Five Pillars in the Temple of Universalism
In 1922, the Iowa Universalist Convention published Five Pillars in the Temple of Universalism, by Rev. Otto Raspe, through which he provided a historical reflection on the power and meaning of Universalist doctrine and shed light on what beliefs Universalists then held in common. In brief, the Five Pillars are:
- Belief in the Universal Fatherhood of God
- Belief in the Spiritual Authority and Leadership of Jesus
- Belief in the Trustworthiness and Humanity of the Bible as containing a revelation of God—not infallible or exclusively inspired
- Belief in the Certainty of Just Retribution for sin as personified in the conscience stricken soul
- Belief in the Final Harmony of all Souls with God, everlasting
Amalia Raspe Barrett, Rev. Raspe’s daughter, taught a more liberal interpretation of the Pillars:
- Belief in the Universal God
- Following the teachings of Jesus
- Understanding the meaning of the stories in the Bible and their significance to our Judeo-Christian tradition
- Belief in the goodness of mankind
- Belief in the everlasting soul
Last updated on Thursday, May 29, 2008.
