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Sacred Service in Civic Space: Three Hundred Years of Community Ministry in Unitarian Universalism

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"To minister is to serve." So begins the opening chapter of 'Sacred Service in Civic Space,' an historical account of the leadership provided by Unitarian Universalists in most of the social justice movements in American history. Parker describes who, how and why Unitarian Universalists have unrelentingly worked to humanize the criminal justice system, develop health and mental health services, end the nuclear arms race and work for peace and against war, abolish slavery and protect and legislate civil rights for minorities and all others disenfranchised or oppressed. While tracing the major social justice movements in U.S. history, she spotlights religious liberals who provided leadership in those movements, and she describes the theological tenets which served to motivate liberal religious clergy and laypersons to work tirelessly for social justice. Unitarian Universalists, she states, have always understood social justice work to be an expression of their liberal faith.

This book is especially recommended to persons interested in the history of religion in the United States and the history of liberal religious involvement in the work for social justice in civil rights, peace, healthcare reform and criminal justice in the United States.