Forrest Church was a leading light in Unitarian Universalism, a religion that is often said to be “about the questions” and surprisingly difficult to describe in a few sentences at a dinner party. Yet Church was able to cogently frame this intricate expression of humanism and social justice through original sermons, meditative books, good stories and self-deprecating humor, thus making it more comprehensible and accessible, and, thereby, more consequential. 

"Cryer...provides a superb overview [of Church] with this very manageable..biography of consistently engaging, incisive prose that can be easily understood by any lay person."

Even better, Church wasn’t articulating a set of religious beliefs so much as having a discussion about how to live in a world filled with poverty, discrimination and violence. In fact, he was most at home where politics and religion intersected. “The Falwells, Robertsons, and their ilk failed to grasp that deist leaders like Washington and Jefferson were more akin to Forrest Church than to any fundamentalist,” writes author Dan Cryer.