Unitarianism in Poland. The Corn Poppy

Transcription

1 The Garden of Unitarian*Universalism Unit 4: Poland Unitarianism in Poland The Corn Poppy The Garden of Unitarian*Universalism (12/2005) by Melinda Sayavedra and Marilyn Walker may not be published or used in any sort of profit-making manner. It is solely for the use of individuals and congregations to learn about international Unitarians and Universalists. Copies of the material may be made for educational use or for use in worship. The entire curriculum may be viewed and downloaded by going to This project is funded in part by the Fund for Unitarian Universalism. Every effort has been made to properly acknowledge and reference sources and to trace owners of copyrighted material. We regret any omission and will, upon written notice, make the necessary correction(s) in subsequent editions. * The asterisk used in this curriculum in Unitarian*Universalism stands for and/or to include Unitarian, Universalist and Unitarian Universalist groups that are part of our international movement. The flower shape of the asterisk helps remind us that we are part of an ever-changing garden.

2 Poland p. 2 Unitarianism in Poland: The Corn Poppy Table of Contents for Unit 4 Preparing for this Unit p. 3 Session 1: History and Context Preparing for Session 1 p. 4 Facilitating Session 1 p. 4 Handout: Blowing in the Wind: Seeds of Unitarianism in Poland p. 5-8 (with pre- and post-reading activities) Session 2: Beliefs and Practices Preparing for Session 2 p. 9 Facilitating Session 2 p Handout: A Truth-Seeking Tradition p (with pre- and post-reading activities) Session 3: Small Group Worship Preparing for Session 3 p. 13 Facilitating Session 3 p. 13 Handout: Small Group Worship - Poland p. 14 Harvesting: Additional Activities p. 15 The Tool Shed: References and Resources p. 16 Please note that if you are accessing The Garden of Unitarian*Universalism from the Internet, the Small Group Worship Order of Service is a separate document and must be downloaded separately,

3 Poland p. 3 Unitarianism in Poland: Preparing for this Unit This unit is divided into three sessions. Session 1 covers the history and context of Unitarianism in Poland. Session 2 covers the beliefs and practices of Polish Unitarians. Session 3 is a Small Group Worship service in a covenant group format in honor of Polish Unitarians. Facilitators should look over the entire unit to be prepared and comfortable with the material and the flow of the unit, and to decide which session(s) or parts of a session to cover, which activities to do, and how long to spend on each part. For each session, facilitators should make copies of the readings and accompanying questions and hand them out in advance of the meeting time, or ask group members to access the material online at This gives participants time to read and reflect on the material before sharing with the group. The group or facilitator may choose one or more activities from the list of activities under Harvesting (p. 15) to do after discussing the readings. These activities have been designed to honor other ways of learning, to create informal ways to make connections with one another and to add variety to the group meetings. Some groups may prefer to cover more than one session at a group meeting, depending on the time frame, how the class is set up (whether it is a weekly class, a workshop or a retreat), and the interests of the group. Some groups may prefer not to do the additional activities and just do the readings and accompanying questions for reflection and discussion. We have tried to allow for flexibility.

