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151-435: Newington Green Unitarian Church is one of England's oldest Unitarian churches, located on Newington Green , north London. The site has maintained strong ties to progressive political and religious causes for over 300 years, and is London's oldest Nonconformist place of worship still in use. The church was founded in 1708 by English Dissenters , a community of which had been gathering around Newington Green for at least half

302-552: A Jewish family in New York . His MIT doctorate in biology and master's degree in business led to his first career in biotechnology management and business development, before he undertook ministerial training, completing his studies at Unitarian College, Manchester . He began serving in October 2006, was inducted as full minister in January 2010, and was elected to the executive committee of

453-496: A "Socinian" view was James Freeman . Regarding the virgin birth of Jesus among those who denied the preexistence of Christ, some held to it and others did not. Its denial is sometimes ascribed to the Ebionites ; however, Origen ( Contra Celsum v.61) and Eusebius ( HE iii.27) both indicate that some Ebionites did accept the virgin birth. On the other hand, Theodotus of Byzantium , Artemon , and Paul of Samosata all accepted

604-516: A banker by day and an Egyptologist and Bible translator in his leisure hours. In 1870 he was elected Chairman of the British and Foreign Unitarian Society. Andrew Pritchard (1804–1882) was treasurer of NGUC 1850–73, during which time donations doubled. He was a microscope and slide maker who made significant improvements to microscopy and studied microscopic organisms; he was a friend of Michael Faraday and for him, science and religion were one. He led

755-472: A birthday cake baked by men; and other activities. Pakula's sermon in honour of the Wollstonecraft anniversary stressed her role as a prophet. This excerpt serves as a flavour of the emphasis given to social action within the church: Mary Wollstonecraft was a unique individual—brilliant and strong. She was one who would not be swept along in stream of the common beliefs and understandings of her time. Hers

906-610: A century before that date. The church is operated by New Unity and is part of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches . Its most famous minister was Dr Richard Price , a political radical who is remembered for his role in the Revolution Controversy , a British debate about the French Revolution , but who also did pioneering work in finance and statistics. The most famous member of its congregation

1057-964: A church hierarchy that includes the election by the synod of a national bishop who serves as superintendent of the Church. Many Hungarian Unitarians embrace the principles of rationalist Unitarianism. Unitarian high schools exist only in Transylvania (Romania), including the John Sigismund Unitarian Academy in Cluj-Napoca , the Protestant Theological Institute of Cluj , and the Berde Mózes Unitárius Gimnázium in Cristuru Secuiesc ; both teach Rationalist Unitarianism. The Unitarian Christian Association (UCA)

1208-663: A collection of both existing and extinct Christian groups (whether historically related to each other or not) that share a common theological concept of the unitary nature of God. Unitarian Christian communities and churches have developed in Central Europe (mostly Romania and Hungary ), Ireland , India , Jamaica , Japan , Canada , Nigeria , South Africa , the United Kingdom , and the United States . In British America , different schools of Unitarian theology first spread in

1359-575: A couple of months later. Pakula stated that same-sex couples "are being treated like second-class citizens when they are forbidden to celebrate their unions in a way that heterosexual couples take for granted". The BBC called it a "gay rights church" for its unanimous committee vote suspending full wedding services, although NGUC is not a "gay church" such as the Metropolitan Community Church , and it still conducts ceremonial blessings of relationships, straight and gay. The church's decision

1510-399: A cultural and intellectual centre of a whole society, a place where ideas about society were openly and critically discussed. Inner London Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs that form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London . With its origins in the bills of mortality , it became fixed as an area for statistics in 1847 and

1661-540: A drive among urban planners for greener, less dense settlements. Inner London reached a post-War nadir, a population not seen since the early 19th century in 1981 having 2,550,100 residents, after which an upward trend ensued and Inner London residents numbered 3,231,901 in 2011 — 1,766,336 short of the 1911 peak. For the purposes of the London Plan planning document produced by the Mayor of London , Inner London consists of

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1812-492: A famous or notorious preacher. He rejected traditional Christian notions of original sin and moral punishment, preaching the perfectibility of human nature, and he wrote on theological questions. However, his interests were wide-ranging, and during the decades Price spent as minister of NGUC, he also wrote on finance, economics, probability, and life insurance, being inducted into the Royal Society in recognition of his work. On

1963-761: A few years he became the leader of the Unitarian movement. A theological battle with the Congregational Churches resulted in the formation of the American Unitarian Association at Boston in 1825. Certainly, the unitarian theology was being "adopted" by the Congregationalists from the 1820s onwards. This movement is also evident in England at this time. The first school founded by the Unitarians in

2114-551: A generation later, with the passing of the Act of Toleration 1689 , which guaranteed freedom of worship for certain groups. It allowed Nonconformists (or Dissenters ) their own places of worship and their own teachers and preachers, subject to certain oaths of allegiance and to the registering of these locations and leaders, but it perpetuated their existing social and political disabilities, including their exclusion from political office and also from universities ( Oxford and Cambridge were

2265-407: A half was over. The more particular event sowed its own seeds of destruction, as Gilchrist gradually changed his opinions and eventually wrote a pamphlet called "Unitarianism Abandoned", which infuriated his very Unitarian congregation. For a long time he refused to resign, but in the end he was forced out, and the church built a safeguard against such a future occurrence by holding annual elections for

2416-673: A house to rent and 20 students to fill it. Her patron—or matron—was the well-off Mrs Burgh, widow of the educationalist, who treated her almost as a daughter. The new arrival attended services at NGUC: she was a lifelong Anglican, but, in keeping with the church's and Price's ethos of logical enquiry and individual conscience, believers of all kinds were welcomed without any expectation of conversion. The approach of these Rational Dissenters appealed to Wollstonecraft: they were hard-working, humane, critical but uncynical, and respectful towards women, and in her hour of need proved kinder to her than her own family. She, an unmarried woman making her own way in

2567-442: A lazy-minded majority", so too were women, and the "character defects of both groups" could be attributed to this discrimination. A commemorative mural dedicated to Wollstonecraft stands in the church, which has been described as "the birthplace of feminism ". It would have been hard for anyone to step into the shoes of Dr Price, but the minister from 1778 to his death in 1799 was a remarkable character in his own right. Joseph Towers

2718-543: A non-religious, New Unity, group explaining this as "New Unity is committed to equality between people of all genders and fully embraces LGBTQ+ people. There is no set of mandatory beliefs; people have the right and responsibility to think for themselves." Courtney revived the Richard Price Memorial Lecture, which had last been given in 1981. NGUC now sponsors it annually, to address "a topical or important aspect of liberty, reason and ethics". In September 2003

2869-637: A pre-existent Jesus who was subordinate to God the Father were Lucian of Antioch , Eusebius of Caesarea , Arius , Eusebius of Nicomedia , Asterius the Sophist , Eunomius , and Ulfilas , as well as Felix, Bishop of Urgell . Proponents of this Christology also associate it (more controversially) with Justin Martyr and Hippolytus of Rome . Antitrinitarian Michael Servetus did not deny the pre-existence of Christ, so he may have believed in it. (In his "Treatise Concerning

