Berkeley Free Church

Biography / Administrative History

In 1973, the Berkeley Free Church (GTU 89-5-016. See that Collection Inventory for a full description of the Church.), which had operated in the South Campus area of Berkeley, California since 1967 under the leadership of the Rev. Richard York, "closed its doors and took a long hard look at its work and future." In the months that followed, the former BFC staff and board made decisions to conclude "the ministry of survival services to street people," but continue the publications arm of the BFC in a new direction and develop new programs. The new direction for publication was the creation of Radical Religion: A Quarterly Journal of Critical Opinion. The Introduction in the first issue of Radical Religion, Winter 1973, provides an explanation of its growth from the Berkeley Free Church and its intention as a journal, the "religious left needs a forum for reflection while developing strategies for constructive action. Radical Religion is designed to provide this forum. We in the religious left can use Radical Religion as a means to understand ourselves better, to develop a sense of solidarity, and to grow into a movement with a purposeful direction." The journal ran from Vol. 1 no. 1, 1973 to Vol. 5 no. 4 1981. Several people (though not all) who participated in the work of the journal formed themselves as the Radical Religion Collective. Throughout the life of the journal, the membership of the Collective changed. Each issue prints the names of the people who formed the Collective as well as those who contributed to or in other ways helped with that issue.

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