1595 – George Ludwig Leuchsner entered the University of Altdorf. He later became a leader of the Socinians in Poland and Germany. In about 1616, under government pressure, he denied having been a Socinian, after which there are no further records of his life or work.
The post December 1 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
Königsberg, Germany
1680 – Christopher Sandius Jr., the author of many Arianist tracts, died at age 36. Born in Königsberg, Germany into an avidly anti-Trinitarian family, he became a proofreader when other work was denied him because of his beliefs. His Nucleus historiae ecclisiasticae is an important work in 18th century theology and claimed the attention of the likes of Newton and Spinoza.
The post November 30 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
1832 – The author Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Her father was Bronson Alcott, a founder of the Transcendentalist Club. She worked as a teacher and domestic worker and eventually began to write poems and short stories for children. Alcott was an ardent abolitionist and served as a nurse during the Civil War. This experience provided the material for Hospital Sketches, which established her literary reputation. Her best-known story, a great financial success, is Little Women, which was largely autobiographical. Alcott did not like formal church connections, but her beliefs were Unitarian. Read more about Louisa May Alcott at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
The post November 29 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
1909 – Lotta Hitschmanova was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. She was anti-Nazi and went into exile in Canada when World War II threatened. Her parents were imprisoned in Auschwitz during the war and she never heard from them again. She founded the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada and directed it for 40 years to help the children of Europe. The Unitarian church in Ottawa, Canada where she attended was an important supporter of her work. The government of France made her Chevalier of Public Health in 1950 and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi named her Woman of the Year for India in 1975. Read more about Lotta Hitschmanova at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
The post November 28 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
1895 – The Unitarian preacher Octavius Brooks Frothingham died at age 73. He was ordained by the North Church in Salem, Massachusetts, where he became an eloquent preacher. As he became more radical, friends in New York organized for him the Third Congregational Unitarian Church, where he served ever-larger gatherings from 1859 to 1879. Frothingham wrote Transcendentalism in New England (1876) and Boston Unitarianism 1820-50 (1890). He founded the Free Religious Association. Read more about Octavius Brooks Frothingham at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
The post November 27 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
Gdansk, Poland
1608 – Andrew Wissowatius Jr., the grandson of Faustus Socinus, was born in Philipow, Lithuania. He studied theology at Rakow, Poland, a Socinian stronghold, and traveled widely, including to Holland, France, and England. As the superintendent of various churches, Wissowatius stayed in Poland through the persecution of Socinians, took refuge in Prussia, and then returned to Poland. His house and library were destroyed and he was banished, according to an edict that set a deadline of July 10, 1660 for Socinians to convert or leave Poland. Although at first Wissowatius refused to go, in later years he became a scholar in Holland.
The post November 26 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
1758 – Noah Worcester was born in Hollis, New Hampshire. Descended from a long line of distinguished clergy, he conducted morning and evening family worship from the age of 12. He had little formal schooling and joined the American revolutionary army in 1775. Desperately poor, Worcester studied theology on his own, was ordained a Unitarian minister, and served several churches. Although he had served in George Washington’s army, he later founded the Massachusetts Peace Society. Read more about Noah Worcester at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
The post November 25 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
1899 – The Unitarian abolitionist Samuel May died in Leicester, Massachusetts, at age 89, where he was a minister. He was forced to resign because of his strong support for abolition. He became a leader in the anti-slavery movement as secretary of the Massachusetts Anti-slavery Society, a position he held from 1847 until 1865. It was the great work of his life. He also served in the Massachusetts legislature. Read more about Samuel May at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
The post November 24 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
1996 – Angus deMille Cameron, a distinguished Unitarian minister from Canada who was active in denominational affairs, died on the Kingston Peninsula in New Brunswick at the age of 83.
The post November 23 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
1569 – Coelius Secundus Curio, a Catholic heretic influenced by Martin Luther, died at age 66. Born to a distinguished family, he was imprisoned several times by the Inquisition for his anti-Trinitarian ideas. Each time he escaped. In 1547 he settled in Switzerland and became professor of literature at the University of Basel. His works include An Essay on the Providence of God, An Essay on the Immortality of the Soul, and Dialogues on the Extent of God’s Kingdom.
The post November 22 first appeared on Harvard Square Library.
Read more at: www.HarvardSquareLibrary.org – the digital library of Unitarian Universalism.
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