3020-571: A proper meeting house. (It is worth mentioning here the early religious evolution of this church. It started as Presbyterian , with views on the Trinity as orthodox as those held by the Church of England. In fact, several of its first ministers chose to conform, i.e. rejoin, the established church: one of these was Richard Biscoe , who gave the Boyle Lectures in the late 1730s. However, NGUC soon acquired ministers who were Arian , that is, who denied

3171-459: A return visit and lecture by biographer Barbara Taylor ; a panel discussion about women and power, between female politicians Diane Abbott MP, Jean Lambert MEP, and Emily Thornberry MP; an art exhibition titled Mother of Feminism; a concert featuring Carol Grimes and Adey Grummet, to raise money for Stop the Traffik , an anti-trafficking charity; a tombstone tribute at St Pancras Old Church ;

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3322-539: A signatory to the Oregon State Constitution, founded the first Unitarian church in Oregon in 1865. Eleven Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Unitarians: Robert Millikan and John Bardeen (twice) in physics; Emily Green Balch , Albert Schweitzer and Linus Pauling for peace; George Wald and David H. Hubel in medicine; Linus Pauling in chemistry; and Herbert A. Simon in economics. Four presidents of

3473-575: A steady decline as that of Outer London continued to increase. The census of 1951 showed the damage inflicted by the 1940s Blitz as the population of Greater London switched into decline which was reversed in Outer London with house building and territory expansion whereas in Inner London continued. The war damage and early 20th century slums had physical and psychological hence property price effects and focus on New Towns and suburban development reflected

3624-446: A story for all ages; and include sermons, prayers, hymns and songs. Some will allow attendees to publicly share their recent joys or concerns. This section relates to Unitarian churches and organizations today which are still specifically Christian, whether within or outside Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism, conversely, refers to the embracing of non-Christian religions. Some Unitarian Christian groups are affiliated with

3775-610: A theology and as a denominational family of churches , was defined and developed in Poland, Transylvania, England, Wales, India, Japan, Jamaica, the United States, and beyond in the 16th century through the present. Although common beliefs existed among Unitarians in each of these regions, they initially grew independently from each other. Only later did they influence one another and accumulate more similarities. The Ecclesia minor or Minor Reformed Church of Poland , better known today as

3926-684: A tool for missionary work or encouraging conversions. In India, three different schools of Unitarian thought influenced varying movements, including the Brahmo Samaj , the Unitarian Church of the Khasi Hills , and the Unitarian Christian Church of Chennai , in Madras, founded in 1795. As of 2011, "Thirty-five congregations and eight fellowships comprising almost 10,000 Unitarians now form

4077-635: A tribute to Priestley), hymns, children's literature , and political and religious tracts. She was an abolitionist, addressing one of her works to William Wilberforce . In 1793 she contributed to the Pamphlet War, "Sins of the Government, Sins of the Nation". Two years later she wrote The Rights of Women , but it was not published until her death 30 years later. Rochemont eventually went violently insane, attacked his wife, and committed suicide by drowning himself in

4228-502: Is 319 km (123 sq mi) and the population at the 2021 Census was 3,404,300. Figures before 1971 have been reconstructed by the Office for National Statistics based on past censuses in order to fit the 2001 limits. Figures from 1981 onward are ONS midyear estimates (revised as of 2010). After centuries of increase, the population of Inner London reached its peak of 4,998,237 in 1911. The area's population from World War I began

4379-423: Is a proper noun and follows the same English usage as other Christian theologies that have developed within a religious group or denomination (such as Calvinism , Anabaptism , Adventism , Lutheranism , Wesleyanism , etc.). The term existed shortly before it became the name of a distinct religious tradition, thus occasionally it is used as a common noun to describe any understanding of Jesus Christ that denies

4530-423: Is considered a factor in the decline of classical deism because there were people who increasingly preferred to identify themselves as Unitarians rather than deists. Several tenets of Unitarianism overlap with the predominant Muslim view of Jesus and Islamic understanding of monotheism . The Christology commonly called " Socinian " (after Fausto Sozzini , one of the founders of Unitarian theology) refers to

4681-548: Is likely that he worshipped at NGUC, with his son Arthur , a prominent scientist, and his daughter Lucy , a biographer. They lived in a house previously occupied by Adam Anderson , clerk to the South Sea Company . Thomas Rees took over after Barbauld's death. He was a leading authority of the history of Unitarianism , and made connections with the Unitarian Church of Transylvania . In 1813 two things occurred, key to

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4832-705: Is not required. The modern Unitarian Church in Hungary (25,000 members) and the Transylvanian Unitarian Church (75,000 members) are affiliated with the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) and claim continuity with the historical Unitarian Christian tradition established by Ferenc Dávid in 1565 in Transylvania under John II Sigismund Zápolya . The Unitarian churches in Hungary and Transylvania are structured and organized along

4983-735: Is officially the wealthiest area in Europe with the most expensive street in Europe: as of 2013, the GDP per capita was more than €80,000 while the UK GDP per capita was around €27,000. The area that is now Inner London was defined by the Registrar General as a collection of parishes called "London" and appeared in the 1851 Census . At the time the metropolitan area—commonly called the Metropolis—had its origins in

5134-532: Is striking a blow for human rights ." Following in the steps of his immediate predecessor, who used his inaugural column in the N16 magazine to address the international furore around Gene Robinson 's election as bishop, Pakula sees homophobia as the real problem, and his congregation did consider challenging the law under the European Convention on Human Rights . Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell called on

5285-490: Is used as part of the grant settlement used to finance local government. The statutory Inner London boroughs are: Newham London Borough Council argues that the municipality should be treated as part of Inner London for statutory purposes, as it is for statistical purposes (see below). This would benefit the borough financially. Only the North Woolwich area of Newham fell within the former County of London , however, and

5436-501: The American Unitarian Association began to allow non-Christian and non-theistic churches and individuals to be part of their fellowship. As a result, people who held no Unitarian belief began to be called Unitarians because they were members of churches that belonged to the American Unitarian Association. After several decades, the non-theistic members outnumbered the theological Unitarians. Unitarianism, both as

5587-701: The Biographia Britannica , a forerunner of the Dictionary of National Biography . He was secretary of the highly respectable Society for Constitutional Information , which lobbied for political liberties, but it was suppressed by the authorities, who lived in fear of the Reign of Terror crossing the Channel. Towers was put under arrest until the Archbishop of Canterbury intervened on his behalf. In 1808, Rochemont Barbauld

5738-455: The Dickensian poverty, evident in cholera epidemics and rampant malnutrition, made social responsibility an urgent necessity. The minister who guided the first 25 years of this (1839–64) was Thomas Cromwell , FSA (1792–1870). (Like many Anglican vicars, one of his hobbies was local history .) A charity school for 14 girls and a monitorial Sunday school for 150 children had been set up in

