Dietrich, John H. (John Hassler), 1878-

Variant names

Hide Profile

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.

From the guide to the John H. Dietrich papers., 1905-1987., (Minnesota Historical Society)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Dietrich, John H. (John Hassler), 1878-. John H. Dietrich papers, 1905-1987. Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts
referencedIn Unity Church records., 1860-1983. Minnesota Historical Society
creatorOf Dietrich, John H. (John Hassler), b. 1878. Graduate Theological Union historic pamphlet collection : Unitarian. Graduate Theological Union, Flora Lamson Hewlett Library
referencedIn Frank M. Rarig papers, 1901-1966 University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc]
referencedIn William B. Provine collection of evolutionary biology reprints, 20th century. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
creatorOf John H. Dietrich papers., 1905-1987. Minnesota Historical Society
creatorOf Unity Church (Saint Paul, Minn.). Unity Church records, 1860-1983. Minnesota Historical Society Library
referencedIn Oswald Garrison Villard papers Houghton Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Angell, Norman, 1874-1967. person
associatedWith Barnes, Harry Elmer, 1889-1968. person
associatedWith Darrow, Clarence, 1857-1938. person
associatedWith Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955. person
associatedWith Eliot, Frederick May, 1889-1958. person
associatedWith Firkins, Oscar W., 1864-1932. person
associatedWith First Unitarian Society (Minneapolis, Minn.). corporateBody
associatedWith First Unitarian Society (Spokane, Wash.). corporateBody
associatedWith Holmes, John Haynes, 1879-1964. person
associatedWith Huxley, Julian, 1887-1975. person
associatedWith Levy, J. Leonard (Joseph Leonard), 1865-1917. person
associatedWith Lewis, Sinclair, 1885-1951. person
associatedWith Lindsey, Ben B. (Ben Barr), 1869-1943. person
associatedWith Potter, Charles Francis, 1885-1962. person
correspondedWith Provine, William B. person
associatedWith Rarig, Frank Miller, 1880-1963 person
associatedWith Sanger, Margaret, 1879-1966. person
associatedWith St. Mark's Reformed Church (Pittsburgh, Pa.). corporateBody
associatedWith Unity Church (Saint Paul, Minn.). corporateBody
correspondedWith Villard, Oswald Garrison, 1872-1949 person
associatedWith Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Minnesota--Minneapolis
Minneapolis (Minn.)
Pittsburgh (Pa.)
Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
United States
Minneapolis (Minn.)
Pittsburgh (Pa.)
Subject
Christian heresies
Christian heresies
Humanism, Religious
Natural theology
Reformed Church in the United States
Religion and science
Religion and science
Religious thought
Religious thought
Theology
Unitarianism
Unitarianism
Unitarians
Unitarians
Occupation
Clergy
Activity

Person

Birth 1878

Death 1957

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60k46hd

Ark ID: w60k46hd

SNAC ID: 16864923