4 Poland p.4 History and Context Unitarianism in Poland I. HISTORY AND CONTEXT Preparing for Session 1 Make copies and hand out in advance the article, Blowing in the Wind: Seeds of Unitarianism in Poland (p. 5-8) and accompanying pre- and post-reading questions, or have members read the material online at Make copies and hand out The Tool Shed: References and Resources (p. 16) in advance. Choose, or have the group chose, in advance, an Additional Activity from Harvesting (p. 15) to do after your discussion. Prepare materials needed for the chosen activity. Invite members to bring items from Poland to display. Arrive early to set up your room. Set up a chalice. Have matches handy. Bring a map or globe on which you can locate Poland. Display a Corn poppy/shirley poppy (or other type of poppy) and/or a photo of poppies. Have Polish folk music or music by a Polish composer such as Frédéric Chopin playing in the background. Make copies of handouts for the next session you plan to cover. Look over the instructions for facilitating the session to be prepared and comfortable with the material and the flow of the session. Facilitating Session 1 1. Welcome participants and invite those with items to display to put them out on a table, perhaps next to the chalice. 2. Chalice lighting: Marvelous Truth, confront us at every turn, in every guise. Denise Levertov 3. Check-In/Announcements: Give everyone in the room an opportunity to tell their names and a high or low point of their week. Make announcements about today s session and upcoming sessions as needed. Choose an additional activity from Harvesting (p. 15) for next time, if appropriate. Distribute handouts for the next session you plan to cover. 4. Locate Poland on a map or globe. 5. Allow members to quickly and silently reread the articles and look over their notes. 6. Ask members to share their understanding of the concept of the Trinity (Tilling, p. 5). 7. Ask members to share three statements they would include in a personal statement of religious beliefs and conduct (Hoeing, p. 8). 8. Ask members to share other ideas and questions they had from the article. 9. When discussion has wound down, extinguish the chalice: May our hearts be nourished with true friendship and our souls fed with truth. - Anonymous 10. Gather for your Additional Activity from Harvesting (p. 15): cooking, illustrating your theology, reading and preparing a drama based on the life of a famous Polish Unitarian, listening to the travel experiences of others whatever you and your group have chosen to do.

5 Poland p.5 History and Context The Corn Poppy: Unitarianism in Poland Handout: Blowing in the Wind: the Seeds of Unitarianism in Poland Tilling What is your understanding of the concept of the Trinity? Planting Now read the article on the history and context of Unitarianism in Poland. We also strongly recommend Charles Howe s book For Faith and Freedom: A Short History of Unitarianism in Europe for more details. (See references, p. 16). Blowing in the Wind: the Seeds of Unitarianism in Poland Bright red corn poppies grow wild all over Poland and, in fact, all over central and western Europe. Their seeds, carried by the wind, germinate, grow and blossom in all types of soil good and poor. The same can be said of the seeds of freedom, reason and tolerance in matters of faith that blew into Poland and from there, spread throughout Europe. The first such recorded seed landed on Polish soil in 1546 in the capitol of Kraków. There, a group of Catholic Humanist theologians met in private homes to discuss ways to reform the Catholic Church. At one meeting, a non-catholic guest from Holland, curious about the idea of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost asked, Have you here three gods? The evening was spent discussing the question. The seed of free inquiry began to germinate in the mind of Francisco Lismanino, a prominent leader of the Catholic Church, who after that evening, left Catholicism to help lead the liberal anti-trinitarian wing of the Polish Reformation from which Socinianism was to emerge (Howe, 1997). A decade later in 1556, a man by the name of Peter Gonesius from Lithuania, stated his antitrinitarian views at a joint assembly of Polish Calvinists and Bohemian Brethren using scripture to support his views. Although members of the assembly were upset by Gonesius, and he was not accepted into the Bohemian Brethren as he had hoped, seven of the sixteen ministers and several of the laypeople present were influenced by his reasoned arguments and later became antitrinitarian. Gonesius returned to Lithuania and was made pastor of a liberal Reformed congregation. Seeds were spreading and germinating. Unitarian historian Charles Howe describes the political, social and religious situation in Poland as extremely complex during these times, but one that was favorable to the propagation of unorthodox religious views (Howe, 1997). It was in this climate in 1558 that several well-known Italian anti-trinitarians including Laelius Socinus arrived in Poland. Socinus was a questioning, thinking man deeply concerned with formulating a sound, personal theology for himself and he had a profound impact on what was to become Unitarianism in Poland (Howe, 1997). He built a belief system that gave equal weight to reason and scripture. After his