5889-739: The Earl of Shelburne , Earl Stanhope (known as "Citizen Stanhope"), and even the Prime Minister William Pitt ; philosophers David Hume and Adam Smith ; agitators such as prison reformer John Howard , gadfly John Horne Tooke , and husband and wife John and Ann Jebb , who between them campaigned on expansion of the franchise , opposition to the war with America , support for the French Revolution , abolitionism , and an end to legal discrimination against Roman Catholics ; writers such as poet and banker Samuel Rogers ; and clergyman-mathematician Thomas Bayes , known for Bayes' theorem . Price

6040-556: The Holy Spirit . This Christology existed in some form or another prior to Sozzini. Theodotus of Byzantium , Artemon and Paul of Samosata denied the pre-existence of Christ. These ideas were continued by Marcellus of Ancyra and his pupil Photinus in the 4th century AD. In the Radical Reformation and Anabaptist movements of the 16th century this idea resurfaced with Sozzini's uncle, Lelio Sozzini . Having influenced

6191-630: The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU), founded in 1995. The ICUU has "full member" groups in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, EUU, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain. Sri Lanka and the United States. Brazil is a Provisional Member. The ICUU includes small "Associate Groups", including Congregazione Italiana Cristiano Unitariana, Turin (founded in 2004) and

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6342-626: The Logos , or the Word, a being begotten or created by God, who dwelt with God in heaven. There are many varieties of this form of Unitarianism, ranging from the belief that the Son was a divine spirit of the same substance (called Subordinationism ) or of a similar substance to that of God (called Semi-Arianism ) to the belief that he was an angel or other lesser spirit creature of a wholly different nature from God. Not all of these views necessarily were held by Arius ,

6493-714: The London Borough of Hackney , although the rest of the green is part of the London Borough of Islington . After the end of Oliver Cromwell 's Commonwealth and the Restoration of Charles II , those in England and Wales who were not members of the Church of England found themselves in an uncomfortable position. Several pieces of legislation, known collectively as the Clarendon Code , made their lives difficult. The first restricted public office to Anglicans. The Act of Uniformity

6644-469: The National Urban League , and Florence Nightingale in humanitarianism and social justice; John Bowring , Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Elizabeth Gaskell in literature; Frank Lloyd Wright in the arts; Josiah Wedgwood , Richard Peacock and Samuel Carter MP in industry; Thomas Starr King in ministry and politics; and Charles William Eliot in education. Julia Ward Howe was a leader in

6795-643: The New England Colonies and subsequently in the Mid-Atlantic States . The first official acceptance of the Unitarian faith on the part of a congregation in North America was by King's Chapel in Boston, from where James Freeman began teaching Unitarian doctrine in 1784 and was appointed rector. Later in 1785, he created a revised Unitarian Book of Common Prayer based on Lindsey's work. Unitarianism

6946-521: The New River that runs through Islington. Anna remained a member of the congregation until her death and is commemorated in the church with a plaque which praises her work for "the Cause of Humanity, Peace, and Justice, [and] of Civil and Religious Liberty". Her brother Dr John Aikin lived nearby, and together they co-authored books such as Evenings at Home . As he had been a Unitarian minister in his youth, it

7097-584: The Polish Brethren to a formal declaration of this belief in the Racovian Catechism , Fausto Sozzini involuntarily ended up giving his name to this Christological position, which continued with English Unitarians such as John Biddle , Thomas Belsham , Theophilus Lindsey , and James Martineau . In America, most of the early Unitarians were "Arian" in Christology (see below), but among those who held to

7248-514: The Polish Brethren , was born as the result of a controversy that started on January 22, 1556, when Piotr of Goniądz (Peter Gonesius), a Polish student, spoke out against the doctrine of the Trinity during the general synod of the Reformed ( Calvinist ) churches of Poland held in the village of Secemin . After nine years of debate, in 1565, the anti-Trinitarians were excluded from the existing synod of

7399-614: The Polish Reformed Church (henceforth the Ecclesia maior ) and they began to hold their own synods as the Ecclesia minor . Though frequently called " Arians " by those on the outside, the views of Fausto Sozzini (Faustus Socinus) became the standard in the church, and these doctrines were quite removed from Arianism. So important was Socinus to the formulation of their beliefs that those outside Poland usually referred to them as Socinians . The Polish Brethren were disbanded in 1658 by

7550-442: The Sejm (Polish Parliament). They were ordered to convert to Roman Catholicism or leave Poland. Most of them went to Transylvania or Holland, where they embraced the name "Unitarian". Between 1665 and 1668 a grandson of Socinus, Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. , published Bibliotheca Fratrum Polonorum quos Unitarios vocant ( Library of the Polish Brethren who are called Unitarians 4 vols. 1665–1669). The Unitarian Church in Transylvania

7701-426: The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade to the foundation of the innovative Newington Academy for Girls . As the NGUC lacks its own cemetery, some of its congregants, such as the poet and banker Samuel Rogers , are buried in St Mary's churchyard. However, as the Church of England normally limits its cemeteries to its members, most of the Newington Green Unitarians opted for Bunhill Fields until

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7852-402: The True Jesus Church , and the writings of Michael Servetus (all of which maintain that Jesus is God as a single person). Recently, some religious groups have adopted the 19th-century term biblical unitarianism to distinguish their theologies from Unitarianism. Unitarianism is a Christian theology and practice that precedes and is distinct from Unitarian Universalism . In the 1890s

8003-403: The University of Leiden in the Netherlands for the ministry of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town . There are two active Unitarian churches in Ireland, one in Dublin and the other in Cork. Both are member churches of the Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland . Unitarianism was a latecomer to Denmark. Some of the inspiration came from Norway and England – family members of

8154-488: The religion of Jesus, not a religion about Jesus" to Unitarians, though the phrase was used earlier by Congregationalist Rollin Lynde Hartt in 1924. Worship within the Unitarian tradition accommodates a wide range of understandings of God , while the focus of the service may be simply the celebration of life itself. Each Unitarian congregation is at liberty to devise its own form of worship, though commonly, Unitarians will light their chalice (symbol of faith), have

8305-481: The 101st anniversary of the Glorious Revolution , he preached a sermon titled " A Discourse on the Love of Our Country ", thus igniting a so-called "pamphlet war" known as the Revolution Controversy , furiously debating the issues raised by the French Revolution . Burke's rebuttal " Reflections on the Revolution in France " attacked Price, whose friends Paine and Wollstonecraft leapt into the fray to defend their mentor. The reputation of Price for speaking without fear of

8456-475: The 16th to 18th centuries, Unitarians in Britain often faced significant political persecution, including John Biddle , Mary Wollstonecraft , and Theophilus Lindsey . In England, the first Unitarian Church was established in 1774 on Essex Street, London , where today's British Unitarian headquarters is still located. As is typical of dissenters and nonconformists , Unitarianism does not constitute one single Christian denomination ; rather, it refers to

