Scotty McLennan
Christ for Unitarian Universalists: A New Dialogue with Traditional Christianity, Scotty McLennan, forward by Harvey Cox. (2016) Skinner House Books (Paper), ISBN: 978-1-155896-772-4. 276 pages, including notes and indexes. (Available as E-Book).
Let me start with a confession: I am not a Unitarian Universalist. I am though a Christian Universalist. The “Christian” part must be qualified with, I am not a traditional Christian. For me, Christianity is primarily about living Christ in the present.
Beyond that, my interest lies in exploring how we might re-imagine Christianity for our metamodern era. It is that, which drew me to reading, Christ for Unitarian Universalists. And I am glad I did.
In Christ for Unitarian Universalists, Rev. Scotty McLennan, reinterprets Christianity through the lens of liberal Unitarian Universalism, drawing from scripture and respected theologians and ministers within and outside of Unitarian Universalism: Carl Scoval, William Ellery Channing, Hosea Ballou, , Harvey Cox, Marcus Borg, Martin Luther King, among others.
McLennan, in Christ for the Unitarian Universalist examines the scriptural account of both the pre- and post-Easter Christ, offers us a Christ that is both historical and present.
The book takes a look at both the historical Jesus and the present Christ in a way that is not only sensitive to Unitarian Universalist sensitivities, but also appealing to those seeking to remain Christian while rejecting (“deconstructing”) from traditional Christianity. While in a strict sense, not a reimagined Christ, for the Christ that McLennan shows us has been a part of the Unitarian Universalist Judeo-Christian roots, long before the merger of the two denominations. Christ for Unitarian Universalists however, is a fresh look at those roots.
As we move through the book, McLennan asks us to consider a series of provocative questions. With his finely honed skills as a pastor and educator, he guides us through the exploration of each question, drawing upon the thinking of others, as well as his own. His exploration is not pedantic, but lively engaging. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. McLennan gives much to absorb, to think about, and perhaps apply to our own spiritual growth.
Toward the end of the book, McLennan asks a question that may sound odd to a Unitarian Universalist, “Could Unitarian Universalist adopt Martin Luther King’s understanding of Christ?” (chap. 11). The question centers around another question, one that King asked himself: “… I wondered whether (religion) could serve as a vehicle to modern thinking, whether religion could be intellectually respectable as well as emotionally satisfying.” Chapter 12, “How can Christ help us in our social justice efforts?” reminds us that social justice is an integral part of the “Kingdom of God.” This thought challenges the response (and lack thereof) of both Unitarian Universalists and Christians in general.
The last two chapters are the dialogue chapters. Chapter 13, “How might we talk to evangelical Christians?” and Chap. 14, “What can we say to people of other religions (or none) about Christ?” I personally did not find much help in the discussion of talking with evangelical Christians, although ironically, perhaps the answer is found in the words of “Satan” who cried out to Jesus in the wilderness, “I know who you are, the Holy one of God.” Whether or not Jesus is God, we can certainly agree that he was Holy. Perhaps, that is where our dialogue needs to begin. The last chapter with its emphasis on pluralism and pilgrimage provides us with a starting point for talking with those of other or no religion. Acknowledging that we are all fellow pilgrims also provides us with other opening for dialogue with Evangelical Christians.
We now come to the “Conclusion.” McLennan writes that it is easy to talk about Christ as an historical character, even to find inspiration in his historical teachings. It is harder to think about Christ in the present. Yet, it is the post-Easter Jesus that changed the lives of the disciples.
McLennan writes,
I have not spoken of Jesus Christ as the supernatural, or as the bloody atonement for the sins of humankind, or as the one and only way to spiritual truth. I believe we can read the New Testament and two thousand years of Christian experience as testifying to embodied values of rationality, equality, tolerance, freedom and respect. Through Jesus Christ we can come to see clearly the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the role of justice and compassion in human relations, the good of world community and many other values …. Through Jesus Christ we can come to the direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder, openness to the forces that create and uphold life, the love of God and neighbor, and much more that enriches and ennobles our faith.
Later in his concluding remarks, McLennan notes that as a Unitarian Universalist Christian has come to the place where he can call Christ his “Lord and Savior.” I especially appreciate that. I have long struggled with calling Christ, “Savior.” For McLennan calling Christ “Lord” acknowledges him his spiritual leader, as one whose greater insight into spiritual truth that we do. Calling him “Savior,” is not to assert that Christ does to forgive our sins, but rather that Christ provides him (and us) with a vision of how to live fully and abundantly in the here and now.
Wrapping up the review, Christ for Unitarian Universalists needs to be read, not only by Unitarian Universalists Christians and Unitarian Universalists who wonder about UU’s Judeo-Christian roots, but also by every Christian who is struggling with traditional, evangelical, fundamental Christianity. To aid in discussion a companion discussion guide is available.
Although written in 2018, Christ for Unitarian Universalists, is relevant today for Unitarian Universalists and liberal Christianity, and the future of both.
Scotty McLennan is a Unitarian Universalist minister, lawyer and educator. He currently teaches ethics at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He was the University Chaplain at Tufts for sixteen years and Dean of religious Life at Stanford for fourteen years. His other books are Finding your Religion and Church on Sunday, Work on Monday.
©Frank A. Mills, March 12, 2025
