Echoes of a Distant Thunder?: The Unitarian Controversy in Maine,1734-1833

Abstract

The Unitarian Controversy (1734-1833) was one of the most divisive denominational separations in the annals of American church history. Historians generally have con?ned their study to the churches of Massachusetts proper, neglecting the vital role that Maine churches played in the various phases of the separation. Maine Congregationalists were among the ?rst to recognize and protest the emergence of Unitarian ministers in their churches, and they took the lead in the movement to force Unitarians out of the Congregational Church. Although small in numbers, Maine churches played an important role in this signi?cant theological controversy. The author is a History Instructor and Chair of the Arts and Sciences Department at Northern Maine Community College.