6 Poland p.6 History and Context death, his nephew, Faustus Socinus, took possession of his books and manuscripts. These writings influenced Faustus who later became the acknowledged leader of the anti-trinitarian movement in Poland. So it is that Laelius Socinus is considered the father of Polish Socinianism from which Unitarianism developed (although they identified themselves as the brethren in Poland and Lithuania who have rejected the Trinity, later the Minor Reform Church of Poland, still later the Polish Brethren). The term Socinian did not appear until the 1600s and then only outside of Poland. In general, the terms Socinian, Unitarian, Polish Brethren and Minor (Reform) Church are interchangeable. Even as the Minor Church had heated debates within the movement about issues such as infant baptism versus adult baptism, and the nature of Jesus (human or deity?), they inevitably agreed that in matters of faith no one may lord it over another, nor be forced; each should enjoy freedom of conscience (Howe, 1997). They adopted a statement of mutual tolerance and the rights of conscience in belief and practice, with no one wishing to impose his faith upon another, since this is the gift of God (Howe, 1997). They never asked others to believe as they did; they asked only to be allowed to follow their own beliefs developed through question, study and reason. In 1570 due to continued challenges and acts of violence towards anti-trinitarians from both Catholics and Protestants in Kraków, the town of Raków was founded, a haven for the Minor Church and the anti-trinitarian movement. Under the leadership of Faustus Socinus, which began around 1580, a school and a printing press were established at Raków. Socinians believed (and published their beliefs) that reason must be used to interpret scripture; religion was to be found in the scriptures not in the dogmas of the church; and the doctrines of the deity of Jesus, the Trinity, the total depravity of man, and everlasting punishment for sins, should be rejected as invalid and untrue (Cheetham, 1962). Pamphlets issued by the press reached England, France, Germany and Holland sowing seeds wherever they went. The Minor Church also developed what is known as the Racovian Catechism for explaining who they were and what they believed. The Racovian Catechism is not a creed or book of dogmatic instruction. It is a summary of the Minor Church doctrine, a general statement of belief and conduct, written in a question-and-answer format. The Racovian Catechism is based on scripture and emphasizes disciplined human conduct (Howe, 1997). In it, the doctrines of predestination, original sin, and atonement (that is, that Jesus died on the cross to atone for the sins of humanity) are rejected. The Trinity is rejected. The theology is clearly Unitarian: God is only one person, not three; Jesus was a human being not a deity; and the Holy Spirit is not a person in the Godhead but a divine power at work in human hearts (Howe, 1997). It was translated into German, Dutch and Latin, and because it was denounced as satanic by King James I of England and ordered burned by the Parliament, it was widely read. But times were turbulent as the Counter-Reformation movement of the Catholics spread throughout Europe. Toleration, though guaranteed under Polish law, did not happen in reality. In 1598, Faustus Socinus was dragged by an angry mob from his sickbed through the streets of Kraków and threatened with being burned at the stake. His books and papers were burned and he was asked to recant his religious views. He refused. The mob planned to drown him, but he was saved by a university professor who persuaded them to turn the heretic over to him (Howe, 1997). This kindly man later smuggled Socinus to safety. Faustus Socinus died peacefully in Shortly after his death, the Racovian Catechism of the Minor Church was published by his followers.

