Many UU bloggers are writing recaps of their output for 2007 in hopes of nomination for the annual UU Blog awards. There’s nothing here that merits special recognition, but reviewing previous efforts is a worthy project in and of itself. Thankfully, it’s also a short one for Transient and Permanent, because while this is the continuation of an earlier blog, it wasn’t resurrected until September.
Much of late 2007 was devoted to the continuing series Book Notes, which chronicles in brief primary and secondary sources that may prove interesting to those investigating (professionally or otherwise) the development of liberal religion in America. A number of posts also arose from commentary on current events in Unitarian-Universalism, either at the denominational level or on other blogs. Probably the best post of last year was stimulated in this way, Manufacturing Outrage as Religious Practice, in which a Ritual Studies perspective was applied to the protest (and anti-protest) culture of UUism. Perhaps a runner-up would be Defining American Liberal Religion or its follow-up Are Reason and Optimism Toward Human Nature Necessary Components of Liberal Religion?, although the former post was too long and dense to draw broad commentary from readers.
Unlike the vast majority of blogs, Transient and Permanent is not written in the first person. While this has certain advantages, that will probably always keep it from being among the best blogs–there are inherent limitations to the sort of posts that can be made, and the more detached voice cannot inspire the sort of comradery and familiarity that particularly active and enjoyable blogs produce. Nonetheless, hopefully Transient and Permanent will remain a useful resource for folks interested in thinking about liberal religion, in both its historical and present incarnations.
