Manuscripts Collection
John Hassler Dietrich (1878-1957), a prominent Unitarian clergyman and an intellectual leader (1920s-1940s) of its humanist wing, was the son of Jerome Dietrich, "director of the poor" in Marks, Pennsylvania. Descended from Swiss Reformed Church immigrants who settled in central Pennsylvania in 1710, Dietrich graduated from Mercersberg (Pa.) Preparatory school (1896), Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, Pa., 1900), and Eastern Theological Seminary (1905).
Dietrich's first pulpit (1905-1911) was St. Mark's Reformed Church in Pittsburgh. Although very popular with his congregation, Dietrich began running afoul of the Reformed Church hierarchy with his increasingly liberal interpretations of scripture. In 1911, after Dietrich had twice opened his pulpit to a local rabbi, the Allegheny Classis of the Reformed Church charged him with heresy. The Classis accused him of heterodoxy in five areas: his unbelief in scriptural infallibility, his unbelief in the infallibility of the Heidelberg Catechism, his unbelief in the virgin birth of Jesus, his unbelief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and his unbelief in eternal punishment. Although he had mounted a defense of his position on paper, Dietrich decided, in the interest of his congregation, not to fight the charges. He resigned his ministry and his Reformed Church membership in July 1911; shortly thereafter he accepted ordination in the American Unitarian Association (AUA).
His first appointment was to the First Unitarian Society, Spokane, Washington, in November 1911. Under Dietrich's leadership, especially due to his intellectual energy and his inspirational preaching, the Society's weekly service attendance soon increased from 200 to over 1000, forcing them to hold services in a converted theater. His success was marked within the AUA and, in 1916, he was urged to take over the recently vacated pulpit of the First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis, which had early been a stronghold of Unitarianism.
Dietrich's Spokane success was repeated in Minneapolis, which soon had to refit a downtown theater to accommodate Sunday service attendees. Dietrich's religious thought had been rapidly evolving from liberal theism to a humanism that was grounded in scientific empiricism and was largely agnostic. From the mid-1920s, he occupied a position on the left wing of American Unitarianism. Dietrich preached a social gospel, and was a strong advocate for evolution, birth control, world government, and scientific naturalism. As a result, his congregation hosted many important speakers, including Zona Gale, Clarence Darrow, John Dewey, Norman Thomas, and Margaret Sanger. During the 1920s and 1930s, Dietrich's Sunday addresses were broadcast on the radio, and many were published and widely disseminated, thus extending his reach. He thereby became an important voice against religious orthodoxy and secular traditionalism.
Dietrich's intellectual influence continued strong through his 1938 retirement from his Minneapolis position. In 1941 he retired to Berkeley, California, where he continued to write and to speak occasionally. He died in Berkeley in 1957.
Biographical information was taken from the papers.
The papers document his resignation (1911) from St. Mark's Reformed Church in Pittsburgh in the face of heresy charges, his early years in the Unitarian Church as a minister (1911-1916) in Spokane, Washington, his long service in Minneapolis, and his retirement years (1941-1957) in Berkeley, California.
Most of the papers concern Dietrich's religious and social thought, and its evolution over the course of his life. Correspondence and clippings are largely concerned with the humanist and naturalistic ideas he advanced in his sermons and published writings. Correspondents, most of whom supported his positions, include prominent theologians and social thinkers, scientists, academics, and jurists. The majority of the papers consist of his published writings, mostly his weekly pulpit addresses. The latter deal with such topics as the meaning and significance of various religious elements (Bible, prayer, Christ, immortality); contemporary religious movements and sects (1925); U.S. and world social and political problems and challenges (fascism, communism, anti-Semitism, war and militarism); scientific methods and discoveries (especially evolution); the meaning of humanism, Unitarianism, atheism, and agnosticism; the fundamentalist upsurge (1920s); and such ethical topics as the family, birth control, and capital punishment. Papers that postdate his 1957 death consist of letters to his wife, Margaret, concerning his work and posthumously published writings.
The originals of the letters of Clarence Darrow, Albert Einstein, Julian Huxley, Sinclair Lewis, Margaret Sanger, and Booker T. Washington have been catalogued separately as Res. 13. Photocopies of these letters remain in the Dietrich Papers.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should
Accession number: 11,577; 13,943; 13,988; 14,291
Processed by: Dennis Meissner, August 1989
Catalog ID number: 08-00010436
The three folders of correspondence are largely letters to Dietrich, most of which comment on his ideas or on other aspects of his ministry.
