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Salem Bland
was not a Unitarian (the term UU would have been a historical
anachronism for his lifetime) but his contribution to Canadian religion
certainly influenced Unitarians, particularly Horace Westwood, who was
his contemporary in Winnipeg, and William Irvine, who was a student of
his.
His religious affiliation was
Methodist, subsequently United Church, and while he was liberal in his
theology, his outstanding contribution was in religious concern for
social issues. He was one of the foremost protagonists for what
was called the Social Gospel, which seems to be re-emerging now in many
church circles. J.S. Woodsworth was another person he strongly
influenced. His book, The New Christianity, was reissued by
University of Toronto Press in 1973 with an introduction by Richard
Allen, the historian of the Social Gospel movement in Canada. It's well worth
reading if you can find a copy -- quite short and to the point.
Phillip
Hewett
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