The portability of frontier religion: Alexandru Lazăr, ‘From New England to Indiana: Religious Mobility and the Expansion of Universalist Christianity Across the American Frontier’, SSRN, 2026 | settler colonial studies blog

The portability of frontier religion: Alexandru Lazăr, ‘From New England to Indiana: Religious Mobility and the Expansion of Universalist Christianity Across the American Frontier’, SSRN, 2026

28Oct26

Abstract: The expansion of Universalist Christianity in the United States was closely linked to the broader process of westward migration that transformed the American religious landscape during the nineteenth century. Emerging from the theological developments associated with James Relly, John Murray, and Elhanan Winchester, Universalism evolved from a predominantly New England movement into a frontier denomination that accompanied settlers into the Old Northwest. This study examines the relationship between religious mobility and the spread of Universalist Christianity across the American frontier, focusing on the state of Indiana as a case study. Drawing upon denominational records, contemporary publications, and historical data concerning local congregations, the article reconstructs the development of Universalist communities in Indiana from the early nineteenth century to the first decades of the twentieth century. Particular attention is given to missionary activity, institutional organization, denominational networks, and patterns of community survival. The analysis demonstrates that while Universalism achieved remarkable success in disseminating its message through itinerant preaching and migratory networks, it proved less successful in establishing durable institutional structures. The Indiana case reveals a broader paradox of frontier religion: rapid expansion often coexisted with organizational fragility. As a result, the cultural influence of Universalist ideas ultimately exceeded the institutional longevity of many Universalist congregations.

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