Rev. Dr. Forrest Church | |
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Born | Frank Forrester Church IV September 23, 1948 Palo Alto, California |
Died | September 24, 2009 | (aged 61)
Residence | New York City, New York, United States |
Education | Stanford University (A.B., 1970) Harvard Divinity School (M.Div., 1974) Harvard University( Ph.D., 1978) |
Occupation | minister, author, and theologian |
Employer | Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York City, New York |
Known for | Leading Unitarian Universalist theologian and author, prominent New York City religious figure |
Title | Minister of Public Theology |
Religion | Unitarian Universalist |
Spouse | Carolyn Buck Luce, (m. 1992–2009) Amy Furth Church (m. 1969–1991) |
Children | 4 |
Parents | Frank Forrester Church III Bethine Clark Church |
Website | |
forrestchurch.com |
Frank Forrester Church IV (born September 23, 1948 in Palo Alto, California, died September 24, 2009) was a leading Unitarian Universalist minister, author, and theologian. He was Senior Minister of the Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City, until late 2006 when he was appointed as Minister of Public Theology.[1]
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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.[2]
Church was 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. He told them of his intention, which he successfully realized, to sum up his thoughts on the topics that had been pervasive in his work in a final book, entitled Love & Death.
Forrest Church died of esophageal cancer in New York City on September 24, 2009.[3]
Church is best known as a leader of liberal religion. Between 1985 and his death, he wrote or edited more than 20 books. These include technical studies of Christian and Gnostic literature, as well as over a dozen books addressing a wider audience.[1]
Books authored by Church include:
Books edited by Church:
Church can be seen offering commentary in the History Channel documentary Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas.
Love & Death, Beacon Press, 2008, ISBN# 0807072931