by L. B. Fisher (Author)
A history of Universalism may mean either of two things. It may mean an account of the rise and growth of the Universalist ideas, or it may mean the story of the organizing of the men and women who hold these ideas into what we today call the Universalist Church. Men held Universalist ideas for a long time before there was any organized Universalist Church. Many today hold Universalist ideas who are not in the Universalist Church. In the first chapter of this book something will be said of those who held the Universalist ideas but who never organized any denomination with that name. The other chapters will attempt to tell the story of the heroic endeavors of those who rejoiced to hold our ideas, but who, desiring that these ideas might prevail, strove to gather in one visible company all who held them. Originally published around 1912 for use in Universalist Church Sunday Schools, this small but comprehensive book includes such chapters as: the history of ancient Universalism, Universalism in America before John Murray, the theology of John Murray, the theology of Hosea Ballou, Universalist creeds, and much more.