8607-450: The Anglicans Vicesimus Knox (pacifist and writer) and George Gaskin (minister and long-time secretary of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ), but most had some connections to the chapel on the green. The original building of 1708 was financed with £300, equivalent to £60,883 in 2023, from Edward Harrison, a goldsmith . He leased it to the trustees of the congregation, who furnished it with pulpit, pews, and so on, raising

8758-423: The British Unitarians. He was described—sympathetically—in the local press as "controversial" when he did a reverse collection plate , giving his own money away to those attending one sermon. A large-scale renovation was completed in 2020, funded by a £1.73 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund . Subsequently, the building was removed from the Heritage at Risk Register . The church brands itself as

8909-489: The Bét Dávid Unitarian Association, Oslo (founded 2005). The largest Unitarian denomination worldwide today is also the oldest Unitarian denomination (since 1565, first use of the term "Unitarian" 1600): the Unitarian Church of Transylvania (in Romania , which is in union with the Unitarian Church in Hungary). The church in Transylvania still looks to the statement of faith, the Summa Universae Theologiae Christianae secundum Unitarios (1787), though today assent to this

9060-546: The City of London, all the statutory Inner London boroughs, and Newham. The area covered by the London postal district is sometimes referred to as "Inner London". However it is not coterminous with other definitions of Inner London as its area is somewhat larger and covers 624 km (241 sq mi). The southern part of the London Borough of Lewisham as well as a small part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich fall outside its boundaries whilst 44 of its 119 districts are in Outer London and its irregular shape stretches to

9211-404: The Danish Lutheran Church, to one where this was no longer assumed ( ). Biblical Unitarianism identifies the Christian belief that the Bible teaches that God the Father is one singular being , and that Jesus Christ is a distinct being, his son, but not divine. A few denominations use this term to describe themselves, clarifying the distinction between them and those churches which, from

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9362-456: The Divine Trinity" Servetus taught that the Logos (Word) was the reflection of Christ, and "that reflection of Christ was 'the Word with God" that consisted of God Himself, shining brightly in heaven, "and it was God Himself" and that "the Word was the very essence of God or the manifestation of God's essence, and there was in God no other substance or hypostasis than His Word, in a bright cloud where God then seemed to subsist. And in that very spot

9513-402: The German liberal theology associated primarily with Friedrich Schleiermacher , the psilanthropist view increased in popularity. Its proponents took an intellectual and humanistic approach to religion. They embraced evolutionary concepts, asserted the "inherent goodness of man", and abandoned the doctrine of biblical infallibility , rejecting most of the miraculous events in the Bible (including

9664-553: The Greater London boundary at Mill Hill and Scratch Wood and beyond it at Sewardstone . From 1990 to 2000 London used two separate telephone dialling codes with one code designated for Inner London , however the area covered by this code was widely different from all of the above definitions and most of Greater London is now covered by a single 020 dialling code. There are approximately 200,000 businesses with around 2,000,000 employees in Inner London. 56% of all private sector jobs in Greater London are located in Inner London. There

9815-483: The Green, in the middle of a terrace even then a hundred years old. (The building still survives as London's oldest brick terrace , dated 1658.) In that house, or the church, he was visited by Founding Fathers of the United States such as Benjamin Franklin , Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine ; other American politicians such as John Adams , who later became the second president of the United States , and his wife Abigail ; British politicians such as Lord Lyttleton ,

9966-404: The Iraq War , "protesting against the US-led incursion with, among others, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Jews present" Later made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts , during his time at NGUC he wrote Towards Beloved Community and was written about as the Right-On Reverend in The Oldie 's monthly "East of Islington" column. The incumbent is Andrew Pakula , an American who grew up in

10117-432: The Jews (1847), permission for Dissenters to attend Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and the revision of the King James Bible . Religious freedom and self-improvement were their watchwords. NGUC thrived during the last decades of the 19th century, and its congregation grew to 80 subscribers. The London Sunday School Society recognised the one at NGUC as the best in its class, educating up to 200 children and necessitating

10268-406: The Newington Green Conversation Society, membership restricted to 16, a successor to the Mutual Instruction Society. The "small but energetic community" continued to campaign on the larger political stage, presenting petitions to Parliament on subjects touching religious matters, such as the Dissenting Chapels Bill (made law as Nonconformists Chapels Act 1844), the removal of civil disabilities from

10419-550: The Psallite Women's Choir. The congregation was reported to have grown to 70 as of 2009, with 30 at one Sunday service; it is one of the most rapidly growing Unitarian churches in Britain. Unitarianism Unitarianism was established in order to restore " primitive Christianity before later corruptions set in". Likewise, Unitarian Christians generally reject the doctrine of original sin . The churchmanship of Unitarianism may include liberal denominations or Unitarian Christian denominations that are more conservative , with

10570-431: The Richmond Free Christian Church. Then came 1914, and Christian faith all over the world was shaken by the horrors of World War I. Unitarians as a body have never been pacifists, unlike the Quakers , and some fifteen members of the congregation and Sunday School fell during the war. Society as a whole found less solace in religion, perhaps particularly liberal religion, with its message of human dignity ringing hollow beside

10721-418: The Rights of Men , a response to Burke's denunciation of the French Revolution and attack on Price. In 1792 she published the work for which she is best remembered, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman , in the spirit of rationalism extending Price's arguments about equality to women: Her biographer Claire Tomalin argues that just as the Dissenters were "excluded as a class from education and civil rights by

10872-494: The Trinity , although they retained their belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ. Thus was the Unitarian nature of the church created. In the mid-nineteenth century it was described by a local historian as a Socinian Independent meeting house.) The author Daniel Defoe , who attended school at Newington Green, is believed to have attended the church. Isaac Watts , the "Father of English Hymnody", theologian, logician, and educator,

11023-573: The Unitarian Chapel was known as the "Mayors' Nest". Numerous Unitarian families were highly significant in the social and political life of Britain from Victorian times to the middle of the 20th century. They included the Nettlefolds , Martineaus , Luptons , Kitsons , Chamberlains and Kenricks. In Birmingham, England , a Unitarian church – the Church of the Messiah – was opened in 1862. It became

11174-564: The Unitarian Union of North East India." The American Unitarian Conference (AUC) was formed in 2000 and stands between UUA and ICUU in attachment to the Christian element of modern Unitarianism. The American Unitarian Conference is open to non-Christian Unitarians, being particularly popular with non-Christian theists and deists . As of 2009, The AUC has three congregations in the United States. Unitarian Christian Ministries International

11325-641: The Unitarian faith on the part of a congregation in America was by King's Chapel in Boston, which settled James Freeman (1759–1835) in 1782, and revised the Prayer Book into a mild Unitarian liturgy in 1785. In 1800, Joseph Stevens Buckminster became minister of the Brattle Street Church in Boston, where his brilliant sermons, literary activities, and academic attention to the German "New Criticism" helped shape

