Unitarians: Yes, They Believed in a Divine Jesus Too!

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Ok, I know what you are thinking. What it the hell is Brad doing quoting a Christmas song in March, and what in the hell does it have to do with religion and America's founding?

Well, hold your breaths, I am about to tell you....

Every once in a while you hear people on this blog mention the "fact" that Unitarianism, a more "rational" form of worship that sometimes rejects those silly notions about Christ's virgin birth, divine mission, etc., was seen as a "heathen" form of worship by the more orthodox members of early American society. And though I agree that unitarianism was more "heathen" in its interpretation of scripture, its views on Christ, etc., I think sometimes we can be guilty of throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Take for instance the famous Christmas song, "O Holy Night." Originally adapted from an 1847 French poem entitled "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians), "O Holy Night" has become a popular Christmas song throughout America. But it wasn't until one John Sullivan Dwight, a UNITARIAN preacher in the "heathen" Boston area, translated the song into a singing version in English that "O Holy Night" became so popular. Originally published in his extremely popular magazine, Dwight's Journal of Music "O Holy Night" became an overnight success that is now sung, without fail, during every Christmas, by every branch of Christianity (orthodox and "heathen") that exists.

Interesting that Dwight, a devout Unitarian, chose to use such "heathen" words for this song like, "Fall on your knees," "Oh night divine, the night when Christ was born," "Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother. And in his name all oppression shall cease," and "Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, With all our hearts we praise His holy name."

"Heathen," anti-Jesus stuff if I ever saw it!

Now, I realize that Dwight wasn't around during the founding (he lived in the early to mid 1800s), nor does he represent a fair cross-section of all Unitarian beliefs, but I still think there is a small point here. Could it be that all of this stuff about Unitarianism being a "rational" break-off from orthodox Christianity isn't as true as we may think? Couldn't we argue that unitarians, at least in some degree, were quite devout in their devotion to a divine, orthodox Jesus?

Just something quick to chew on. Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill here but I still thought it would be worth tossing out there.

And for your listening pleasure here is Josh Groban's version of "O Holy Night." Enjoy the "rational" prose of the song for yourself. After all, only 290 more shopping days until Christmas!