7 Poland p.7 History and Context Despite the Counter-Reformation movement, the Minor Church grew and flourished in the early 1600s. Earl Morse Wilbur estimated at least 125 congregations in Poland. However, the guarantee of religious freedom in Poland during 1600s was often ignored and the Socinians, or Polish Brethren, were frequent victims. Under a Catholic monarchy and a powerful and aggressive Catholic clergy, the Socinians suffered destruction of their homes, churches, graveyards, schools and printing press. Many were jailed, exiled or were killed in horrific ways as martyrs. Amazingly, in spite of all they suffered they continued to hold fast to their beliefs, confident that their views would in time prevail (Howe, 1997). After the destruction of all their holdings in Raków, they set up shop elsewhere promoting their faith with enthusiasm (Howe, 1997). They continued to hold synods, ordain and appoint ministers, help individual churches and secretly print books. Socinian Unitarians continued to be restricted in their religious activities, but it was the invasions of Poland by Russia, the Cossacks, and Sweden and the subsequent change in the monarchy in 1660 that finally destroyed the Socinian Church in Poland. Unitarians had to choose between death, becoming Catholic or fleeing. They were banished from their homeland, their homes and churches plundered and burned, the women raped all with the consent of the law. They were given a deadline of July 10, 1660 to leave or die. Those who could afford to move fled by wagon to Transylvania, but lost all they possessed to raiders at the border (Elrod, 2003). Those who didn t turn back and head for East Prussia were warmly welcomed by Unitarians in Transylvania. Others settled in Germany where they set up active religious communities, which met in private homes since they were not allowed to advertise their beliefs publicly. Unfortunately, their numbers dwindled due to restrictions imposed by German authorities. Some Polish Unitarians managed to reach The Netherlands where the printing press was re-established and Unitarian books published again, mainly in Latin, so they could be read by literate peoples all over Europe. This diaspora had the effect of sowing the seeds of Unitarianism in western Europe just as the corn poppy has so freely spread its seeds over Europe. Throughout history, Unitarianism has been spread by the sowing of ideas and questions rather than by missionaries with answers. Even in Poland, though free thought in matters of faith was banished, the seeds merely laid dormant, only to sprout again in 1921 after World War I (ICUU, 2004). Three liberal religious groups merged: a Universalist-like group, a liberal fellowship in Warsaw and the re-established Union of Polish Brethren started by the Reverend Karol Grycz-Smilowski in This last group was later taken over by Pentecostals who needed a registered church organization to avoid being considered a sect, so the Unitarians formed a new Union of Polish Brethren, Unitarian. This group is active today mainly in Silesia. These three liberal religious groups merged and sought official registration to avoid being considered a sect (which has great disadvantages under Polish law) (General Assembly, 2004). World War II and Nazi occupation interrupted the re-development of Unitarianism in Poland and Unitarian teaching and religious activity were restricted. After the war, the Soviet Union took control of Poland and a communist government came to power. Religious restrictions continued until the fall of the dictatorship in In the 1990s the traditional Unitarian streams began to consolidate and enliven their religious activity (ICUU, 2004). The ICUU Leadership Conference in 1996 led to a merger into one organization called the Unitarian Church of Poland, or Kosciol Unitarianski. As of 2002, there were two Unitarian congregations and two layfellowships in Poland with a total membership of about 80 people. Membership continues to grow and partnerships with North American and British congregations are beginning to form through the Partner Church Council. The Unitarian Church of Poland, in many ways, is a

8 Poland p.8 History and Context reawakening of a long dormant seed planted by the Polish Brethren that called for reason and tolerance in matters of faith. May it continue to grow and blossom and release its seeds to blow in the wind. Hoeing Laelius Socinus formulated his own sound personal statement of religious beliefs and conduct. Write three statements that you would include in your own statement of religious belief and conduct Harvesting Has your group decided to do any of the Additional Activities from Harvesting (p. 15) following the discussion of the reading? If so, prepare any materials you might need.

9 Poland p.9 Beliefs and Practices II. BELIEFS AND PRACTICES Unitarianism in Poland Preparing for Session 2 Make copies and hand out in advance the article, A Truth-Seeking Tradition (p ) and accompanying pre- and post-reading questions, or have members read the material online at Make copies and hand out The Tool Shed: References and Resources (p. 16) in advance, if your group hasn t received it already. Choose, or have the group choose, in advance an Additional Activity from Harvesting (p. 15) to do after your discussion. Prepare materials needed for the chosen activity. Invite members to bring items from Poland to display. Arrive early to set up your room. Set up a chalice. Have matches handy. Bring a map or globe depicting Poland. Display corn poppies/shirley poppies (or other kind of poppy) and/or a photo of poppies. Have Polish folk music or music by a Polish composer such as Frédéric Chopin playing in the background. Make copies of handouts for the next session you plan to cover. Look over the instructions for facilitating the session to be prepared and comfortable with the material and the flow of the session. Facilitating Session 2 1. Welcome participants and invite those with items to display to put them out on a table, perhaps next to the chalice. 2. Chalice lighting: Marvelous Truth, confront us at every turn, in every guise. Denise Levertov 3. Check-In/Announcements: Give everyone in the room an opportunity to tell their names and a high or low point of their week. Make announcements about today s session and upcoming sessions as needed. Choose an Additional Activity from Harvesting (p. 15) for next time, if appropriate. (If you are doing the Small Group Worship service, you may not have time for an additional activity next session). Distribute handouts for the next session you plan to cover. 4. Allow members to quickly and silently reread the article and look over their notes. 5. Ask members what definitions they found for Christian, Humanist and Agnostic (Tilling, p. 11). How do the dictionary definitions compare with the descriptions about the three streams of Polish Unitarianism? 6. Ask members to share other ideas and questions that came to them from the article. 7. Ask members to describe where they would place themselves in the three streams of Unitarianism in Poland (Hoeing, p. 12). 8. When discussion has wound down, extinguish the chalice: May our hearts be nourished with true friendship and our souls fed with truth. Anonymous