11476-577: The Unitarian preacher and theologian Ferenc Dávid ( c.  1520 –1579). Among its adherents were a significant number of Italians who took refuge in Bohemia , Moravia , Poland, and Transylvania in order to escape from the religious persecution perpetrated against them by the Roman Catholic and Magisterial Protestant churches. In the 17th century, significant repression in Poland led many Unitarians to flee or be killed for their faith. From

11627-537: The United States was the Clinton Liberal Institute , in Clinton, Oneida County, New York , founded in 1831. Unitarians charge that the Trinity , unlike unitarianism, fails to adhere to strict monotheism. Unitarians maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. They believe Jesus did not claim to be God and that his teachings did not suggest

11778-471: The United States were Unitarians: John Adams , John Quincy Adams , Millard Fillmore , and William Howard Taft . Adlai Stevenson II , the Democratic presidential nominee in 1952 and 1956, was a Unitarian; he was the last Unitarian to be nominated by a major party for president as of 2024. Although a self-styled materialist, Thomas Jefferson was pro-Unitarian to the extent of suggesting that it would become

11929-496: The War on Terror". In 2011 Wendy Savage , a doctor and long-time campaigner for women's reproductive health, spoke on " Patients' Choice and Doctors' Responsibilities". In March 2008, Newington Green Unitarian Church became the first religious establishment in Britain to refuse to carry out any weddings at all until all couples have equal marriage rights . Unity Church Islington followed suit

12080-464: The appointment of Cathal (Cal) Courtney, first as student pastor in 2002 and then as minister in July 2004. He came from an Ireland of divided communities; he was characterised as a "radical spirit" who had made a "remarkable spiritual journey", and his weekly sermons soon attracted twenty people. In the tradition of Unitarian social action , he led a silent vigil through the night before the huge march against

12231-583: The area of the Bills of mortality that had expanded from the tiny City of London into three surrounding counties over the previous several hundred years. The area become fixed in 1847 with the addition of Lewisham Poor Law Union and the parish of Hampstead. In 1855 the Registrar General area, with the addition of Penge , was used to define the district of the Metropolitan Board of Works . The Metropolis

12382-412: The belief that Jesus Christ began his life when he was born as a human. In other words, the teaching that Jesus pre-existed his human body is rejected. There are various views ranging from the belief that Jesus was simply a human ( psilanthropism ) who, because of his greatness, was adopted by God as his Son ( adoptionism ) to the belief that Jesus literally became the son of God when he was conceived by

12533-530: The church to conduct a gay marriage in defiance of the law. NGUC celebrated its tercentenary in 2008 under the slogan "300 years of dissent", marking this with events such as planting a crab apple tree, organising a picnic in conjunction with the Newington Green Action Group, and hosting a concert of Ottoman classical music . (There is a strong Turkish community in Newington Green and along

12684-505: The church's ministers were at the same time, or had been, the librarians at the theological collection known as Dr Williams's Library , an establishment still very much alive . The minister whose name is still remembered centuries later is Dr Richard Price , a libertarian and republican who cemented the village's "reputation as a centre for radical thinkers and social reformers". He arrived in 1758 with his wife Sarah, and took up residence in No. 54

12835-603: The church's semiquincentennial history, Trust in Freedom , concludes that NGUC reached its high-water mark at its bicentenary in 1908. Immediately after this, NGUC suffered a religious schism in miniature, when the incoming minister, Dr F. W. G. Foat, backed the New Theology of Reginald John Campbell and the League of Progressive Thought and Service. This Social Gospel movement was not to the taste of all his congregants, and Foat left for

12986-486: The church, and, fortunately, they were forthcoming." The nature of Newington Green had changed—the fresh bucolic village had been swallowed up by London's relentless growth, and had become a "thriving and expanding suburb". With this growth of prosperity also came a tide of poverty, and this was to prove the mission for the Victorian era . A hundred years before, the ethos had been one of almost Puritan self-reliance, but now

13137-475: The church. Although attendance at services was low, other activities drew in crowds: 100 to the temperance meetings, for example. The outbreak of World War II meant that children were evacuated temporarily from London, so the Sunday Schools and Young People's Leagues ceased for a time. The Sunday services never missed a week, however, even when the building was badly damaged by a landmine blast: they just moved to

13288-648: The churches associated with the Christian Church in Italy . Notable Unitarians include classical composers Edvard Grieg and Béla Bartók ; Ralph Waldo Emerson , Theodore Parker , Yveon Seon and Thomas Lamb Eliot in theology and ministry; Oliver Heaviside , Erasmus Darwin , Joseph Priestley , John Archibald Wheeler , Linus Pauling , Sir Isaac Newton and inventor Sir Francis Ronalds in science; George Boole in mathematics; Susan B. Anthony in civil government; Frances Ellen Watkins Harper , Whitney Young of

13439-435: The congregation at Newington Green. In the mid-20th century, the building was damaged by German bombing. In 1953 its architectural importance was recognised as a Grade II listed building . In the late 20th century, faced with declining numbers, Newington Green Unitarian Church developed closer ties with Islington Unitarian Church a couple of kilometres away. They started to share a minister and publicise events together under

13590-583: The construction in 1887 of the schoolhouse immediately behind the main church building. A range of groups sprung up, ranging from intellectual (a Society for Mutual Theological Study) to recreational (cycling and cricket). Young Men's and Young Women's groups met, as did the Mothers' Meeting, a Provident Society , and teetotalism (abstinence from alcohol) support for adults and children . Other issues of concern were education, social reform, and women's suffrage . Sister and brother Marian and Ion Pritchard continued

13741-504: The council's advocacy has not borne fruit. The City of London was not designated as an Inner London borough, but the Corporation of London is usually classed as an inner London local authority. The Office for National Statistics and Eurostat define Inner London differently, explicitly including the City of London , adding Haringey and Newham , but excluding Greenwich . The land area

13892-482: The doctrine of the Trinity or affirms the belief that God is only one person . In that case, it would be a Nontrinitarian belief system not necessarily associated with the Unitarian movement. For example, the Unitarian movement has never accepted the Godhood of Jesus, and therefore does not include those nontrinitarian belief systems that do, such as Oneness Pentecostalism , United Pentecostal Church International ,

14043-399: The eighteenth century. Charles Morton (1626–1698), the great educator who ended his career as vice-president of Harvard University , ran an influential Dissenting Academy , "probably on the site of the current Unitarian church". One of his friends, James Ashurst, founded a group that worshipped in private houses licensed for the purpose, and, in time, this small congregation decided to build

14194-432: The existence of a triune God . Unitarian Christology can be divided according to whether or not Jesus is believed to have had a pre-human existence. Both forms maintain that God is one being and one person and that Jesus is the (or a) Son of God , but generally not God himself. In the early 19th century, Unitarian Robert Wallace identified three particular classes of Unitarian doctrines in history: Unitarianism

