bMS 434

Skinner, Clarence Russell. Papers, 1906-1970.

Summary Information:

• Call Number: bMS 434
• Title: Clarence Russell Skinner. Papers, 1906-1970.
• Repository: Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-1911
• Quantity: 3 boxes

Administrative Information:

• Acquisition Information: Gift of Universalist Historical Society, 1976.
• Access: There are no restrictions on access to this collection. 

Biographical Note:

Clarence Russell Skinner (1881-1949) was a graduate of St. Lawrence University and was ordained in 1906. He served parishes in Lowell, Massachusetts, and Mt. Vernon, New York. In 1914, he became Professor of Applied Christianity at the Crane Theological School of Tufts University. In 1915, he published The Social Implications of Universalism. Increasingly disillusioned with Universalism, he founded the all-inclusive, nondenominational Community Church of Boston in 1920. From 1933 until his retirement in 1945, he served as dean of the Crane Theological School at Tufts University. His published works include Liberalism Faces the Future (1937), Human Nature and the Nature of Evil (1939) and A Religion for Greatness (1945).

Scope and Content Note:

This collection consists mainly of writings by Skinner, listed alphabetically by title. There are also biographical articles on Skinner, mostly by Alfred S. Cole, and general biographical information including genealogy, clippings, photographs, and correspondence.

Container List:

• bMS 434/1 (1) A Skinner bibliography. From the Annual Journal of the Universalist Historical Society.
• bMS 434/1 (2) Book: The Social Implications of Universalism. 1915. As reprinted in the Annual Journal of the UHS.

Writings (alphabetical by title)

• bMS 434/1 (3) Baccalaureate sermon, St. Lawrence University, May 9, 1943.
• bMS 434/1 (4) "Believing and Living Universalism."
• bMS 434/1 (5) "Brotherhood."
• bMS 434/1 (6) Book manuscript: "Can We Believe in Peace?" Folder one.
• bMS 434/1 (7) "Can We Believe in Peace?" Folder two.
• bMS 434/1 (8) "Can We Believe in Peace?" Folder three.
• bMS 434/1 (9) "Christ in the School." From Universalist Leader, December 23, 1916.
• bMS 434/1 (10) "The Drive Against Liberalism in America."
• bMS 434/1 (11) "Faith and the Coming Order." From Universalist Leader, October 26, 1918.
• bMS 434/1 (12) "I Light the Candle."
• bMS 434/1 (13) "In Times of Disillusion." 1920.
• bMS 434/1 (14) "The New and the Old."
• bMS 434/1 (15) Notes on superstition, faith, reason, belief, etc. Folder one.
• bMS 434/1 (16) Notes on superstition, faith, reason, belief, etc. Folder two.
• bMS 434/1 (17) Notes on superstition, faith, reason, belief, etc. Folder three.
• bMS 434/2 (1) "Our Religious Dilemmas."
• bMS 434/2 (2) [Peace.]
• bMS 434/2 (3) "Peace with Justice." Address before Community Church in Boston and the Ministers' Club, Boston.
• bMS 434/2 (4) "Preaching the Social Gospel." Address, May 22, 1933, printed in the Christian Leader, June 3, 1933.
• bMS 434/2 (5) [Prejudice.]
• bMS 434/2 (6) "Prejudice: What It Is and What It Does." From the Christian Leader, February 1946.
• bMS 434/2 (7) "Religious Insight into the Unities and Universals."
• bMS 434/2 (8) "This Revolutionary Age." From the Christian Leader.
• bMS 434/2 (9) "The Social Implications of Universalism." The articles made into the book (see bMS 434/1 (2)) as they first appeared in the Universalist Leader.
• bMS 434/2 (10) "Social Progress."
• bMS 434/2 (11) "Superstition, Reason and Faith." Russell Lecture, Tufts College, October 15, 1946.
• bMS 434/2 (12) "To the Students of America - In Colleges and High Schools!"
• bMS 434/2 (13) "Twentieth Century Universalism." From the Universalist Leader, May 30, 1914.
• bMS 434/2 (14) "Two Ways of Looking at Life."
• bMS 434/2 (15) "Why Worship?"
• bMS 434/2 (16) "The Word Universal."
• bMS 434/2 (17) "The World of Tomorrow." From the Christian Leader, June 19, 1948.
• bMS 434/2 (18) "Worship." From Onward, June 1943.
• bMS 434/2 (19) Book manuscript: "Worship." Published in 1955 by the Universalist Historical Society and the Meeting House Press under the title: Worship and the Well Ordered Life. Folder one.
• bMS 434/2 (20) "Worship." Folder two.
• bMS 434/3 (1) "Worship." Miscellaneous pages. Folder three.
• bMS 434/3 (2) "Worship." Correspondence with Macmillan Company about the publishing of this manuscript, 1951.
• bMS 434/3 (3) Articles from Unity magazine, 1924-1926.
• bMS 434/3 (4) Untitled manuscript.
• bMS 434/3 (5) Untitled manuscript.
• bMS 434/3 (6) Incomplete manuscript fragment.

Biographical articles on Skinner

• bMS 434/3 (7) Cole, Alfred S. "Clarence R. Skinner—Prophet of the Larger Faith."
• bMS 434/3 (8) Cole, Alfred S. "He Has Just Begun to Live!'
• bMS 434/3 (9) Cole, Alfred S. "Introduction" to Skinner's Worship and a Well Ordered Life. 1955.
• bMS 434/3 (10) Cole, Alfred S. "Prophet of Twentieth Century Universalism."
• bMS 434/3 (11) Holmes, John Haynes. "Clarence R. Skinner, Outstanding Religious Leader in Dark and Direful Times."
• bMS 434/3 (12) Scott, Clinton Lee. Untitled.
• bMS 434/3 (13) Sullivan, Joseph Ladd. "Clarence Skinner: A Philosophy of Universalism." Sermon: February 22, 1959.

Biography

• bMS 434/3 (14) Skinner: general biographical file.
• bMS 434/3 (15) Skinner genealogy.
• bMS 434/3 (16) Skinner and the Community Church of Boston.
• bMS 434/3 (17) Clippings: newspaper and magazine.
• bMS 434/3 (18) Death of Skinner and memorial service.
• bMS 434/3 (19) Skinner portrait at Tufts University.
• bMS 434/3 (20) Photographs of Skinner.
• bMS 434/3 (21) Letter from Clara A. Skinner, his wife, 1962.
• bMS 434/3 (22-26) Letters from Skinner to Marie Cook (Aderson), 1900-1924

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