10 Poland p.10 Beliefs and Practices 9. Gather for your Additional Activity illustrating Polish Unitarianism, cooking, illustrating your theology, reading and preparing a drama based on the life of a famous Polish Unitarian, listening to the travel experiences of others whatever you and your group have chosen to do.

11 Poland p.11 Beliefs and Practices Handout: A Truth-Seeking Tradition The Corn Poppy: Unitarianism in Poland Tilling Look up the definitions of Christian, Humanist and Agnostic in a dictionary. After you have read the article, compare the dictionary definitions with the description of the three streams of Polish Unitarianism. Planting Read the following article that explores the beliefs of Polish Unitarians. A Truth-Seeking Tradition About Polish Unitarianism, Czeslaw Glogowski writes, Our religion is non-dogmatic and liberal, based on individual freedom of belief. There are three main streams: liberal Christian, humanists and agnostics (ICUU, 2004). The main attributes of the liberal Christian stream of Polish Unitarianism are a personal and liberal belief in God as Spirit of Life or Spirit of the Universe. This includes recognition of the exceptional role of Jesus and his teachings, a belief in salvation as the goal of human life on earth achieved through ethical and dignified behavior, full of justice and compassion. The second stream, Humanism, stresses belief in human possibilities and a conviction of the necessary and permanent improvement of our world. It fully recognizes human rights political, religious, and moral (Glogowski, 2002). It stresses the importance of all that is natural and secular: freedom and dignity of the human being, reason, tolerance and liberty of conscience. Interacting with these two streams is universalism, which encourages a search for truth in diverse faith traditions and inter-faith dialog. Philosophy and theology are treated metaphorically, not literally. The search is for ethical spirituality rather than for a set of detailed creeds. The third stream, Agnostics, are those who do not want to speak of God, the deepest mystery, but who believe in the religious and ethical principles of liberal Christianity and of noble human dignity (Glogowski, 2002). Liberty of conscience is important to Polish Unitarians. They believe the search for truth and meaning is not random or chaotic. Just as any commitment requires self-discipline so liberty of conscious must be disciplined. Unconstrained but responsible search for Truth should be our aim (Glogowski, 2002).

