Angus Hector MacLean (1892-1969)

As we contemplate recommending someone to receive the Angus H. MacLean Award for excellence in religious education, it is good to refresh our minds about who Angus MacLean was. Recent generations of religious educators have not had the privilege of knowing him; but, for many of us old-timers, he was a major influence on our training and on the quality of our lives.

Angus served as professor of religious education at the Theological School of St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY, from 1928 to 1951 and then as dean of the school from 1951 to 1960 (the school closed in 1965). During his long service, he evolved a full program for the training and certification of professional directors of religious education. The program was so highly regarded that most students studying for the parish ministry at St. Lawrence also took it, receiving dual credentials upon graduation.

Angus emphasized the psycology of educational processes, urging his students to look into the needs and motivations of learners. Strongly influenced by the great American philosopher John Dewey, he taught that our very method of teaching is a major message we convey to children, youth, and adults in our religious education programs. The address he presented before the Universalist Sabbath Union of Greater Boston in 1951 entitled "The Method Is the Message" introduced this concept and later became a popular pamphlet in UU circles in the '50s and '60s.

Later in life, Angus began to emphasize the importance of the role of parents in the religious education of their children. Following his semi-retirement in 1960, he worked for several years half-time at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland pioneering ways to encourage parents in small groups to become more intentional about the religious education of their children. His article, "Home Patterns in Religious Teaching," in the Universalist Leader of May, 1960, reported on that important work.

Other writings of importance by Angus MacLean are The New Era in Religious Education (Beacon Press, 1934), The Wind in Both Ears (Beacon Press, 1965), and God and the Devil at Seal Cove (Petheric Press, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1976). Among his shorter works were "Evaluation of Trends and Developments in Our Religious Education Programs" (1950), "Planning the Religious Education Curriculum: Some Basic Considerations" (1951), and two booklets on "Christmas" and "Easter" developed with groups of his students in the late '50s.

Angus received his Ph.D. in Education from Teacher's College of Columbia University in 1930 where he had also been an instructor. He received honorary D.D. degrees from Tufts (1955), Meadville (1957), and St. Lawrence (1960).

Born on a farm on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, where people are characterized as being "more Scottish than Scotland," Angus spoke with a slight Scottish accent and sometimes would appear in full tartan dress at special occasions. His writings include charming stories of his early years as a Presbyterian missionary in rural Canada before becoming a Universalist and of his family life with his wife Ruth Rogers and their two children, Colin and Suzanne. One such story from his family life illustrates his Universalist faith in the salvageability of all souls. He wrote on page 63 of The Wind in Both Ears: "In my family we once had our children experiment with love therapy on a stray homeless cat that was as emaciated and ugly and nasty as a creature could be after being kicked from door to door all winter. At first he slashed one's arms when picked up, but in a very few weeks he would cuddle in a lap and purr and sit up in his natural beauty and dignity. The recovery of poise and beauty was most impressive."

Many generations of students recall fond memories of such stories and their visits to Angus’s and Ruth's home which was always open to them. Others remember him for his leadership at numerous summer institutes and for his heading up important committees for the Universalist Church of America.