Forrest Church

:"For his father, Frank Forrester Church III, the former United States Senator, see Frank Church."

Infobox Person


image_size = 143px
name = Rev. Dr. Forrest Church
caption =
birth_name = Frank Forrester Church IV
birth_date = Birth date and age|1948|9|23|mf=y
birth_place = Palo Alto, California
residence = New York City, New York, United States
known for = Leading Unitarian Universalist theologian and author, prominent New York City religious figure
education = Stanford University (A.B., 1970) Harvard Divinity School (M.Div., 1974) Harvard University( Ph.D., 1978)
employer = Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York City, New York
occupation = minister, author, and theologian
title = Minister of Public Theology
religion = Unitarian Universalist
spouse = Carolyn Buck Luce, (1992-Present) Amy ___ (?-1991)
children = 4
parents = Frank Forrester Church III Bethine Clark Church
website = [http://forrestchurch.com forrestchurch.com]

Frank Forrester Church IV (born September 23, 1948 in Palo Alto, California) is a leading Unitarian Universalist minister, author, and theologian. He is Minister of Public Theology of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City having served as Senior Minister until late 2006. [http://www.allsoulsnyc.org/whoweare/ministers/forrest.htm Biography on All Souls NYC page] , retrieved 10 June 2007.]

Biography

Church was born in Palo Alto while his father, the future United States Senator Frank Church, was a student at Stanford Law School. He was raised in Boise, Idaho, after his father's graduation. [ [http://www.allsoulsnyc.org/publications/sermons/fcsermons/things-todo-when-you-get-.html "Things To Do When You Get Your Life Back"] , sermon by Forrester Church, November 14 1999, retrieved 10 June 2007.]

Church is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Divinity School. He received a Ph.D. in early church history from Harvard University in 1978.

On February 4, 2008, Church sent a letter to the members of his congregation informing them that he had terminal cancer. In the time remaining he planned to sum up his thoughts on the topics that had been so pervasive in his work - love and death - in a final book.

Writings

Church is best known as a leader of liberal religion. He has written or edited more than 20 books since 1985. These include technical studies of Christian and Gnostic literature, as well as over a dozen books addressing a wider audience.

Church's books include:
* "Father and Son: A Personal Biography of Senator Frank Church of Idaho"
* The trilogy "A Humane Comedy: The Devil and Dr. Church", "Entertaining Angels", and "The Seven Deadly Virtues"
* "Early Christian Prayer"
* "Early Christian Hymns"
* "The Essential Tillich"
* "God and Other Famous Liberals: Recapturing Bible, Flag, and Family from the Far Right", Walker & Company, 1996 (ISBN 978-0802774835)
* "A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism", with John A. Buehrens, Beacon Press, 1998 (ISBN 0807016160)
* "So Help Me God: The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State", 2007 (ISBN 978-0151011858)
* "Freedom From Fear: Finding the Courage to Act, Love and Be" (ISBN 0-312-32534-7)

* "Love & Death", Beacon Press, 2008 (ISBN 0807072931)

Books edited by Church:
* "Restoring Faith: America's Religious Leaders Answer Terror with Hope", Walker & Company, 2001 (ISBN 978-0802776327)
* "The Separation of Church and State: Writings on a Fundamental Freedom by America's Founders", Beacon Press, 2004 (ISBN 9780807077221)

References

Love & Death, Beacon Press, 2008, ISBN# 0807072931

External links

* [http://forrestchurch.com/index.htm ForrestChurch.com]
* [http://www.interfaithalliance.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=jkLSJ6MRKvH&b=2882569&ct=4032309 "For the Victims of the Day of Terror"] , sermon by Forrester Church. All Souls Unitarian Church, New York City, September 12, 2001.
* [http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200710/20071025.html Interview on the Tavis Smiley talk show on PBS] .
* [http://www.uuworld.org/spirit/articles/107973.shtml Love and Death] Facing cancer with lessons learned from my parishioners, By Forrest Church UUWorld
* Video: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmOD-Ovg67U Love and Death: My Journey Through the Valley of the Shadow]