Some years ago now, I did a mini-rant post on the dearth of Unitarian Universalist scholarly writing on religion available in the marketplace of ideas. I’m here to do it again.
I’m working on a book project and have started the research and reading phase. Now, for some of what I’m interested in, I do not–and did not–expect there to be much written about it from Unitarian Universalists. So on this hand, I am not disappointed. But it is so frustrating to not have Unitarian Universalist scholarly work on scripture (not just the Bible, all of the major religions’ holy works).
Why doesn’t Beacon Press have something akin to the Abingdon New/Old Testament Commentaries? Why aren’t we publishing a Qur’anic commentary series by noted Muslim scholars? Or a series about the Vedas by Hindu scholars? and so on and so on and so on.
Why is it, for all of our supposed intellectualism on a wide range of subjects, most Unitarian Universalist show absolutely no curiosity regarding religion itself?
Part of the reason UU social justice work can be so haphazard is because most UUs don’t understand that the only way to sustain oneself in the work of social justice is to have a firm religious grounding.
I know I just turned off a lot of you by saying that, but truth is truth. I am not saying that one has to be Christian or Jewish or Buddhist or Muslim or Hindu. I am saying that in order to be effective ecumenically and interfaith-ly, one actually has to have a grounding in something. This means moving beyond Building Your Own Theology/Religion 101.
James Luther Adams talked a lot about examining faith. How many UUs, outside of those who go to seminary (ministers, religious educators, pastoral counselors and the like), actually examine their faith? Or even more basically, how many UUs know what their faith is?
oh well.
East Of Midnight 