Trinitarian Mischief with Rev Dr. Fred Muir

·26 min·2 clips

Rev. Dr. Fred Muir's colleagues think he's lost his mind for preaching on Trinitarian mischief at General Assembly.

Rev. Dr. Fred Muir opens his sermon with humor about his colleagues' reaction to his topic at General Assembly. He shares anecdotes from the recent Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Baltimore, highlighting Laura Shank's workshop. Muir then delves into historical theology, starting with William Ellery Channing's 1819 ordination sermon for Jared Sparks in Baltimore. Channing's sermon, titled 'Unitarian Christianity,' transformed 'Unitarian' from a slur into a bold theological stance. The episode explores early Christian history, describing Emperor Constantine's role in convening the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. At this council, 300 bishops debated for three months under political pressure to create the Nicene Creed, which established Trinitarian doctrine. Muir uses a humorous video featuring 'Patrick' to illustrate the complexities and heresies associated with explaining the Trinity. He then shifts to the Protestant Reformation, noting Martin Luther's avoidance of the Trinity issue. The story of Michael Servetus is detailed, including his 20 years in hiding, his book 'On the Errors of the Trinity,' and his execution by burning in Geneva with his book tied to his leg. Muir explains how Servetus's followers spread Unitarian ideas to Transylvania, Poland, and eventually England and the United States. The sermon connects this history to the formation of the American Unitarian Association in 1825. Muir reflects on Unitarian Universalist principles, emphasizing the absence of creeds or dogma. He critiques Unitarian Universalists for lacking humility and trust, attributing this to past religious trauma. The sermon concludes with a call to embrace heresy as choice and to center faith on love and mystery.

As heard by us

A Baltimore sermon that moves from church history to trust and love.

A sermon on the Trinity rarely opens with General Assembly in Baltimore, Laura Shank's standing ovation, and a joke about colleagues assuming the speaker has been retired too long.

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Why you'd press play

When you want a Trinity sermon that admits confusion is part of the job.

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