"The names are familiar from history—Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller, Dix, Peabody, Brown, Alcott. Yet Polly Peterson works a not-so-small miracle—she makes them come alive. In Stirring the Nation's Heart these women and men who challenged the religious and cultural institutions of their day are at it again—confronting us, our assumptions and status quo. Thank you Polly, and welcome back you old heretics and firebrands! We've missed you."—Erik Walker Wikstrom, worship and music resources director, Unitarian Universalist Association
Here are eighteen compelling stories from the lives of some of the nineteenth-century Transcendentalists and reformers who played key roles in Unitarian Universalist history. Each story is preceded by introductory material to provide context, and followed by quotations that give a fuller picture of the life and work of the subject. Supplementary materials make each story part of a complete program, including discussion questions suitable for small groups, activities for congregations and families, and suggestions for ways to apply the wisdom from each historical figure's story to issues and challenges in today's world. Ideal for adult religious education, congregational worship, small group ministry, Coming of Age groups, multigenerational gatherings or family use.
Listen to an interview about the book with Gail Forsyth-Vail, developmental editor of Stirring the Nation's Heart.
Dear Friends,
I work closely with Skinner House Books, and I've just discovered something worth passing along.
You are their authors. And they're always looking for proposals. Recently, Mary Benard, editorial director, pointed me to the list of ideas they'd like to publish on. It includes:
Stories about Unitarian Universalism transforming lives
Living a life of faith
Innovative worship
Unitarian Universalist theology on sin, confession, reconciliation
Presenting Unitarian Universalism to people from a variety of cultural traditions and religious backgrounds.
An insightful tool for understanding children and youth at each stage of development. Outlines typical progressions in physical, cognitive, social, emotional, moral and spiritual development from infancy to early twenties. Includes key characteristics at each phase of development and suggestions for supporting the child in the context of UU values.
"Stories in Faith ushers you into a world of peddlers and fairy queens, bulrushes and donkeys—as real and as mysterious as the stars. As a lover of stories, that would be enough for me. But there's much more—historical context, connections to our Principles and Sources, plus creative activities for congregations and families."
—Jessica York, Youth Programs Director, Unitarian Universalist Association
Seeing youth as equal participants in congregational life, Schwendeman demonstrates how teens are an enormous generative force for our faith communities and how adults have much to learn from youth about passion, friendship, discrimination, equality, faith and more. Social justice work is an effective tool for bringing the generations together and the items included in this excellent resource have the potential to build rich partnerships among children, youth, adults and elders. Includes practical tips for 101 social action projects.
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