Sophia Lyon Fahs
Encyclopedia
Sophia Blanche Lyon Fahs (August 2, 1876 – April 14, 1978) was an editor, author, teacher, and religious activist who led a revolution in Unitarian religious education. Fahs' teaching and writing focused on a method of experiential learning that she hoped would enable children to develop their own ideas about religion and spirituality.
, to Presbyterian
missionaries. Her father, David Nelson Lyon, and mother, Mandana Doolittle Lyon, moved with her to Wooster, OH when she was three and a half years old. Her upbringing was strictly evangelical and ritualistic, as she herself describes:
Fahs received her B.A. from Wooster College in 1897, as well as an honorary degree in 1961. She received her M.A. from the Teachers College of Columbia University
(1904) and her B.D. from Union Theological Seminary
(1926). She commented on her education, saying:
While studying elementary education, Sophia Lyon married Charles "Harvey" Fahs in June 1902. She had five children, three of whom survived.
. For three years, she served as principal of the Union School of Religion upon receiving her Bachelor of Divinity degree. She held this position from 1926 to 1929, when the building closed. From 1927-1944, she also served as one of the first female faculty members at Union Theological Seminary as Instructor in Religious Education.
After Fahs left Union in 1944, she became editor of Parents magazine. In 1945 she joined a Unitarian congregation, and in 1959 she became the first female professor to be ordained to the Unitarian-Universalist. She received her ordainment from the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church of Bethesda, Maryland
. Beginning in 1937 and continuing until her retirement in 1964, Fahs worked for the American Unitarian Association
as an editor of children's materials for a new religious curriculum called "The New Beacon Series." One of her best-known quotes is "Each night a child is born is a holy night."
Fahs authored or co-authored over 40 books and even more articles. She retired at the age of eighty-eight and died at the age of 101, leaving behind a legacy of religious and educational progressivism
.
When the Rev. Dr. Randolph Becker started a Unitarian-Universalist children's sleep away camp (for children up to grade 12), he adopted Sophia Fahs's name for the camp since her religious education was always centered on immediate experience. The Sophia Fahs RE Camp has run each August on Shelter Island, NY
, since 1981.
The Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), the professional organization of Unitarian Universalist Association
religious educators, sponsors the annual Sophia Lyon Fahs lecture at the UUA's
annual General Assembly.
Early life
Sophia Lyons Fahs was born on August 2, 1876, in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, to Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
missionaries. Her father, David Nelson Lyon, and mother, Mandana Doolittle Lyon, moved with her to Wooster, OH when she was three and a half years old. Her upbringing was strictly evangelical and ritualistic, as she herself describes:
- "We had family prayers and Bible reading every day. Each of us took our turn until we went right through the Bible. Sunday was a very carefully observed day, spent mostly going to church, reading religious books, playing Bible games and singing. I had been a faithful Sunday School pupil all through childhood. The religion of the home was serious, devout, sturdy, and sincere."
Fahs received her B.A. from Wooster College in 1897, as well as an honorary degree in 1961. She received her M.A. from the Teachers College of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1904) and her B.D. from Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary may refer to:* Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical seminary affiliated with Columbia University in Manhattan* Union Presbyterian Seminary, in Richmond, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina...
(1926). She commented on her education, saying:
- "I decided I must have a theological education. I wanted to have the same education ministers have, because I want to understand the things that they understood."
While studying elementary education, Sophia Lyon married Charles "Harvey" Fahs in June 1902. She had five children, three of whom survived.
Career
Fahs was more than just a Sunday school teacher at Riverside ChurchRiverside Church
The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational church in New York City, famous for its elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture—which includes the world's largest tuned carillon bell...
. For three years, she served as principal of the Union School of Religion upon receiving her Bachelor of Divinity degree. She held this position from 1926 to 1929, when the building closed. From 1927-1944, she also served as one of the first female faculty members at Union Theological Seminary as Instructor in Religious Education.
After Fahs left Union in 1944, she became editor of Parents magazine. In 1945 she joined a Unitarian congregation, and in 1959 she became the first female professor to be ordained to the Unitarian-Universalist. She received her ordainment from the Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church of Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. Beginning in 1937 and continuing until her retirement in 1964, Fahs worked for the American Unitarian Association
American Unitarian Association
The American Unitarian Association was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it merged with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Universalist Association.According to Mortimer Rowe, the Secretary...
as an editor of children's materials for a new religious curriculum called "The New Beacon Series." One of her best-known quotes is "Each night a child is born is a holy night."
Fahs authored or co-authored over 40 books and even more articles. She retired at the age of eighty-eight and died at the age of 101, leaving behind a legacy of religious and educational progressivism
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
.
When the Rev. Dr. Randolph Becker started a Unitarian-Universalist children's sleep away camp (for children up to grade 12), he adopted Sophia Fahs's name for the camp since her religious education was always centered on immediate experience. The Sophia Fahs RE Camp has run each August on Shelter Island, NY
Shelter Island (town), New York
Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It forms the tip of Suffolk County and is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, since 1981.
The Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), the professional organization of Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
religious educators, sponsors the annual Sophia Lyon Fahs lecture at the UUA's
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
annual General Assembly.
Books
- Uganda's White Man of Work (1907)
- Red, Yellow, and Black (1918)
- Exploring Religion with Eight Year Olds, with Helen Firman Sweet (1930)
- Beginnings of Earth and Sky: Stories Old and New (1937)
- Beginnings of Life and Death: Stories Old and New, with Dorothy T. Spoerl (1938)
- Martin and Judy in Sunshine and Rain, with Verna Hills (1940)
- Leading Children in Worship (1943)
- When is a Person Religious? (1944)
- A New Ministry to Children (1945)
- Jesus, the Carpenter's Son (1945)
- The Church Across the Street (1947)
- From Long Ago and Many Lands (1948)
- Consider the Children How They Grow (1951)
- Today's Children and Yesterday's Heritage: A Philosophy of Creative Religious Development (1952)
- From Long Ago and Many Lands (1955)
- The Old Story of Salvation (1955)
- Developing Concepts of God with Children (1959)
- Beginnings: Earth, Sky, Life, Death, Revised Edition (1960)
- Worshipping Together with Questioning Minds (1965)
- Old Tales for a New Day: Early Answers to Life's Eternal Questions, with Alice Cobb and Gobin Stair (1980)
Articles
- "Missionary Biography in the Sunday School" for The Biblical World (1906)
- "The Religious Experience of Pupils in the Experimental School of Religion," with R.P. Bridgman for Religious Education (1925)
- "Has the Missionary Movement Promoted World-mindedness at Home?" for Religious Education (1926)
- "A Mother Protests" for The Christian Century (1927)
- "Changes Necessary in Elementary Religious Education Due to Conflicts Between Science and Religion" for Religious Education (1928)
- "How Childish Should a Child's Religion Be?" for Religious Education (1929)
- "The Beginnings of Baby Behavior" for Religious Education (1930)
- "Should Peter and Peggy Pray?" for Religious Education (1932)
- "'Units of Activity' in Religious Education as a Progressive Sees Them" for Religious Education (1933)
- "Creative Teaching of Religion" for Pilgrim Elementary Teacher (1934)
- "The Religious Education of a Liberal's Child: A Symposium" for Religious Education (1939)
- "When Should Come a Consciousness of God?" for Religious Education (1939)
- "Religion in Public Schools: Values at Stake" for Childhood Education (1942)
- "When is a Child's Religion Emotionally Healthy?" for Christian Leader (1942)
- "What Should Religious Education Do for Children in a War Torn World?" for Religious Education (1944)
- "The Beginning of Mysticism in Children's Growth" for Religious Education (1950)
- "Character: The Key to a Good Life" for Parents' Magazine (1953)
- "Adventures in Spiritual Discovery" for National Parent Teacher Magazine (1956)
- "Growth Both Wide and Deep" for The Unitarian Register (1959)
- "Comments" for Religious Education (1960)
- "The Future of Religious Education" for Religious Education (1971)
External links
- "Looking Back," UU World magazine, http://www.uuworld.org/2003/02/lookingback.html
- The Sophia Lyon Fahs Lecture, http://www.uua.org/lreda/content/fahs.html
- Notable American Unitarians, http://books.google.com/books?id=OBF9DeR4MpMC&pg=PA92&dq=sophia+fahs+edith&hl=en&ei=go-0TZbcO-Ho0QHm5KyzAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=sophia%20fahs%20edith&f=false
- "Each Night a Child Is Born Is a Holy Night," http://books.google.com/books?id=N-8U1pQfbosC&pg=PA50&dq=sophia+fahs+each+night+a+child+is+born&hl=en&ei=h5C0TeXFBYHc0QGE15DsDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=sophia%20fahs%20each%20night%20a%20child%20is%20born&f=false
- Uganda's white man of work, http://books.google.com/books?id=8eo0AQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=sophia+blanche+lyon+fahs&source=bl&ots=NTxr2DBWDI&sig=_92Q3xCVm1_-NMbGhOP00FBnCtw&hl=en&ei=Iny0TdGnCsrogQeB_NHGCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&sqi=2&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q&f=false
- Red, yellow, and black, http://books.google.com/books?id=kEcCAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=sophia+blanche+lyon+fahs&source=bl&ots=How7Sx63Lv&sig=XDuCL5mVudPgUo-DGqEbT8Jgljk&hl=en&ei=Iny0TdGnCsrogQeB_NHGCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&sqi=2&ved=0CFAQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
- Jesus, the Carpenter's Son, http://books.google.com/books?id=8H0hqUJovnoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=sophia+blanche+lyon+fahs&source=bl&ots=ncWU_E94fP&sig=gO9uz7vZR9bmlaaVdKwSQ-t8VFQ&hl=en&ei=Iny0TdGnCsrogQeB_NHGCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&sqi=2&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q&f=false