Reclaiming Christianity's Founders

Unitarian ministers have discussed reclaiming religious words of Christianity from the Middle Ages and later. More important, I think, is reclaiming the contributions of the founders of that faith, said by Rex Weyler to be Jesus and Mary.

Below are two papers which formed the basis of a talk given by Rex at the First Unitarian Church of Victoria 15 August 2010, in which he identifies the unique contribution of these two to religious thought, and which are very much at the root of Unitarian values, and concern with social justice.

Rex came to Canada in 1972 at the end of the wave of war objectors who formed the largest migration of Americans to Canada since the United Empire Loyalists. These migrants have contributed greatly to Canadian society, including teachers, social workers, artistic group directors, and other high service professionals, as well as the current President and Treasurer of FUCV. (This makes the present turning away from Canada of Iraq era war objectors even more tragic.)

Rex is one of the few Vietnam era war resistors wife Norma picked up out of the rain herself (a task she usually left to me), he was so charming when he 'phoned. His first job in Canada was as a photographer for an oral history project sponsored by the Westminster Unitarian Church.

Rex is a co-founder of Green Peace, and founder of Hollyhock on Cortes Island, a retreat centre in the tradition of Cold Mountain.

Rex is the author of nine books and numerous articles, many in the area of ecology. See his Wikipedia entry.

Research for his book "The Sayings of Jesus" formed the basis of the two papers below, and his talk at FUCV.

• Mary, Jesus, nature, and social justice (PDF)
• The twelve things Jesus most likely said (PDF)