14345-427: The face and personality of Christ shone bright." ) Isaac Newton had Arian beliefs as well. Famous 19th-century Arian Unitarians include Andrews Norton and William Ellery Channing (in his earlier years). Although there is no specific authority on convictions of Unitarian belief aside from rejection of the Trinity, the following beliefs are generally accepted: In 1938, The Christian Leader attributed "

14496-631: The first of the new series took place under the auspices of the Stoke Newington Unitarian Conference, where Barbara Taylor , author of Mary Wollstonecraft and the Feminist Imagination , spoke on "Radical Dissent and Women's Rights in Eighteenth-Century Britain". In 2005 Will Self addressed the need to disestablish the Church of England under the title "Why Religion Needs Satire". The November 2008 lecture took

14647-508: The following year was a step too far for many clergymen, and about 2,000 of them left the established church in the Great Ejection of 1662. The third act forbad unauthorised religious meetings of more than five people. The final one prohibited Nonconformist clergymen from living within five miles of a parish from which they had been banned. Where the ministers went, their flocks tended to follow. Some of these restrictions were ameliorated

14798-478: The formidable polymath and Dissenting clergyman, Joseph Priestley , discoverer of oxygen. When Priestley's support of dissent led to the riots named after him , he fled Birmingham and headed for the sanctuary of Newington Green, where Rogers took him in. The support Price gave to the revolt of the colonies of British North America , arguing that the American Revolution was justified, made his name as

14949-492: The founders, and the wife of Edward Grieg. 1900–1918 the society priest was Uffe Birkedal, who had previously been a Lutheran priest. He held the first worship 18 February 1900. A founding general assembly 18 May 1900 elected Mary Bess Westenholz as the first chairman of the Society. The Society newsletter was named 'Protestantisk Tidende' 1904–1993, and then renamed 'Unitaren', reflecting a gradually changing perception of being part of

15100-473: The government on these political and philosophical matters drew huge crowds to the church, and were published and sold as pamphlets (i.e. publications easily printed and circulated). One of the congregants Price most influenced was the early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft , who moved her fledgling school for girls from Islington to the Green in 1784, with the help of a " fairy godmother " whose good auspices found her

15251-464: The great guns. Meanwhile, many of the older people with long family ties to Newington Green simply died. The professional middle class had largely left the area. Numbers in the pews dropped. By 1930 "it was whispered that the church could not survive". One influential supporter was an alderman and councillor in the Borough of Stoke Newington, and in 1938 a new lay pastor and his family breathed new life into

15402-545: The green in 1750 and sent his pupils to Price's sermons. Price, Rogers, and Burgh formed a dining club, eating at each other's houses in rotation. When in 1770 Price became morning preacher at the Gravel Pit Chapel in Homerton , he continued his afternoon sermons at NGUC. There were many at a distance who acknowledged their debt to Price, such as the Unitarian theologians William Ellery Channing and Theophilus Lindsey , and

15553-506: The late 19th century, evolved into modern British Unitarianism and, primarily in the United States, Unitarian Universalism . In 16th-century Italy, Biblical Unitarianism was powered by the ideas of the Non-trinitarian theologians Lelio and Fausto Sozzini , founders of Socinianism ; their doctrine was embraced and further developed by the Unitarian Church of Transylvania during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, it's represented by

15704-640: The latter being known as biblical Unitarians . The birth of the Unitarian faith is proximate to the Radical Reformation , beginning almost simultaneously among the Protestant Polish Brethren in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and in the Principality of Transylvania in the mid-16th century; the first Unitarian Christian denomination known to have emerged during that time was the Unitarian Church of Transylvania , founded by

15855-470: The leading synagogues of London , with Jacob Koussevitzsky as its cantor from 1936. Fronting onto the green itself was the China Inland Mission headquarters (circa 1895), an organisation responsible for 18,000 converts to Christianity that had been founded by James Hudson Taylor at the height of the Victorian era . St Matthias still operates as a church; the synagogue was demolished in the 1970s;

16006-421: The manor. Later that century the village became known for its Quaker inhabitants; their meeting house was designed by the architect William Alderson. In 1858 the medieval parish church of St Mary was supplemented by an impressive Victorian Gothic building opposite, by Sir George Gilbert Scott . In addition to the buildings, Stoke Newington was remarkable for its range of social reforms, from its connections to

16157-537: The middle of the 19th century, and then Abney Park Cemetery thereafter. ( Robert Southey called the former the Campo Santo of the Dissenters, but the phrase was used for both.) Wollstonecraft was married and later buried at St Pancras Old Church a few miles away. Newington Green Unitarian Church has been associated with many historically significant people on both sides of the pulpit, especially but not exclusively in

16308-443: The minister. NGUC then entered a very low ebb, with at one point as few as nine subscribers and a rapid turnover of ministers. The causes it had agitated for had been successful, and the church looked backwards with pride, but saw little to look forward to. Energy drained away. "Legal recognition did not prosper the cause of the church, however, which at this time began to decline." "New causes and fresh ideals were needed to revitalise

16459-439: The missionary building is now international student housing. Newington Green fell within the old parish boundaries of Stoke Newington . Although the latter village, centred on Church Street , was a mile away from the hamlet of the Green, across farmland or along the ancient drovers' road of Green Lanes , the two places had and still have a close connection. From the mid-1640s to the mid-1650s, Stoke Newington 's parish church

16610-490: The name New Unity, while remaining legally distinct entities. The 1969 sale of the (New) Gravel Pit Chapel near the centre of the historic village of Hackney released funding via the Charity Commission for maintenance of the Newington Green chapel. By the turn of the millennium, NGUC's community was reduced in numbers. A small congregation of half a dozen elderly women persisted, and a new burst of energy arrived with

16761-418: The namesake of this Christology. It is still Nontrinitarian because, according to this belief system, Jesus has always been beneath God, though higher than humans. Arian Christology was not a majority view among Unitarians in Poland, Transylvania or England. It was only with the advent of American Unitarianism that it gained a foothold in the Unitarian movement. Among early Christian theologians who believed in

16912-423: The nearest section of Green Lanes , an ancient road which starts from the north-west corner of the Green.) The following year it commemorated the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mary Wollstonecraft, attaching a large banner to the railings outside the building, proclaiming it the "birthplace of feminism", in a nod to the formative years that she spent worshipping there. NGUC sponsored a series of events, including

17063-456: The necessary £96 from about 20 subscribers, primarily by hiring or selling pews. It was a "substantial brick building, of nearly square form, with the high, tiled, projecting roof, common at its era", "Historic views show that the original façade had a small pediment against a large hipped roof, with a central oval window below." It was too plain for Wollstonecraft's Anglican tastes, and one of her biographers thought it defiantly stark. This building

