The Christian Union Overture

by Frederick D. Kershner

This is commentary on the Declaration and Address (1809) by Thomas Campbell — one of the founding fathers of the Stone-Campbell Movement.

Princeton educated, Frederick D. Kershner was the president of Milligan College and of Texas Christian University. He served as editor of the Christian-Evangelist and as book editor of the Christian Standard. He was professor of Christian Doctrine at Drake University, and the founding dean of Butler University's School of Religion (now Christian Theological Seminary), where he chaired the Department of Christian Doctrine. For over a decade he served as Chairman of the Commission on Restudy of the Disciples of Christ.

Of Thomas Campbell's approach to unity, Kershner wrote: "It would be well for those who believe in the program of Thomas Campbell to profit by his experience. Doubtless conditions in the religious world today are different from what they were at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, the same general principles which were applicable to the field of religion at that time are still worthy of consideration. There is nothing so far as the writer can see, in the developments of the past hundred years to invalidate the lessons taught by the early history of the Declaration and Address."

Although we have made every effort to provide the present-day reader with a faithful reproduction of the original text, we have corrected obvious typographical errors and documented other errors in a list of errata at the end of the book. It is our hope that this e-print of Kershner's valuable work will renew an interest in the Declaration and Address and revive the vision of its author for unity among the followers of Jesus Christ, a vision that would have us accept others into the family of God by the same criteria upon which God accepted each of us — with all our imperfection in knowledge and behavior.

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1923

About the author

Kershner was educated at Kentucky University and Princeton University. As an educator he served as president of Milligan College (Tennessee) and Texas Christian University. He served as editor of the Christian-Evangelist and as book editor of the Christian Standard. He was professor of Christian Doctrine at Drake University, and the founding dean of Butler University's School of Religion (now Christian Theological Seminary), where he chaired the Department of Christian Doctrine. For over a decade he served as Chairman of the Commission on Restudy of the Disciples of Christ.

Moderate and irenic by temperament he sought to maintain good relationships with leaders from both the right and left within the Stone-Campbell Movement.