Perspectives World Christian Movement, Signed (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. Photographs (illustrator). 1st Edition. Ix, 209 Pp. Yellow Cloth Lettered In Black. First Printing, 1946 Date On Title And Copyright Pages. Inscribed At Length From Fritchman To Social Artist William Gropper, Undated, At Boston. Light Usage. Dust Jacket Priced $2.00, 1 1/2" X 1" Hole Near Bottom Of Front Panel, Without Loss Of Lettering. The Flaps Contain An Extremely Favorable Review By Dilworth Lupton In The Christian Register, "I Believe This Handbook Of Religious Liberalism To Be The Most Graphic And Stirring Ever Published." Very Scarce, Present In Many Institutional Collections Internationally But Scarce In The Trade. Stephen Fritchman Served As The Minister Of First Unitarian From 1948 To 1969. During His Tenure, The Church Supported A Number Of Progressive Causes. In The 1950S And 60S, The Church Took Strong Stands Against The Korean And Vietnam Wars. On February 21, 1954, The First Unitarian Congregation Voted To Refuse To Sign A "Loyalty Oath" To The United States That The State Of California Required From Non-Profits As A Condition Of Keeping Their Non-Profit Status. The Church Issued Released A Press Statement Saying, "While Unitarians Yield To None In The Degree Of Their Loyalty To This Country, They Also Yield To None In Their Determination To Protect Religious, Philosophical And Political Freedom For Every American." The Church Sued The City Of Los Angeles In An Effort To Overturn The Law And In 1958, The U.S. Supreme Court Ruled In Favor First Unitarian, Invalidating The Law. Fritchman's And The Church's Strong Defense Of Civil Liberties And The Freedom Of Speech Help Build The Church's Relationship With Los Angeles Liberals And Leftists, Including The Motion Picture Artists Called The "Hollywood Ten" That Were Accused Of Having Communist Ties Or Sympathies. Over Its Many Years First Unitarian Has Hosted A Number Of Famous Speakers Including W.E.B. Du Bois, Thomas Mann, Linus Pauling, Pete Seeger, Paul Robeson, Jane Fonda, And Rita Moreno. Fritchman Was Known As A Warm, Charismatic Speaker With A Sense Of Humor. He Cared Deeply About Social Justice Issues And The Importance Of A Liberal Church As A Religious Institution. Under His Ministry, First Unitarian Grew In Membership To Over 1,200 With Weekly Attendance Of Over 400. The Church Was Also The Home Of German Writer And Nobel Prize Winner Thomas Mann. Inscribed by Author(s).