17214-574: The only universities in England and Wales at that time). Roman Catholics were specifically targeted by these acts, and many of them went underground . Some Christians who had hoped for a more Protestant Reformation within the Established Church chose to emigrate, especially to the American colonies, as the Pilgrim Fathers had done in 1620. Others maintained their faith openly, and lived with

17365-457: The predominant religion in the United States. In the United Kingdom, although Unitarianism was the religion of only a small minority of the population, its practitioners had an enormous impact on Victorian politics, not only in the larger cities – Birmingham , Leeds , Manchester and Liverpool – but in smaller communities such as Leicester , where there were so many Unitarian mayors that

17516-544: The ranks of Dissent, as historians often characterise it"—had an obvious affinity with education, critical enquiry, and challenges to the status quo , and is "one of the roots of modern English Culture". A critical mass of such people, including "dissident intellectuals, pedagogues with reforming ideas and Dissenters" and "the well-to-do edge of radical Protestantism" clustered around Newington Green. Not all of these free-thinkers were Unitarians, such as Quaker John Coakley Lettsome (physician, philanthropist, and abolitionist ) or

17667-493: The restrictions the state placed upon them, moving to areas where they were tolerated. Often they set up educational establishments, known in general as dissenting academies , which were intellectually and morally more rigorous than the universities. One such was at Newington Green , then an agricultural village a few miles from London, but now within Inner London . Unitarianism or Rational Dissent—"that intellectual aristocracy in

17818-569: The schoolhouse. After the war, the ministry focused on building bridges between races and faiths, e.g. with the Jewish community of North London, and was recognised by the World Congress of Faiths, an organisation founded by Francis Younghusband . Services were often attended by local politicians, including the Mayor of Stoke Newington. Leaders for the national Unitarian movement continued to be found within

17969-476: The state with the passing of the Elementary Education Act 1870 . One of the first actions of Cromwell's tenure, in terms of changing the church services, was to introduce the hymnbook of James Martineau . Samuel Sharpe , named after his uncle, the poet Samuel Rogers , came to Newington Green in 1828, and maintained his connection for 30 years, including as trustee. He was an erudite and generous man,

18120-600: The subsequent growth of Unitarianism in New England. Unitarian Henry Ware (1764–1845) was appointed as the Hollis professor of divinity at Harvard College, in 1805. Harvard Divinity School then shifted from its conservative roots to teach Unitarian theology (see Harvard and Unitarianism ). Buckminster's close associate William Ellery Channing (1780–1842) was settled over the Federal Street Church in Boston, 1803, and in

18271-431: The theme of "Dishonesty": Evan Davis , the economist and BBC presenter, used the platform to argue that "the media industry has a 'misleading ethical code' and tendency to be dishonest". The 2009 lecture, given on 27 January 2010, was given by psychotherapist Susie Orbach , who spoke on the topic "Frankenstein's Bodies Today". The 2010 lecture was given by literary critic Terry Eagleton , who spoke on "The New Atheism and

18422-512: The understanding of the development of the church: Parliament passed the Doctrine of the Trinity Act , and Rees was succeeded by James Gilchrist, who remained for 15 years. (His son Alexander wrote the standard biography of poet and artist William Blake .) The larger public event meant that the civil and religious liberties that Dissenters had been fighting for were won, the battle of a century and

18573-413: The vicinity by Dissenters in 1790 and 1808 respectively, but these efforts were augmented in the middle of the century. In 1840, a Sunday school was set up for poor children, and soon thereafter a Domestic Mission Society, to visit the poor in their homes. A library and a savings club emphasised self-help. A regular day school ran from 1860 for ten years, until primary education became the responsibility of

18724-509: The virgin birth). Notable examples are James Martineau , Theodore Parker , Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederic Henry Hedge . Famous American Unitarian William Ellery Channing was a believer in the virgin birth until later in his life, after he had begun his association with the Transcendentalists. Arianism is often considered a form of Unitarianism. The Christology of Arianism holds that Jesus, before his human life, existed as

18875-591: The virgin birth. In the early days of Unitarianism, the stories of the virgin birth were accepted by most. There were a number of Unitarians who questioned the historical accuracy of the Bible, including Symon Budny , Jacob Palaeologus , Thomas Belsham, and Richard Wright , and this made them question the virgin birth story. Beginning in England and America in the 1830s, and manifesting itself primarily in Transcendentalist Unitarianism , which emerged from

19026-602: The woman suffrage movement, the first ever woman to be elected to the Academy of Arts and Letters, and author of the " Battle Hymn of the Republic ", volumes of poetry, and other writing. Although raised a Quaker, Ezra Cornell , founder of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, attended the Unitarian church and was one of the founders of Ithaca's First Unitarian Church. Eramus Darwin Shattuck,

19177-662: The word first appears in a title in Stephen Nye 's A Brief History of the Unitarians, called also Socinians (1687). The movement gained popularity in England in the wake of the Enlightenment and began to become a formal denomination in 1774 when Theophilus Lindsey organised meetings with Joseph Priestley , founding the first avowedly Unitarian congregation in the country. This occurred at Essex Street Church in London. Official toleration came in 1813 . The first official acceptance of

19328-445: The work of their father. The cause of liberal religion in general, and the development of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches , were overarching themes. Marian in particular is described as an unsung heroine, and "one of the leaders of modern Unitarianism". She set up Oxford Summer Schools for the training of Sunday School teachers, and Winifred House Invalid Children's Convalescent Home. Thorncroft, author of

19479-460: The world, was marginal to the dominant society in just the same way that the Dissenters were. Wollstonecraft was then a young schoolmistress, as yet unpublished, but Price saw something in her worth fostering, and became a friend and mentor. Through the minister (and through the young Anglican John Hewlett , who also introduced her to the eminent lexicographer Samuel Johnson ), she met the great humanitarian and radical publisher Joseph Johnson , who

19630-549: The yearly Flower Communion ; twice-monthly poetry readings and weekly meditation sessions are also held at NGUC. It participates in the annual festival of architecture, Open House London . It hosts occasional concerts, such as that given by the London Gallery Quire, which "performs West Gallery Music , the psalmody heard in parish churches and non-conformist chapels during the Georgian period , from about 1720 to 1850", and

19781-416: Was Mary Wollstonecraft , who drew inspiration from Price's sermons in her work, both in arguing for the new French republic and in raising the issue of the rights of women . Wollstonecraft is commemorated by a mural in the church which has been described as "the birthplace of feminism ". The building, which faces the north side of the green , was extended in 1860, and was listed in 1953. It lies within

19932-712: Was a Unitarian ministry incorporated in South Carolina until its dissolution in 2013 when it merged with the Unitarian Christian Emerging Church. The Unitarian Christian Emerging Church has recently undergone reorganization and today is known as the Unitarian Christian Church of America. In addition, the Unitarian Universalist Faith Alliance and Ministries follow a Progressive Christian format honoring Sacred Space and Creation Spirituality. The Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA)