The earliest item (May 3, 1905) is the formal call to ministry at St. Mark's Reformed Church. A few 1908-1909 items from former teachers, fellow seminarians, and other clergy largely compliment Dietrich on his theological positions and his reformist motivation. Most of the numerous 1910-1911 letters congratulate and support Dietrich on the stand he takes in forcing a heresy trial, and denigrate the "unprogressive" elements in the Reformed Church. Letters following his resignation wish him well in his Unitarian ministry. Many letters of this period express optimism regarding religious and social "progressivism."
Correspondence from Dietrich's Spokane ministry is scanty. In 1913, two letters from Booker T. Washington attempt to enlist Dietrich's help in promoting the cause of the Tuskegee Institute to Spokane liberals. Letters from 1916 deal with the call to the First Unitarian church.
The bulk of the correspondence is from the1920s and 1930s, during the period of his greatest influence. Much correspondence comprises responses to Dietrich's published writings and addresses; congratulations and praise regarding his work in championing the causes of humanism, religious liberalism, and the scientific method; as well as intellectual discussions with other writers and thinkers. Letter writers during these decades include English author Sir Norman Angell, sociologist Harry Elmer Barnes, clergyman John Haynes Holmes, Clarence Darrow, jurist Ben B. Lindsey, social activist Margaret Sanger, clergyman Charles F. Potter, Albert Einstein, literature professor Oscar Firkins, English biologist Julian Huxley, and AUA president Frederick May Eliot. A few 1932 letters relate to a flap caused by a newspaper article which had incorrectly reported that Clarence Darrow had joined Dietrich's Minneapolis congregation. Several letters from 1938 thank Dietrich for his long service in Minneapolis upon the occasion of his retirement dinner.
Correspondence drops off after 1938, with none from 1939, and only
a few letters from the 1940-1945 period. After Dietrich's relocation to
California, much of the slight correspondence regards his addresses and
speaking invitations. A 1953 letter to Edwin Wilson of the American Humanist
Association (AHA) summarizes Dietrich's current theological viewpoint,
contrasting it with that advanced in his earlier pamphlet,
In 1957 there are a few letters to Dietrich's widow, Margaret Winston, following his death. A 1968 letter from Robert S. Lehman, minister at the First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis, presents Mrs. Dietrich with a medal commemorating the 400th anniversary of Unitarianism.
This folder includes a petition (May 7) from the St. Mark's congregation to the investigating committee of the Allegheny Classis protesting their investigation; a statement of charges (June 14) formally indicting Dietrich; and undated set of notes for Dietrich's oral defense against the charges; and his letter of resignation (July 1) to the congregation.
Most of the photocopied newspaper and magazine clippings in this folder concern the 1911 heresy indictment and Dietrich's Minneapolis ministry (1916-1933). The heresy-related articles describe events surrounding the confrontation and discuss Dietrich's theological views, including his own summaries of his ideas as well as statements by both accusers and defenders. A few clippings (1911-1916) concern his Spokane ministry.
Articles from the Minneapolis period include items about Dietrich, his theology, and his preaching; items about the First Unitarian Society and its history; and articles on a range of moral and social topics of the day (including religious liberalism and the science versus orthodoxy conflict) that mention Dietrich or contain statements from him. Clippings from 1925 include synopses of and questions from a series of addresses he gave in Berkeley, California.
This folder contains printed and near-print items written by
Dietrich and reflecting the evolution of his religious and social thought over
the years. There are a few pulpit addresses, as well as shorter editorial and
speculative pieces published in such forums as
Included are longer, definitive pamphlets--
This small group of papers includes a number of printed items:
publicity literature from the First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis, largely
describing their theological approach and underpinnings, a magazine photograph
of the First Unitarian Society building at Mary Place, a flyer from
This series consists entirely of printed copies of 112 of Dietrich's addresses delivered during regular Sunday services at the First Unitarian Society, Minneapolis. The addresses concentrate in the 1925-1931 period, but are complete for only four of those years. They cover the period of Dietrich's greatest fame and influence, and trace his theological evolution during the period in which his thought became increasingly naturalistic. The addresses deal with such topics as the nature and meaning of various religious elements (Bible, prayer, Christ, immortality); contemporary religious movements and sects (1925); U.S. and world social and political problems and challenges (fascism, communism, antisemitism, war and militarism); scientific methods and discoveries (especially evolution); the meaning of humanism, Unitarianism, atheism, and agnosticism; the fundamentalist upsurge (1920s); and such ethical topics such as the family, birth control, and capital punishment.
Letters from several notables to Dietrich which have been separated from the main body of Dietrich Papers because of their value as autograph items. The letters all deal, in some sense, with Dietrich's writings or ideas. They have been replaced in P1682 by photocopies.