12 Poland p.12 Beliefs and Practices There were three leaders of liberal religious thought in 20 th century Poland. They were the Reverends Karol Grycz-Smilowski ( ), Marian Lubecki ( ) and Janusz Sz. Ostroski ( ). Much of what we know about Polish Unitarian beliefs comes from the published works of Karol Grycz-Smilowski. Grycz sought to remind Polish society of the achievements of the Polish Brethren. He published extensively and presented at the 12 th International Association for Religious Freedom in He outlined the principles of a free religious society, which, according to Grycz, cares about religious thought and life not being limited by dogmas, holy books, or the authority of tradition. Referring to the words of Jesus, You will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32), Grycz states, We are not afraid of any truth on the contrary, we welcome it cheerfully, everywhere (Glogowski, 2002). Grycz regarded the Bible as a major source of religious teaching, especially the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3-11) but saw it neither as infallible nor as revealed truth. Polish Unitarians approach the Bible critically. They feel that truth is not limited to the Bible. Everything speaks about God, about leading an ethical life: nature, science, other religious and cultural traditions. Grycz called this the Bible of Humanity. Contemplation of nature and scientific discoveries must be part of the search for Truth. If reason is a gift of God, then we must make use of it. He described God as the fullest reality the truth and consciousness of the universe and therefore the unity of the world (Glogowski, 2002). Polish Unitarians believe that the human approach to divinity should be through an ethical life. Prayer for Polish Unitarians is not a set of wishes, quite often harmful to ourselves and others, but rather contemplation or meditation about spiritual matters, searching for unity with God, for wholeness (Glogowski, 2002). Just as their Polish Brethren forebears did, Polish Unitarians reject much of what is considered traditionally Christian belief in Satan and hell, worship of images, elaborate rites and rituals. Instead they hold fast to love of the idea of God or Truth, love for [other] human beings, love for everything that is alive, and love for the boundless spirit (Glogowski, 2002). It is the love of Truth and the search for Truth with love that best exemplifies Polish Unitarians. Hoeing Reread the description of the three streams of Unitarianism in Poland in this article. In which stream, or streams, of Polish Unitarianism would you place yourself? Why? Share your thoughts with the group. Harvesting Has your group decided to do any of the Additional Activities from Harvesting (p. 15) following the discussion of the reading? If so, prepare any materials you might need.

13 Poland p. 13 Small Group Worship III. SMALL GROUP WORSHIP Unitarianism in Poland Preparing for Session 3 Make copies and hand out Small Group Worship Poland (p. 14), in advance. Make copies of handouts for the next session you plan to cover. These will be handed out when you meet for Session 3, Small Group Worship. Download and copy the Order of Service for the Small Group Worship Unitarianism in Poland which is a separate file, Choose, or have the group choose, in advance one or more activities from Harvesting: Additional Activities (p. 15) to do after your Small Group Worship service, if appropriate. Prepare materials needed for the chosen activities. Invite members to bring items from Poland to display at the Small Group Worship service. Look over the instructions for facilitating the session and the Order of Service to be prepared and comfortable with the material and the flow of the session. Facilitating Session 3 Small Group Worship is designed to be a worshipful time for self-reflection and for connecting with one another. The Small Group Worship for Poland is based on a covenant group format which is now being used at many international U*U meetings and conferences. (See Thandeka, 2002 in references). After creating the space and preparing the materials, simply follow the Order of Service. Space Arrive early to set up your room. Create a worship space that is different from how the space usually looks. Set up a chalice. Have matches handy. Display Corn poppies/shirley poppies or other type of poppy and/or a photo of poppies. Have Polish folk music or music by a Polish composer such as Frédéric Chopin playing in the background. Invite members to display items from Poland next to the chalice. Order of Service If you haven t already, download, copy and have available the Order of Service for the Small Group Worship. It has been designed to be printed or photocopied front to back and folded. Read through it carefully so you can lead it comfortably. Songs If you are not familiar with a chosen hymn or don t have the music for it, feel free to substitute a different hymn that has a similar theme. Preliminaries This is a time to make announcements and to ask for volunteers to help with the Small Group Worship tasks. If you are using this curriculum in a retreat or workshop setting and will be following the group worship with one of the additional activities listed in Harvesting (p. 15), you may want to announce your agenda and what you need from the group. After the Service Distribute handouts for your next meeting if appropriate. If you haven t done so already, you may want to make plans to do one of the activities listed in this unit (See Harvesting, p. 15) following this Small Group Worship. There are many to choose from including sharing Polish food!

14 Handout: Small Group Worship Poland Poland p. 14 Small Group Worship After you have read the articles and reflected on Unitarianism in Poland, you are ready to share in Small Group Worship. Small Group Worship Your facilitator will download and have ready the Order of Service for the Small Group Worship Service Poland, Bring an item from Poland, if you have one, to display at the Worship Service. The Small Group Worship for Poland is based on a covenant group format that is now being used at many international U*U meetings and conferences. (See Thandeka, 2002 in references). There is no article to accompany the Small Group Worship service, only an Order of Service which is a separate file and will be downloaded and copied by the facilitator. While participating in the Small Group Worship, listen deeply to the words of hymns, prayers, and readings. Listen deeply to the words of others in your group as feelings and ideas are shared with one another.