20083-551: Was a keener sight—a vision that saw beyond what most people take for granted. She saw, contrary to the assumptions of her time, that women were the equals of men. Her bold stance—a position that proved to be many years ahead of her time—was met with broad condemnation. Today, we recognise that Mary Wollstonecraft spoke with the voice of prophesy. We honour her for her courage and for the gifts she has given to future generations of women and men. Services occur every Sunday at Newington Green Unitarian Church and include special events such as

20234-457: Was abolished at the same time. The second is the definition used by the Office for National Statistics comprising eleven of the statutory Inner London boroughs and two of the statutory Outer London boroughs, as well as the City of London . Inner London is smaller than Outer London both in terms of population and area, but the population density is more than double that of Outer London. Inner London

20385-591: Was also described as Inner London from the 1881 Census. In 1889 this area became the County of London . The area was adjusted in 1900 when Penge was transferred to Kent and South Hornsey was gained from Middlesex. The "Inner London boroughs " were defined by the London Government Act 1963 . The Inner London boroughs occupied the same area as the County of London that was abolished as they were created. North Woolwich

20536-473: Was an anomaly as it was part of the County of London, but became part of an Outer London borough. The main difference between Inner and Outer London boroughs between 1965 and 1990 was that the councils of the inner boroughs were not local education authorities and there was a single Inner London Education Authority for the area, including the City of London . The inner borough councils became local education authorities on 1 April 1990. The statutory definition

20687-461: Was appointed minister, first as the morning preacher. His wife, Anna Laetitia Barbauld (1743–1825), was a prolific writer, admired by Samuel Johnson and William Wordsworth . She enjoyed a long friendship with Joseph Priestley and William Enfield , starting from their years together at the Warrington Academy in the 1760s, where her father John Aikin was tutor. She wrote poems (including

20838-449: Was born in about 1738, the son of a poor bookseller, and was apprenticed as a printer to Robert Goadby of Sherborne . Lacking formal education, he read all he could and educated himself, eventually writing learned works such as Criminal Libel and the Duty of Juries , and being awarded a Doctor of Law degree by Edinburgh University . Towers assisted fellow minister Andrew Kippis in developing

20989-523: Was brought up as a non-Conformist, lived from 1736 to 1748 at Abney Park nearby, and during that period "was known to have adopted decidedly Unitarian opinions", so he too may have attended NGUC. Samuel Wright , son of a nonconformist minister in Nottinghamshire, writer on theological issues and "a very eminent divine among the Presbyterians" lived at Newington Green until his death in 1746. Several of

21140-675: Was built a couple of hundred yards away between 1849 and 1853, partly with money from a rich doctor named Robert Brett , who thought that the Dissenting chapels were attracting so many worshippers in part because the Anglican pews were full. Jews fleeing the pogroms of the Russian Empire established a congregation in the area by 1876, and built the Dalston Synagogue in adjoining Poets Road in 1885. This Victorian Gothic building became one of

21291-556: Was first recognized by the Edict of Torda , issued by the Transylvanian Diet under Prince John II Sigismund Zápolya (January 1568), and was first led by Ferenc Dávid (a former Calvinist bishop, who had begun preaching the new doctrine in 1566). The term "Unitarian" first appeared as unitaria religio in a document of the Diet of Lécfalva , Transylvania , on 25 October 1600, though it

21442-636: Was followed soon afterwards by chapels in Sydney and Adelaide, and later regional centres including Ballarat. The modern church, no longer unitarian Christian, retains properties in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, and smaller congregations elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand. The Unitarian movement in South Africa was founded in 1867 by David Faure , member of a well-known Cape family. He encountered advanced liberal religious thought while completing his studies at

21593-431: Was formed on 1 October 2016 through the merging of the Unitarian Christian Emerging Church and the Unitarian Christian Conference. The church's current ministry in on-line and through local fellowship gatherings. The current senior pastor and current president of the UCCA is the Reverend Dr. Shannon Rogers. The UCCA has both ordained and lay members. The first Unitarian Church in Australia was built in 1854 in Melbourne and

21744-453: Was fortunate in forming close friendships among his neighbours and congregants. One was Thomas Rogers , father of the above, a merchant turned banker who had married into a long-established Dissenting family and lived at No. 56 the Green. More than once, Price and the elder Rogers rode on horseback to Wales. Another was the Rev. James Burgh , author of The Dignity of Human Nature and Thoughts on Education , who opened his Dissenting Academy on

21895-592: Was founded in the United Kingdom in 1991 by Rev. Lancelot Garrard (1904–93) and others to promote specifically Christian ideas within the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (GAUFCC), the national Unitarian body in Great Britain. Just as the UUCF and ICUU maintain formal links with the Unitarian Universalist Association in the US, so the UCA is an affiliate body of the GAUFCC in Great Britain. The majority of Unitarian Christian publications are sponsored by an organization and published specifically for their membership. Generally, they do not serve as

22046-486: Was in response to the case brought by the Christian Institute , backing the claim of Lillian Ladele, a registrar employed by Islington London Borough Council who wished to be exempted from having to perform civil partnership ceremonies on the grounds of her religion. The move was praised by Rev. Richard Kirker, chairman of the national Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement . "This is the first church I've heard of to have taken this step", he said. "We're proud that Islington

22197-410: Was led by Thomas Manton , "a principal person among the non-conformist ministers",; a staunch and popular defender of Reformed principles , he participated in the Westminster Assembly , acted as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell , and preached before Parliament on several occasions. Another Dissenting meeting house was built in Stoke Newington about 1700, near the house of Mary Abney , who had inherited

22348-401: Was not widely used in Transylvania until 1638, when the formal recepta Unitaria Religio was published. The word Unitarian had been circulating in private letters in England, in reference to imported copies of such publications as the Library of the Polish Brethren who are called Unitarians (1665). Henry Hedworth was the first to use the word "Unitarian" in print in English (1673), and

22499-472: Was substantially extended and improved in the mid-19th century. An internal gallery was built to increase the seating available, and a few years later the roof and apse were renewed, and a " stuccoed frontage" was built, "mirroring the original façade with a three-bay front with two round-headed windows, but with added Tuscan pilasters and a large pediment ". Other religious institutions existed nearby. St Matthias , one of London's foremost high churches ,

22650-484: Was to guide her career and serve as a father figure. Through him, with a title alluding to the husband of her other benefactor, she published Thoughts on the Education of Daughters (subtitled: with reflections on female conduct, in the more important duties of life ). The ideas Wollstonecraft ingested from the sermons at NGUC pushed her towards a political awakening. A couple of years after she had had to leave Newington Green, these seeds germinated into A Vindication of

22801-410: Was used as an area of local government from 1855 to 1965 principally as the County of London or earlier as the Metropolitan Board of Works Area (metropolis). It now has two common definitions. The first is the statutory definition delineated in the London Government Act 1963 , coming into force on 1 April 1965, comprising twelve Inner London boroughs and almost identical to the County of London that

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