Benevolent Intentions: Decolonizing the Religious Liberal Imperial Mind, an American Story

Muir, Fredric: - Fredric Muir received his Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary (NY), where liberation theology shaped both his personal convictions and theological vision. Influenced by the school's commitment to being a place where "faith, spirituality, and scholarship meet to reimagine the work of justice," he wove Union's lessons into the fabric of his theology and ministry. With the school's support, he served in hospitals, a prison, street ministry, and an addiction recovery center. For two years, he also served as chaplain to Unitarian Universalist students at Columbia and Barnard Colleges.



After seminary and ordination, he served as a chaplain in a community hospital in Brooklyn. The following year he was called to lead a small congregation in Maine, where he ministered for seven years. In 1983, he accepted a call to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Annapolis, Maryland, where he served for 34 years until his retirement in 2017. Upon his retirement he was honored with the title of Minister Emeritus.



While in Annapolis, he completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington, DC). His thesis on liberation theology was published as A Reason for Hope: Liberation Theology Confronts a Liberal Faith. At the suggestion of his advisors, he "tested" his expression of Unitarian Universalist liberation theology in a non-Western context--with the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines.



His ministry in the Philippines became a central part of his life. For over two decades, he served as the Unitarian Universalist Association's Ambassador to the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines. That experience led to the publication of Maglipay Universalist: A Short History of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines (2000). A subsequent research and writing project--funded by two generous grants--focused on the disproportionately large number of religious liberals in leadership and supporting roles during the US colonial and imperial era (1893-1946). This work culminated in the publication of Benevolent Intentions and has informed many congregational and conference presentations.



After retiring from parish ministry, he served as the part-time Interim Director of the Unitarian Universalist Association's International Programs (2019), followed by a full-time role as Interim Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council. In that role, he facilitated the organization's legal and ethical closure and helped shape the early agenda of a new initiative focused on global engagement.



He is the author or contributing editor of six books as well as numerous publications on liberal religious themes--including Charles Darwin, theological language, healthy boundaries for clergy, the centering of love in liberal religion, mentoring, and liberal religious history.