Universalist Church of America

The Universalist Church of America was a Christian Church in the United States, which in 1961 united with the North American Unitarians to the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The church represented a Christian universalism, which rejected the eternal damnation of man in the sense of Allaussöhnung ( Apokatastasis ) and instead went out of the possibility of universal salvation.

History

The North American universalism developed in the 18th century in a predominantly Protestant oriented environment. Influences came in part from the Anabaptist movement and the Pietism - for example, in regard to an individual approach to faith or formulated by Zinzendorf claim a religion of the heart. A first regional center formed the Mid-Atlantic States. Among the first leading Universalists may be mentioned, among others, George de Benneville and Elhanan Winchester. Benneville stood among others in touch with the Ephrata Cloister was founded by German immigrants in Pennsylvania and sought early to a translation of the work universalist The eternal gospel of the coming from Germany Georg Klein - Nicolai.

In 1779 was founded in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the first Universalist church. A crucial role was played by the British-born Rev. John Murray, who is (along with Hosea Ballou ) also regarded as a founding father of American Universalism. From 1785 annual meetings were held in New England, which were renamed in 1804 under the name The General Convention of Universalists in the New England States and Others. In subsequent years, established themselves in other states regional structures such as the Philadelphia Convention in Pennsylvania. The Universalists close up a mostly a liberal position on social issues. As an example, the suffragist Olympia Brown may be called, which was one of the first female pastors in North America. In 1866, finally established the Universalist General Convention, in 1942 renamed to Universalist Church in America. In 1899, there were initial discussions about the possibility with the North American Unitarians of the American Unitarian Association to close together. In 1961 merged the two churches to today's Unitarian Universalist Association, the Christian universalism, however, was marginalized during the 20th century from a rather pantheistic humanist conception.

In 2007, with the Christian Universalist Association in North America, a new actual permanent Christian non- salis tables Association.