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Atheist Controversy in the United Church of Canada: a Review of Gretta Vosper

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Atheist Controversy in the United Church of Canada: a Review of Gretta Vosper Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 4-23-2019 1:30 PM Atheist Controversy in the United Church of Canada: A Review of Gretta Vosper Jacob A. Shaw The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Badcock, Gary The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Theology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Arts © Jacob A. Shaw 2019 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Shaw, Jacob A., "Atheist Controversy in the United Church of Canada: A Review of Gretta Vosper" (2019). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6133. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6133 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract Rev. Gretta Vosper (1958–), currently a serving United Church of Canada Minister in Scarborough, Ontario, has sparked debate in Canadian religious circles as a self-proclaimed atheist. In 2015, her unorthodox approach to public worship and her media statements about the high concentration of atheism among Ministers in the United Church brought matters to a head, and Vosper came under formal review by the Church’s Toronto Conference Ministry Personnel Committee. Meantime, the surrounding controversy left many people asking questions about what the United Church of Canada really believes. This thesis will examine the origins, progress and implications of the Vosper case, partly for its own sake, and partly as a lens through which to explore the history and possible future of the United Church. The argument will affirm a key Vosper contention, which is that her atheism can coherently be regarded as a product of her denominational background and of her theological education. Major theological movements that came to fruition during Vosper’s childhood years in the 1960s, and that appeared in the United Church theological mainstream in subsequent decades, can legitimately be said to make Vosper’s progressive, but atheistic version of Christianity possible. Though the atheistic implication is possible, however, it is not necessary. The thesis will, therefore, address the future of the United Church of Canada, maintaining that while Vosper’s progressivism chimes in well with current sensibilities, her atheism appears increasingly to be culturally outdated. Given the religious disposition of Millennials in particular, a more overt commitment to theism is needed in the United Church of Canada. Keywords Gretta Vosper, United Church of Canada, atheism, non-theism, Death of God, Canadian Christianity, Millennials. i Acknowledgments This thesis was something that surprised me. It came out of the blue as I felt immersed in the questions and concerns of my fellow United Church of Canada members, and therefore I needed to find a footing to look at this issue deeper. I give my appreciation to anyone who helped ignite the flames of interest for this complicated issue prior to my application to the program. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and tremendous dedication of my thesis supervisor Dr. Gary Badcock. We came to work together a bit late in my program, and due to a scheduling collision with my ordination process with the U.C.C. Dr. Badcock and I had our work cut out for us. After many hours of sorting through my less-than-perfect skills in authorship and diction, I finally have some sense and continuity to my writing. I will be forever grateful for Dr. Badcock’s mentorship on this topic. It brings me even greater joy to know that my very first theology course during my undergraduate degree at Huron College was taught by Dr. Badcock. I would like to thank Huron University College, its staff, and faculty for supporting me over the years. Huron University College has not only been a place of higher learning for me but also a place of employment and a home. Many memories have come from Huron over the last 12 years and it has shaped me as a person and ultimately shaped this thesis. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my wife Sarah Shaw (Buck) who sat with me in my very first theology class with Dr. Gary Badcock all those years ago. Sarah was proof-reading my work then and she has continued to support me in that respect for over a decade. In both proof-reading and many more avenues of life, I could not have done it without this wonderful woman. Thanks for your dedication and love. ii Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iii List of Appendices .............................................................................................................. v Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: The Gretta Vosper Case .................................................................................... 6 1 Vosper’s Biographical Background ............................................................................... 7 2 Vosper’s Theology ....................................................................................................... 12 2.1 With or Without God ............................................................................................ 13 2.2 Vosper’s Answers for Essential Agreement ......................................................... 22 3 Vosper’s Claim ............................................................................................................ 30 Chapter 2: Tracing Vosper’s Convictions ......................................................................... 33 1 Atheism and Transcendence ........................................................................................ 34 1.1 God is Dead Theology and Time Magazine ......................................................... 38 1.2 Paul Tillich ............................................................................................................ 41 1.2.1 Ultimate Concern ...................................................................................... 45 1.3 Other Sources ........................................................................................................ 55 1.3.1 John A. T. Robinson ................................................................................. 56 1.3.2 John Shelby Spong .................................................................................... 59 1.4 The United Church History ................................................................................... 61 1.4.1 Religious Establishment............................................................................ 62 1.4.2 Mission Drives .......................................................................................... 63 1.4.3 Secularization ............................................................................................ 64 1.4.4 Major Themes in Rhetoric ........................................................................ 65 iii 1.4.5 United Church Union ................................................................................ 68 1.5 The 1960s and the New Curriculum ..................................................................... 71 1.5.1 New Curriculum and New Evangelism .................................................... 73 2 Bott’s Rebuke and Vosper’s Defense .......................................................................... 76 Chapter 3: What to do with a Vosper? .............................................................................. 79 1 What will happen with Gretta Vosper? ........................................................................ 79 2 Is there a place for theism and transcendence in the U.C.C. and is there a target demographic who may still find theism and transcendence to be valuable? ............... 81 2.1 Theological Trends ............................................................................................... 82 2.2 Political Trends ..................................................................................................... 84 2.3 Transcendent and Paranormal Beliefs .................................................................. 86 2.4 The Future of the U.C.C. ...................................................................................... 88 3 What might the U.C.C. look like as it enters a post-Vosper age? ................................ 90 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 95 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 97 Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 108 Curriculum Vitae ...........................................................................................................
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