John Todd Ferrier

John Todd Ferrier (7 November 1855 — 31 August 1943)[1] was the founder of the Order of the Cross,[2] whose 'aims and ideals' state that it is an informal spiritual fellowship, "having for its service in life the cultivation of the Spirit of Love towards All Souls: helping the weak and defending the defenseless and oppressed: abstaining from hurting the creatures, eschewing bloodshed and flesh eating and living upon the pure foods so abundantly provided by Nature: walking in the Mystic Way of Life whose Path leads to the realisation of the Christhood and sending forth the Mystic Teachings unto all who may be able to receive them - those Sacred interpretations of the Soul, the Christhood and the Divine Love and Wisdom for which the Order of the Cross stands".[2]

Ferrier considered that compassion towards creatures was essential to realise 'Jesushood' within the soul. He was a proponent of vegetarianism from a Christian point of view.[3][4]

Biography

Although biographical details are sparse, in 1947, E. Mary Gordon Kemmis wrote a biography and her memoirs of Ferrier: Shepherd of Souls: Some Impressions of the Life and Ministry of John Todd Ferrier.[1] Ferrier was born in Greenock, Scotland in 1855.[1] An early publication of some of his works, "Sacrifice a necessity; or the atonement in the light of our Lord's teaching, and the unfolding of the sacrificial idea", summarised eight lectures he delivered in 1885 at the Congregational Church in Preston where in 1888 he was reported to be a pastor.[5] He was minister at Wigton from 1882 to 1883, then at Grimshaw Street, Preston, from 1884 to 1891;[6] for the subsequent twelve years, until 1903, he was a minister in Park Green Congregational church in Macclesfield, England.[7]

In 1903 Ferrier authored a book, Concerning Human Carnivorism.[8] It was reprinted as On Behalf of the Creatures in 1968. Ferrier argued that Jesus was a vegetarian who espoused Essene-like asceticism.[9]

He became increasingly dissatisfied with the traditional Christian attitude toward animals.[10] For this and other reasons he left the church, and, via the Order of the Golden Age,[6] in 1904[11] (1907 according to another source)[12] founded the Order of the Cross. Some confusion over the date of establishing of the Order of the Cross may derive from its early publications containing the phrase "Formerly The Order of the Golden Age". In 1905 The Order of the Golden Age issued a disclaimer regarding the claimed overlap of the two Orders, and -following some discrete diplomacy- after 1906 the two became more widely recognised as distinct.[7]

In the informal spiritual communion of the Order of the Cross, the members are both vegetarian or vegan and pacifist. Ferrier often spoke in defence of 'the creatures', and stated that a true Christian should be vegetarian. In his writings (over 40 volumes) he emphasised the underlying unity of all religious aspirations and suggested that many traditional Christian teachings are allegorical and universal in nature.[13][14][12]

Selected list of Ferrier's works

See also

Notes
  1. Ferrier, John Todd: The Mystery of the Light Within Us ISBN 0900235128/ ISBN 9780900235122
  2. Ferrier, John Todd: Life's Mysteries Unveiled ISBN 0900235071/ ISBN 978-0900235078
  3. Ferrier, John Todd: The Master, Known Unto the World As Jesus the Christ: His Life & Teachings ISBN 9781117392011
  4. Ferrier, John Todd: Spiritual Healing ISBN 9780900235665
  5. Ferrier, John Todd: Isaiah: A Cosmic and Messianic Drama ISBN 090023511X
  6. Ferrier, John Todd: The Minor Prophets ISBN 9780900235405
  7. Ferrier, John Todd: Ezekiel: A Cosmic Drama ISBN 9780900235108
  8. Ferrier, John Todd: Logia: or Sayings of the Master (4th Revised edition) ISBN 9780900235061
  9. Ferrier, John Todd: Divine Renaissance Vols 1 & 2 ISBN 9780900235085
  10. Ferrier, John Todd: The Pathway to Peace ISBN 9780900235634
  11. Ferrier, John Todd: The Message and the Work ISBN 9780900235023
  12. Ferrier, John Todd: The Prophecy of Daniel ISBN 9780900235702
  13. Ferrier, John Todd: The Christ Festival ISBN 9780900235528
  14. Ferrier, John Todd: On Behalf of the Creatures: a plea historical, scientific, economic, dynamic, humane, religious ISBN 9780900235511
  15. Ferrier, John Todd: What is a Christian ISBN 9780900235009
  16. Ferrier, John Todd: Sublime Affirmations ISBN 9787300980980

References
  1. Kemmis, E. Mary Gordon (1947). Shepherd of Souls: Some Impressions of the Life and Ministry of the Reverend John Todd Ferrier, p. 88. J.F. Rowney Press
  2. "About us, The Order of the Cross; Description of the Order of the Cross at their website". orderofthecross.org. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  3. "Introduction". Anna-kingsford.com. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  4. "John Todd Ferrier". Order of the Cross. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  5. "Religious and Theological". The Glasgow Herald. 26 May 1888. Retrieved 2023-07-12 – via books.google.ca. London, James Clarke & Co... 1888
  6. Calvert, Samantha (2012). Eden's diet: Christianity and vegetarianism 1809 – 2009. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Birmingham (extensive material on Ferrier), accessed 29 May 2018
  7. "The Order of the Golden Age: An Overview". www.ordergoldenage.co.uk. 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  8. John Todd Ferrier (January 1903). "Concerning Human Carnivorism". Order of the Golden Age. Retrieved 2023-07-12 – via play.google.com.
  9. Linzey, Andrew. (1995). Animal Theology. University of Illinois Press. p. 181. ISBN 0-252-02170-3
  10. Grumett, David; Muers, Rachel (2011). Eating and Believing: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Vegetarianism and Theology (multiple pages). Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9780567577368. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  11. Melton, J. Gordon (2001). "Order of the Cross". Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology, Vol 2. Gale Group ISBN 9780810394896 (online copy of the encyclopedia at archive.org)
  12. Professor Peter Atkins; Professor Derek J Oddy; Peter Lummel (28 November 2012). Food and the City in Europe since 1800. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 219–. ISBN 978-1-4094-8748-7. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  13. "History of Vegetarianism - Rev. John Todd Ferrier (1855-1943)". Ivu.org. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  14. Calvert, Samantha (2007). A Taste of Eden: Modern Christianity and Vegetarianism (PDF). p. 461-481. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-19. Retrieved 29 May 2018. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
Wikiquote has quotations related to John Todd Ferrier.
  • The Anna Kingsford website."Anna Kingsford Site - Other Related Works and Materials". Anna-kingsford.com. 1937-04-17. Retrieved 2014-07-14.
  • John Todd Ferrier About the Author, orderofthecross.org
  • Order of the Cross, top level of website orderofthecross.org- 'The Order of the Cross is a spiritual fellowship that embraces a life of love and light, compassion and peace. The sanctity of all life is honoured by members who are vegan or vegetarian and embrace the ideal of a pacifist way of life.' See also: 'The Order of the Cross was founded in 1904. The founder of this informal Fellowship, John Todd Ferrier, brought through a recovered Message of Love, Peace, Joy and Hope using the spoken and written word.'
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