of striking breadth and clarity, Paul Conkin offers an even-handed and in-depth look at the major American-made forms of Christianity—a diverse group of religious traditions, each of which reflects a significant break from western Christian orthodoxy.

Identifying six distinctive types, Conkin examines the major denominations representative of each original variety of American Christianity: restoration (Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ); humanistic (Unitarians, Universalists); apocalyptic (Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses); Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints); spiritual (Christian Science, Unity); and ecstatic (Holiness and Pentecostal denominations). Focusing on the early years and maturation of these groups, he discusses their founders and leaders, origins and Old World roots, and essential doctrines and practices. Conkin closes each chapter with a guide to further reading.

The first comprehensive survey of these American originals, this book will serve as a valuable resource on a number of religious traditions whose members not only comprise a significant percentage of the American population but also make up an increasing proportion of Christian converts worldwide..
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