15 Poland p. 15 Harvesting: Additional Activities Below are activities that you might want to do later as a group or at home with family and friends. 1. Read one, two or all three stories of famous Polish Unitarians Faustus Socinus, Samuel Przypkowski, and Andrew Wiszowaty, in Credo International: Voices of Religious Liberalism from Around the World by Don McEvoy. (2003). Del Mar, CA: Humanunity Press. Prepare a dramatic rendition for your group, your congregation, the children and youth of your congregation or for a conference or workshop. 2. Learn about the Racovian Catechism: Highlight those parts of the catechism that you would include in your own personal catechism. 3. Cook Polish food. There are many recipes on the Internet. You can find some at: 4. (For use after Session 2.) Reread the description of the three streams of Unitarianism in Poland in the article, A Truth-Seeking Tradition. Design a visual depiction of Unitarianism in Poland using watercolors or other media. Design it as a group or individually. Share individual designs with the larger group. 5. (For use after Session 2.) Your own theology may consist of more than one stream, flowing from the wellsprings of other religious traditions. Design a visual depiction of your theology and its streams (or its roots and branches). Explain your theology visual to the group. 6. Read from The Unitarian Thought of Karol Grycz-Smilowski. by Glogowski, (p ), in A Global Conversation: Unitarian/Universalism at the Dawn of the 21 st Century. Prague: ICUU. Share with the group what most speaks to you from this article. 7. Listen to Polish folk music: has sound files you can listen to. You can learn about Polish dance at 8. Discuss what prayer is to you. How, when and for what purpose do you think praying is appropriate? On a slip of paper, write a prayer that you might recite. Put your prayer in a bowl with those of other group members; then select one that is not yours to read aloud. 9. If members of your group have lived in, traveled in or had personal experience with Poland, set aside time when they can share what they know with the group. 10. Your own ideas. (February 2007, Special thanks to Joseph Tomczyk from Black Mountain, N. Carolina, USA for updating some of the links provided here.)

16 Poland p. 16 The Tool Shed: References and Additional Resources Bumbaugh, D. (2000). Unitarian Universalism: A Narrative History. Chicago: Meadville Lombard Press. Cheetham, H. (1962). Unitarianism and Universalism. Boston: Beacon Press. Elrod, J.M. (March 20, 2003). Unitarianism. Retrieved March 26, 2004 from General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. (2004). Unitarians Worldwide: Poland. Retrieved March 28, 2004 at Glogowski, C. (2002). The Unitarian Thought of Karol Grycz-Smilowski. in A Global Conversation: Unitarian/Universalism at the Dawn of the 21 st Century. (pp ). Prague: International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. Hill, A., J. McAllister, and C. Reed (eds). (2002). A Global Conversation: Unitarian/Universalism at the Dawn of the 21 st Century. Prague: International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. Howe, C.A. (1997). For Faith and Freedom: A Short History of Unitarianism in Europe. Boston: Skinner House Books. ICUU. (2004). Unitarian Church of Poland. Retrieved March 28, 2004 from McEvoy, D. (2003). Credo International: Voices of Religious Liberalism from Around the World. Del Mar, CA: Humanunity Press. Partner Church Council at Racovian Catechism. Retrieved March 2004 from As of 2007, the Racovian Catechism is available at Thandeka (2002). The Spiritual Life of Unitarian Universalists, Lost and Found. in A Global Conversation: Unitarian/Universalism at the Dawn of the 21 st Century. (pp ). Prague: International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. Unitarian Universalist Association (eds). (1993). Singing the Living Tradition. Boston: Beacon Press. Wilbur, E.M. (1925). Our Unitarian Heritage. Boston: Beacon Press. Also available online from Starr King School for the Ministry. Retrieved January 20, 2004 from