11. Dr. Sprunger and the Ministers

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to EDWARD W. BRUESEKE

Culver, In., February 12, 1957

Dear Ed,

I enjoyed our discussion yesterday. The following is a quotation from the Urantia Book which to a degree summarizes our discussion:

“The acid test for any religious philosophy consists in whether or not it distinguishes between the realities of the material and the spiritual worlds while at the same moment recognizing their unification in intellectual striving and in social serving. A sound religious philosophy does not confound the things of God with the things of Caesar. Neither does it recognize the aesthetic cult of pure wonder as a substitute for religion.” p. 1114.

I stress the first part of this statement and you are concerned about recognizing their unification in actual expression. Actually neither can be separated from the other.

I would like to suggest that you read this entire paper, “Real Nature of Religion,” pp. 1104-17. Read it with the same open mind in which you would approach a chapter in any good book on theology. You will find it worth reading.

Because of your sincerity of heart and real concern for the spiritual welfare of the church, you have great possibilities, Ed. But I am certain that your theological and professional pride are shutting you off from some of the greatest wisdom of our day. I am not urging you to accept the Urantia Book for what it claims to be—but simply to read it carefully and critically and prayerfully.

More will I say, I do not think you are chairman of our Commission on Church and Ministry by chance. Nor were you one of the first men to receive a copy of the Urantia Book after its publication simply by reason of coincidence. But you have not even given it the right which God granted to Satan: an honest hearing.

No one has asked you to believe anything. We have simply asked you to give this Book a complete reading and evaluate it for yourself. Professional pride mingled with fear and the authority of tradition have prevented you from doing this. You know that arbitrarily shutting the door to possible truth has its own penalties—the Jewish priesthood in the Judgment will know about this. I pray that you may be given the courage to honestly and objectively evaluate the Urantia Book.

If after you have given the Urantia Book a complete reading you think it is worthless or worse, I shall mention it to you no more. Until that time I feel partially responsible for the possibilities of your life—for I think they are great.

Cordially yours,
Meredith

UBH LOUIS HAMMERSCHMIDT to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

South Bend, In., February 12, 1957

My dear Sprunger,

. . . Your condensation was awaiting me upon my return from Jackson. I have read it with intense interest, and I certainly join Dr. Sadler in his tribute to you, and I would like to discuss the matter further. If you have any additional copies, I wouldn’t mind having about two more.

With best wishes,
Louis Hammerschmidt

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to MARIAN ROWLEY

Culver, In., February 15, 1957

Dear Miss Rowley,

Enclosed is a check for the 24 copies of the Urantia Book which the Executive Committee permitted us to borrow for a time. Due to a substantial contribution from Mr. Harrah and a little we ourselves have saved, it is possible for us to pay for the books before I anticipated this would be possible.

Please express our gratitude to the Executive Committee for their kindness and confidence in us. We have a good working library now, and with what we can subsequently add to it, we should get along quite well. Thank you also for your help. In addition to time-consuming correspondence, I know that a box of Urantia Books is not easy for anyone to handle.

Sincerely yours,
Meredith

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to RITCHIE MIKESELL

Culver, In., February 15, 1957

Dear Ritchie,

Last evening I was talking with your father about your new situation at the University of Illinois and am most happy to hear about it. We also talked about your interest in the philosophic-religious field. For some time I have thought of the possibility of introducing you to a remarkable book; conversation with your father has triggered a decision to do so now.

Because of your scientific interests and somewhat unorthodox religious convictions I believe that you are ready to give it an objective evaluation. This book is entitled The Urantia Book. May I say that I have studied this book very carefully and critically, and from a philosophical-psychological-religious point of view it is the most remarkable book I have ever read; and, after much deliberation, I am convinced that it is what it claims to be—new revelation. At any rate, whoever composed it was a genius—and more, as we humans would evaluate authorship.

In particular, I would appreciate your evaluation of Paper 41, “Physical Aspects of the Local Universe,” and Paper 42, “Energy—Mind and Matter.” Are they utter nonsense viewed from our present-day knowledge of science? Or is it plausible that they might be speaking of some things, such as ultimatons, which will eventually be discovered? I am sure the philosophic-religious part of the book is excellent but my knowledge of science is limited. I know you will enjoy the papers on religion, especially Papers 100-103. . . .

