From pan-Protestantism to pluralism: Herman Wornom and the REA's journey toward ecumenical and interreligious encounter, 1952–1970

ABSTRACT

Despite the Religious Education Association (REA)'s founding vision as an interfaith association, for most of its first fifty years it remained a largely Protestant organization. Under Herman Wornom's leadership as general secretary from 1952 to 1970, the REA began more fully to fulfill its aims of becoming more broadly inclusive. Through Wornom's efforts to include Jews and Catholics in particular, the REA moved toward becoming more ecumenical and interreligious in scope. While Wornom's pluralist aims were shaped largely by mid-twentieth-century ideals of America as a Judeo-Christian nation, he, nonetheless, opened the door to wider ecumenical and interreligious encounters within the REA.

Notes on contributor

Dennis Gunn is Visiting Assistant Professor, Education, lona College, New Rochelle, New York. Email: [email protected]

Notes

1 The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was established in 1860 under the leadership of Joseph Smith's son and grandson, as distinct from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon church, organized by Joseph Smith in 1830. The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints officially changed its name to the Community of Christ in 2001 (See Ahlstrom 2004, 508).