Workshop 7: James Luther Adams

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of What Moves Us: Unitarian Universalist Theology

In This Section

Introduction
From What Moves Us

We live by our devotions. — James Luther Adams This workshop formally introduces the Pragmatic Theory of Religious Beliefs, a theory many Unitarian Universalists already affirm though they may not know it by this name. Developed by Unitarian Universalist minister, theologian, and social ethicist…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From What Moves Us

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Linking Behavior, Beliefs, and Emotions 10 Activity 2: Introducing James Luther Adams 20 Activity 3: Redefining God, Faith, and Religion 10 Activity 4: Testing Adams 40 Closing 5…
Spiritual Preparation
From What Moves Us

Read the story, “The Conversion Experience of James Luther Adams.” Use this exercise and questions to help you reflect on Adams’ conversion experience and find connections between Adams’ theology and your own: Recall a personal experience you might describe as a conversion experience, in which…
Opening
From What Moves Us

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Small worship table and cloth Chalice, candle and lighter or LED battery-operated candle A copy of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Newsprint, markers, and tape Optional: Microphone Preparation for Activity Set up th…
Activity 1: Linking Behavior, Beliefs, and Emotions
From What Moves Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Participant journals Variety of writing and drawing implements Timepiece (minutes) Preparation for Activity If participants may need journals, obtain notebooks with unlined pages. Gather a variety of writing and drawing…
Activity 2: Introducing James Luther Adams
From What Moves Us

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Handout 1, Introducing James Luther Adams Story, “The Conversion Experience of James Luther Adams” Leader Resource 1, James Luther Adams Photo Participant journals Variety of writing and drawing implements Optional:…
Activity 3: Redefining God, Faith, and Religion
From What Moves Us

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 2, Adams’ Definitions Participant journals Variety of writing and drawing implements Preparation for Activity Copy the handout for all participants. Arrange for three volunteers to read the definitions in the handout. If possible, give the…
Activity 4: Testing Adams
From What Moves Us

Activity time: 40 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Participant journals Variety of writing and drawing implements Timepiece (minutes) Optional: Bell or chime Preparation for Activity Write on newsprint and post: Does it make sense to you to identify your religious belie…
Closing
From What Moves Us

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Small worship table and cloth Chalice, candle and lighter or LED battery-operated candle A copy of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Taking It Home handouts for all participants Preparation for Activity Review the Tak…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From What Moves Us

After the workshop, co-leaders should make a time to get together to evaluate this workshop and plan future workshops. Use these questions to guide your shared reflection and planning: What have you learned about your own ability to explore personal experiences as part of your own strategy to…
Taking It Home: James Luther Adams
From What Moves Us

We live by our devotions. — James Luther Adams (1901-1994) Identify a way in which your personal religious behavior displays your religious beliefs. Then, identify a way your congregation’s beliefs are displayed in congregational structure, practices, and action. Reflect in your theology journal…
The Conversion Experience of James Luther Adams
From What Moves Us

James Luther Adams, from “The Evolution of My Social Concern.” Used with permission, Herbert F. Vetter, Harvard Square Library….
Handout 1: Introducing James Luther Adams
From What Moves Us

Drawn from Adams’ essays and his autobiography, Not Without Dust and Heat. By the time of his death in 1994 at age 92, James Luther Adams was recognized as one of the preeminent Christian social ethicists and theologians of the 20th century. In his work, he emphasized personal and institutional…
Handout 2: Adams Definitions
From What Moves Us

Religion Adams claims that religion is a universal experience. To be human, Adams argues, is to be religious because the purpose of religion is to identify what gives fundamental meaning and fulfillment to human life….
Leader Resource 1: James Luther Adams Photo
From What Moves Us
Leader Resource 2: James Luther Adams Theology
From What Moves Us

Three major elements in the Pragmatic Theory of Religious Beliefs James Luther Adams highlights three major elements of in his Pragmatic Theory of Religious Beliefs: (1) behavior, (2) a feeling that prompts, accompanies, or stands in tension to the behavior, (3) a belief, the meaning of which is…
Leader Resource 3: Use of Symbols

James Luther Adams

From What Moves Us

James Luther Adams, published in On Being Human Religiously (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1976). Used with permission. Note: Bold text did not appear in the original. It is added here to highlight passages mentioned in “Preparing to lead this workshop” in the workshop’s Introduction.
Leader Resource 4: The Love of God

James Luther Adams

From What Moves Us

In the largely secularized culture and language of our time, the subject of this chapter is by no means one that elicits universal interest. To many serious-minded people phrases such as “the love of God,” “God’s love for us,” or “the human response to God’s love” are almost meaningless. Yet the…
Leader Resource 5: Adams Theology in the Congregation
From What Moves Us

This is a 30-minute activity. Materials Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation Prepare and post a sheet of newsprint with these questions: Does our congregation encourage individuals to have a change of heart and a change of behavior that might be called a kind of conversion experience? What…
Leader Resource 6: Engaging as Religious Professionals
From What Moves Us

This is a 30-minute activity. Description Share with the group: As a result of his conversion experience, James Luther Adams plunged himself into voluntary associations that were working to bring more justice into the community and the world. He stated that this was unusual for a Protestant…
Find Out More
From What Moves Us

James Luther Adams article in the online Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography. “James Luther Adams’ Examined Faith,” by Christopher Walton, UU World, January/February 2005. James Luther Adams, Not Without Dust and Heat: A Memoir (Chicago: Exploration Press, 1995).