Cordially yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

UBH FARILLA B. DAVIS to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Secretary to Dr. J. B. Rhine

Durham, N.C., February 16, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

Dr. Rhine has asked me to acknowledge your letter and the receipt of the Urantia Book, as he is so heavily burdened with research and the direction of the Laboratory right now that he is unable to give the book the attention it deserves. He wishes me to thank you for your thoughtfulness in sending the book and he deeply regrets the impossibility of giving it consideration.

One or two other members of the Laboratory have asked to look at the book, after which we will return it to you.

Sincerely yours,
Farilla B. Davis

UBH MARIAN ROWLEY to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, February 17, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

Thanks so much for the check for $240 for the 24 books we sent you last fall. It was a real surprise, for we had no idea you would be able to pay for them so quickly. Mr. Harrah is a very generous man, as we know.

. . . I understand you will be here Thursday and I am sorry that I won’t be able to be around the office. I would like very much to meet you, but I have a job which pays a salary and I must attend to that. Perhaps some time in the future it will be possible to get together.

Cordially,
Marian Rowley

UBH HAROLD KARRER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, February 18, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

Please forgive me for not answering your letters sooner, but about three weeks ago, when I was given two separate assignments to present before the Society at Diversey and before a group in the suburbs, I told myself I would give all my time to their preparation. I gave my first one before the group at Diversey yesterday, and it was a rewarding experience. So often do I envy you ministers with a flock; I want to be a preacher so much. I’ll simply have to await the turn of events.

I would have been down yesterday anyway if I had not had the leadership of the Forum yesterday. I am so anxious to have a firsthand report of your doings and progress; I agree with you that it sometimes takes the wisdom of Solomon to know the best way to do things. The growth of the Urantia movement is a pure and simple evolutionary development and I sometimes wish they would have given us a little more guidance. But then that wouldn’t have been right, either.

I will return the manuscripts as soon as I get one of them back—I gave it to a friend and I told him he must return it to me and he will. It was a masterly job, and of course by now I know all about the copyright problem. . . .

I continue to go each Sunday to a different denomination. I leave a Book, I write a letter, but I’ve heard from none of them except Grauer. I really think they are reading. I wish I had time to tell you about their sermons and the remarks they made when I gave them the Book. . . .

Cordially,
H. E. Karrer

UBH EDWARD W. BRUESEKE to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

South Bend, In., February 21, 1957

Dear Meredith,

I’m pounding this out myself to keep it confidential, so please excuse the typing errors that are bound to occur. I appreciate your concern about me but as you well know I cannot appreciate your being swept away by “Urantia.” In fact, I have been wondering what to do about expressing my concern about you and not being misunderstood. So here goes and I hope you take this as it is meant.

First of all, either Urantia is right or the traditional Christian scriptures are wrong. You cannot square the one with the other, except by the wildest stretch of the imagination.

Second, sooner or later you are going to have to give up Urantia or get out of the Christian Church. Right or wrong you cannot remain a pastor of any denominational church—certainly not the Evangelical and Reformed Church—and believe in and teach Urantia. I have seen it happen before—not in relation to this religious fad but others. One of my seminary classmates went off the beam for a strange “Anglo-Saxon-chosen people” idea during World War II. It wrecked his life, his family—and whatever happened to the poor, misguided people he led astray for a while I do not know.

Third, Harold Wilke and I discovered at Cleveland the other day, that we were both aware of your obsession with this Urantia Book “revelation” and we discussed our concern for you privately. Someone else had first brought up the falling for religious fads that goes on, and while both Harold and I refrained from mentioning names until we were alone, we both thought of you immediately. Sooner or later, Meredith, you are going to face a vocational if not personal crisis. This can be good or bad, according to the choice you make when you are forced to choose between these two mutually exclusive religious ideas—the Christian Faith and the Urantia Book “revelation.”

