I cannot believe it but this week has been the final week. I felt like I just arrived for the internship for the first time in January. Overall, I am very pleased with my progress. This week I caught up on all my work, finishing all the scans and the cataloging of metadata concerning the 1957 sermon folder. I look forward to seeing my digitized work on RICHES even though I know that some time will pass before that happens. Overall, I am proud of the work I've done and feel very satisfied with the skills that I have learned. As an aspiring archivist, I have always heard of scanning documents and metadata but I have never gotten the opportunity to do those things for myself. Thanks to this internship and in particular the First Unitarian Church of Orlando for giving me the opportunity, I learned how to do those activities by myself and how to apply them. Now I am much more confident in reaching my goal to be an archivist now that I have a better understanding of the nature of what my work would be as one. Having completed an internship, I encourage other history students to complete at least one before graduating from UCF. An internship not only gives credit but it also imparts valuable skills that can be used in the future. Also, an internship is a very useful thing to have on a resume because it reflects experience and responsibility.
Another thing that I appreciated greatly was the historical knowledge that I handled and gained for myself. Reading about 1950's and 1960's Florida society through the eyes of a liberal minister in the south was very eye opening. The Florida commented and criticized by Reverend Fuller is eerily similar to the Florida that we live in today. Reverend Fuller worried about the Cold War, rampant consumerism, modern technology, violence in third world countries, racism and antisemitism. Nowadays we still worry about racism, international conflict, consumerism and the dangers posed by technology. Reverend Fuller's answers to the troubling questions posed by these things still ring true. Reverend Fuller discussed how, while most people wanted to do good, it is hard for people to step out and go beyond. To challenge themselves to reach out and help other people. During his own time, Reverend Fuller felt that a social revolution was occurring and that men could potentially grow in goodness. While disagreeing with most aspects of traditional religion, Reverend Fuller believed in the concept of men being cast in the image of the divine. That when God created man he saw that "His work was good." Indeed, Reverend Fuller believed that men and even the universe as a whole were intrinsically good. Evil only occurred when men became detached from reality. It was Reverend Fuller's explicit faith in the goodness of the universe that stood out the most to me. And I believe that, especially in this day and age, having faith in your fellow man is not only important but vital to living a healthy life.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Thursday, April 13, 2017
April 10-April 12
This week I finished compiling metadata for Reverend Fuller's sermons given in 1961 and began scanning documents containing the sermons he gave in 1957. The reason for this is because there are no sermons given by Reverend Fuller after 1961 because that was the year he left. He must have left towards the end of the year because the final sermon of the year given in December was authored by Reverend Smith. In his final sermons, Reverend Fuller made it clearly known that he was leaving but he did not go into much detail why. What he did make clear was that he had enjoyed his time in Orlando and that he had the fondest of memories concerning the First Unitarian Church. This led him to make many poignant observations concerning Unitarian beliefs. It is certainly not surprising that he had felt so sentimental. He was around when the First Unitarian left their old location which was in Central and Rosalind. He was also there when the church school finished construction and was dedicated in 1960 after having construction begun in 1954. Indeed, it is no wonder that Reverend Fuller's final sermon was so touching.
Reverend Fuller's final sermon asked a deceptively simple question, what endures? Most protestants would say that it is the soul that endures but Reverend Fuller is not so sure. He has not seen enough evidence to be convinced that a personal soul endures after death and what even is the true nature of a soul. Reverend Fuller instead believes in a concept known as 'salvation by character', which was first coined and developed by Ralph Waldo Emerson. A famous influence on Unitarianism whose name was mentioned in many prior sermons. According to Emerson, it isn't so much saving your soul that is important but rather it is loving your brother that is the top priority. Man should focus on helping his fellow man more than about him or herself. This ties into Reverend Fuller's belief that it is the good a man does that endures.What also endures is man's never ending search for truth, beauty and justice. Over time nations disintegrate and generations fall and rise but the values that they saw as important will always last. Mankind, being intrinsically good, will search for these values as long as they exist as a species. The beneficial contributions they make to society will also last beyond them. Reverend Fuller may be leaving the First Unitarian Church, but he hopes that the good he did will last even when he is gone. Still, he confesses to being sad at the prospect of leaving, but change is a fact of life. This neatly ties into the other theological concepts he discussed in his sermons. According to Reverend Fuller, the universe is an ever changing process of different forces interacting with one another. Mankind is not alone, but rather part of the ever changing universe. Part of the creative process that runs it all that will, of course, always endure. After this sermon, Reverend Fuller would serve as a reverend in Syracuse and would pass away due to a heart condition in his native New England.