This is the way it looks to me, Meredith, and I really hope you will accept this comment as coming from a friend who sometimes too bluntly speaks his mind, but has a real concern for your well-being and your future.

Sincerely,
Ed

Greetings from house to house.

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to EDWARD BRUESEKE

Culver, In., February 24, 1957

Dear Ed,

Thank you for your kind letter. I can very well understand your point of view. Within the framework of your knowledge, your concern for me is quite justified and I appreciate it. You are one of the three or four men of Synod whom I thought might be ready to do this kind of research but I see that you are not ready to study it. Until the eyes are prepared, too much light blinds, confuses, and disturbs. My suggestion to you is that you forget about the Urantia Book and continue the fine work you are doing within the framework of the revelatory faith which you have.

To help avoid misunderstanding, however, I should like to make several observations. Remember, I have asked you to believe nothing—only read and evaluate. After studying the Urantia Book I find that none of my fundamental theological convictions have really been changed. The Urantia Book does not really conflict with the New Testament as much as the New Testament is in conflict with the Old Testament. There is no either-or choice.

I regret having troubled you with this material and apologize for disturbing you without being able to bring the comfort and understanding and deepened faith that should be the fruitation of such a disturbance. This is largely a matter for future generations. So far as I am concerned, our discussion of the Urantia Book ends here and I shall mention it to you no more.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Sincerely yours,
Meredith

UBH WILLIAM S. SADLER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, February 25, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

I don’t think I mentioned the fact that the page number of each quotation from the Book should be noted in your primer. I may have mentioned this matter but I do not recall it, and it will be necessary to do this to comply with the copyright law.

Sincerely,
William S. Sadler

UBH HAROLD KARRER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, February 26, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

It was nice hearing from you again, and especially to have the fine report Dr. Sadler gave concerning you last Sunday; he was highly complimentary. He felt that it was a shame you were not in the Chicago area, but perhaps you were where you could do the most good. He particularly praised your condensation of the Urantia Book, saying you were one who not only read the Book but were studying the Book. He was amazed at your understanding of it in so short a time. I am too.

The mulberry leaves are beginning to rustle—there were many reports Sunday from many parts of the country and outside concerning the acceptance of this revelation. The seeds are beginning to germinate all over the place.

By the way, did you ever have a reply from Dr. Grauer? Dr. Kingham of Evanston called me up the other evening, and thanked me for the Book, and asked to keep it until he had finished it. He is following your advice in reading. He said he was deeply interested. He is a Methodist. No reply from the others, but I consider that a good omen, because they promised me an evaluation. I have higher hopes now that the ice has been broken with Dr. Kingham’s friendly response. . . .

Sincerely,
H. E. Karrer

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to WILLIAM S. SADLER

Culver, In., February 27, 1957

Dear Dr. Sadler,

Thank you for your letter. I am glad you wrote it because, although I should have enough sense to know that each quote must have a page reference, I had been going through finding out what was actually quotes without bothering to put down the page.

The more I consider this matter the more I realize the wisdom of your suggestion to put these ideas in my own words and thus escape a most involved situation. I haven’t started on this yet but I will eventually send you a trial effort for your evaluation. One of my problems is how much it has to be changed to escape the direct quote requirement.

For instance, on page 1516, paragraph 4, in the original primer I have, “Jesus realized, however, that such limitations were not operative in connection to their function to time.” “Such limitations were not operative in connection to their function in time” is an actual quote. Would you give me a general evaluation of what must be done to escape having to use quotation marks?

Cordially,
Meredith

UBH WILLIAM S. SADLER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, February 28, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

Answering your letter of February 27 let me remind you that anything you rewrite or paraphrase, of course, need not be in quotes, but everything else must be in quotes, and the page number must appear after each quotation.

Many times you will want to condense a whole paragraph or even a page into a few words of your own which will connect two quotations.

Maybe the Urantia Foundation will ask you to copyright the whole work when it is finished as they required me to do in the case of the Doctrinal Studies—thus to afford double protection against unauthorized reproduction.

Sincerely,
William S. Sadler

UBH DONALD DUNN to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Kansas City, Mo., February 28, 1957

Dear Rev. Sprunger,

I have available two copies of used Urantia Books. I am sending you (probably within two weeks) these books not as a gift but as an indefinite “loan” not to be confused with the seven books I gave you.

Eventually I’d like to have them back. I suggest you use them strictly on a local basis either for personal reference or for loaning to people for a period not exceeding thirty days—so that if I ever called for them you could return them within six weeks to me.

Due to excessive traveling about, I’ll not be able to use the books for quite a while, and I feel they [should] just as well be in use.

My best wishes to you and yours.

Sincerely,
Donald Dunn

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to REV. HARRY W. BREDEWEG³

Culver, Ind., March 1, 1957

Dear Harry,

It was nice visiting with you today. Before I neglect it again, I will send you a copy of the Urantia Book. I believe you have enough intellectual curiosity to read it and sufficient mental courage and religious maturity that it will not disturb you. For there is really nothing to be disturbed about. I would suggest that you reserve judgment until after you have read at least the section on the life of Christ. . . .

Maybe we will see you on vacation and discuss the book.

Cordially,
Meredith

UBH DONALD DUNN to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Kansas City, Mo., March 3, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

I recently wrote you, saying that I expected to have sent you two used Urantia Books. One will come from my sister, who lives in California, and the other was to have come from Phil Hannum, who lives here in Kansas City.

There has been a slight change. I had not heard from Mr. Hannum for a long time, and somehow I had come to believe that the book I had lent him meant nothing to him. But when I recently returned here I had a nice talk with him, and I could see instantaneously that, unlike so many people I have contacted, he has gotten the full impact of its message. It has gone straight to his heart. I was so overjoyed at his acceptance of the book that I forewith gave it to him outright.

This leaves me without a personal copy of my own, so I’m ordering another immediately.

However, due to the fact that I have been traveling so much, I don’t expect to use this newly ordered book for quite awhile, so I’m having it sent to you in place of the used book Mr. Hannum was scheduled to send you. You should get this new book, which I am lending to you indefinitely, within two weeks. That will be mailed via Nola Smith out of Chicago.

My continued best wishes to your and yours,

Sincerely,
Donald Dunn

UBH JOHN E. MAIER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, March 4, 1957

Dear Sir,

Under separate cover I am returning to you the materials which you sent to me approximately one month ago. My action is not due to the contents of the book and any reaction therefrom, but rather the pure and simple fact that I have been unable to find the time to do the reading. . . .

I am returning the material at this time in hopes that you may still be able to issue same to someone who will be able to participate in the discussions.

Thank you for your consideration. I regret that I will be unable to attend your meetings. I am sure that I would find them most interesting.

Sincerely yours,
John E. Maier

UBH WILLIAM S. SADLER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, March 4, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

Mr. Ernest Pritchard, one of the students in my class in which we compared the Urantia Book with the four Gospels of the New Testament, recently prepared the enclosed synopsis.“The Harmony of the Gospels and the Urantia Book” by Ernest Pritchard has not been found.

I thought you would be interested in having a copy, as it shows, section by section throughout all the Jesus papers, Part IV, just where the similar matter can be found in the four Gospels, and also indicates where it does not appear in the New Testament.

With all best wishes, I am
Sincerely,
William S. Sadler

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to WILLIAM S. SADLER

Culver, In., March 6, 1957

Dear Dr. Sadler,

Enclosed is a copy of the revised Primer. . . .

First I went through and attempted to locate all of the quotations from the Urantia Book. Then I rewrote all of the direct quotations in my own phraseology except those sections appearing in quotes. After reading it over, some of them still sound like direct quotes but all I have rechecked are rephrased. Some statements sound awkward. Probably I need to spend more time with it but I have worked with it so intensively that I need to get away from it for a while.

It might help if you or someone in Chicago could criticize this edition and see where we come out. Please mark any spelling or punctuation mistakes which you may find.

I very much appreciate the copy of “The Harmony of the Gospels and the Urantia Book”⁴ which you sent me. For some time I have been wanting something like this.

I will await further instructions from you.