Reverend Fuller's final sermon asked a deceptively simple question, what endures? Most protestants would say that it is the soul that endures but Reverend Fuller is not so sure. He has not seen enough evidence to be convinced that a personal soul endures after death and what even is the true nature of a soul. Reverend Fuller instead believes in a concept known as 'salvation by character', which was first coined and developed by Ralph Waldo Emerson. A famous influence on Unitarianism whose name was mentioned in many prior sermons. According to Emerson, it isn't so much saving your soul that is important but rather it is loving your brother that is the top priority. Man should focus on helping his fellow man more than about him or herself. This ties into Reverend Fuller's belief that it is the good a man does that endures.What also endures is man's never ending search for truth, beauty and justice. Over time nations disintegrate and generations fall and rise but the values that they saw as important will always last. Mankind, being intrinsically good, will search for these values as long as they exist as a species. The beneficial contributions they make to society will also last beyond them. Reverend Fuller may be leaving the First Unitarian Church, but he hopes that the good he did will last even when he is gone. Still, he confesses to being sad at the prospect of leaving, but change is a fact of life. This neatly ties into the other theological concepts he discussed in his sermons. According to Reverend Fuller, the universe is an ever changing process of different forces interacting with one another. Mankind is not alone, but rather part of the ever changing universe. Part of the creative process that runs it all that will, of course, always endure. After this sermon, Reverend Fuller would serve as a reverend in Syracuse and would pass away due to a heart condition in his native New England.
Friday, April 7, 2017
March 3-March 5
This week I focused on compiling the metadata for the 1961 sermons. So far, I am very pleased with how it is turning out but, once I am done, I feel that I need to go over everything again in order to add some more outside sources to the entries. This is easy to do with the documents that reference real world events but more difficult with the ones that focus on theology. Speaking of real world events, I feel that it is very important to discuss what exactly Reverend Fuller's views of the world around him were. This is very important, because many of his sermons actually deal with the problems man faces in the modern world and the nature of American society that he lived in.
First of all, what is this 'modern world' that Reverend Fuller discusses in many of his sermons? This world is the one contemporary to him which is the 50's and early 60's, the years in which he preached at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. It is a world that is different but in many ways similar to our own. Reverend Fuller talks about the dangers of technology, race conflict, civil unrest and religious conflict, all things that still plague our current time. According to Reverend Fuller, the world of his time is one devoid of spirituality. Rampant consumerism and conformity dominate American society. People are afraid to be individuals for fear that they will be labeled a communist or as someone who divides a united society. The Cold War is a constant backdrop in Reverend Fuller's discussions of modern society. People live in constant fear of nuclear weapons so they give up their freedom and individuality in order to rely on the safety of the group. Reverend Fuller points out that this is a natural reaction but a wrong one. Reverend Fuller maintains that man is intrinsically good, and that they can make the world a better place by working together with their inner soul that has been gifted with the creative spirit. Concepts I have discussed in an earlier post. The problem is that modern society divides people, not only from each other but from their inner, spiritual souls. Another problem that runs rampant in American society is hypocrisy. Reverend Fuller observes how communism is detested for being atheistic and yet the materialist consumerism that is so lauded by American society is equally godless. Fundamentalist protestants praise themselves for their love of God and yet insult all those who dare go to integrated schools. America praises itself for being the best at war and yet, Reverend Fuller points out, wasn't it Russia that actually took Berlin? Again, this stems from the spiritual disconnect of the times. All is not doom and gloom, however. The modern world has benefited all of humanity greatly by bringing the world together, uniting East and West. Through greater international interactions, in the form of trade fairs and cultural exchange. Reverend Fuller is confident that a solution to conflict can be worked out but this must be a continual process. Stagnation not only prevents change but allows more and more conflict to happen. Freedom is not a state but something an individual must continually strive for by practicing that freedom. This is done by the person using his/her own mind to judge right from wrong. All these teachings I believe, even though they are decades old, can definitely apply to our present day.
First of all, what is this 'modern world' that Reverend Fuller discusses in many of his sermons? This world is the one contemporary to him which is the 50's and early 60's, the years in which he preached at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. It is a world that is different but in many ways similar to our own. Reverend Fuller talks about the dangers of technology, race conflict, civil unrest and religious conflict, all things that still plague our current time. According to Reverend Fuller, the world of his time is one devoid of spirituality. Rampant consumerism and conformity dominate American society. People are afraid to be individuals for fear that they will be labeled a communist or as someone who divides a united society. The Cold War is a constant backdrop in Reverend Fuller's discussions of modern society. People live in constant fear of nuclear weapons so they give up their freedom and individuality in order to rely on the safety of the group. Reverend Fuller points out that this is a natural reaction but a wrong one. Reverend Fuller maintains that man is intrinsically good, and that they can make the world a better place by working together with their inner soul that has been gifted with the creative spirit. Concepts I have discussed in an earlier post. The problem is that modern society divides people, not only from each other but from their inner, spiritual souls. Another problem that runs rampant in American society is hypocrisy. Reverend Fuller observes how communism is detested for being atheistic and yet the materialist consumerism that is so lauded by American society is equally godless. Fundamentalist protestants praise themselves for their love of God and yet insult all those who dare go to integrated schools. America praises itself for being the best at war and yet, Reverend Fuller points out, wasn't it Russia that actually took Berlin? Again, this stems from the spiritual disconnect of the times. All is not doom and gloom, however. The modern world has benefited all of humanity greatly by bringing the world together, uniting East and West. Through greater international interactions, in the form of trade fairs and cultural exchange. Reverend Fuller is confident that a solution to conflict can be worked out but this must be a continual process. Stagnation not only prevents change but allows more and more conflict to happen. Freedom is not a state but something an individual must continually strive for by practicing that freedom. This is done by the person using his/her own mind to judge right from wrong. All these teachings I believe, even though they are decades old, can definitely apply to our present day.
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