Sincerely yours,
Meredith

UBH MEREDITH SPRUNGER to MINISTERS

Culver, In., March 13, 1957

Dear friends,

You may have wondered about getting together again to talk about the Urantia Book. I believe we can all speak more knowingly if we have had opportunity to read at least the life of Christ. To browse through this type of book is all but useless. Since most of us are quite busy, it will probably take some time for you to read the 700 pages of the life of Christ.

So would you please let me know when you have finished reading the entire life of Christ—or that you have decided because of lack of time or interest you will not read it. When all of us have read it, we will get together and discuss it. I think you will find it the most remarkable account of the life of Christ which you have ever read. Let me know when you have finished it.

Cordially yours,
Meredith J. Sprunger

cc. Hugh M. Ayer, M. E. Brenner, Ernest B. Benson, Arthur G. Hughes, George O. Johnson, R. C. Jurgensen, William J. MacQuillan, Charles S. McMinn

UBH RAY JURGENSEN to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

[No address], March 18, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

The courtesy you have shown me, and the trouble you have taken in regard to the Urantia Book, leave me with a feeling of gratitude. But I must confess that the book is not for me. While you may believe that a person like me is not properly responsive to ideas of this kind, you will, I am sure, prefer that he be frank if he cannot be receptive.

So when I return the Book to you please realize that I do so with
Sincere appreciation,
Ray Jurgensen

UBH WILLIAM S. SADLER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, March 25, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

A number of our folks have gone over your Urantia Primer, making a few editorials suggestions and correcting one or two points out of harmony with the text.

None of us is pleased with the title, “Urantia Primer.” This is really not a primer. We have thought of many captions, but it has been difficult to agree on one. After considering over a dozen—“condensation,” “survey,” “syllabus,” “synopsis,” “short version,” “introduction,” and so forth—we have more nearly come to agree on “A Short Summary of the Urantia Book.” We hope that this might meet with your approval, or maybe you can come up with a new caption that will satisfy everybody.

If we can agree on this title, at the next meeting of the Urantia Foundation I will make application for permission to use the passages quoted from the Urantia Book.

I trust all goes well with you.

Sincerely,
William S. Sadler

UBH ROY A. BURKHART to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Columbus, Oh., March 25, 1957

Dear Friend Sprunger,

Under separate cover we are returning the Urantia Book.

We appreciate your sending it. Two of us have read it, and I believe we will withhold judgment.

With deepest personal regards, I am
Sincerely,
Roy Burkhart

UBH HAROLD KARRER to MEREDITH SPRUNGER

Chicago, April 1, 1957

Dear Dr. Sprunger,

I know you are exceptionally busy at this time of the year; at least, all the ministers I run into these days (and I run into a lot of them) say they have no time for anything, what with the Lenten period with us and Easter not too far off. I persist quietly in my ministry, each Sunday going to different denominations and almost always leaving a Book. It’s so easy recently, because the ones I’ve attended have a social coffee hour afterwards, and I always get an opportunity to speak with the pastor under these easy circumstances. To date, leaving Grauer out, only one has returned the Book, and he said he just didn’t have time for such extensive reading and because he had only glanced at it he couldn’t even presume to give fair judgment of the Book. Ships that pass in the night. But I have had only one favorable reaction, that of Dr. Kingham in Evanston. I go to his Bible study every Sunday and I always managed to inject a bit of Urantian philosophy into the discussions; there’s always a twinkle in his eyes and a smile on his face after he’s let me have my say. The amazing thing about the whole thing, though, is no one ever asks where I get my material.

As reported last Sunday in open meeting, progress is being made and interest is developing in many areas of our country and elsewhere. The assistant to the publisher of Time magazine asked for an interview on a personal basis. He is leaving the country now and will be back in October; he said he will have finished the Book by then and he wanted another interview at that time. There were many other interesting contacts.

I know I am coming over to see you this spring, because I have so many things to ask you. I want to know more of the progress there. Everyone at 533 Diversey asks about you and they all expect me to know what is going on in Culver. I know I would know more if I had been more attentive to my correspondence. But, believe me, I do a pile of it every week following up on the placing of the Urantia Book. . . .

Sincerely,
Harold Karrer