Inaugural Program at First Unitarian Church of Oakland

Swami Vivekananda, a monk of India in 19th century and spiritual teacher, was introduced to the East Bay through the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. Known to Unitarians since his acclaimed speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, 1893, Swami Vivekananda was invited to participate in a local Congress of Religions by Reverend Benjamin Fay Mills, the Minister of First Unitarian Church of Oakland in 1900. Reverend Mills had attended the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago and been moved by Swami Vivekananda’s stirring words. Having learned that the Swami was lecturing in Southern California, Reverend Mills sent an invitation to him, knowing that the Swami would be extremely popular. Swami Vivekananda delivered his initial talk at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland on the evening of February 25, 1900 from the pulpit of Hamilton Hall. Two thousand people listened in rapt attention as the swami spoke on, “The Claims of Vedanta On the Modern World.” Some days later he gave another public lecture on “Vedanta and Christianity,” from the same pulpit. In March again he gave two series of three lectures in each series at the adjoining Wendte Hall. The first series was on the principles and philosophy of Vedanta and the second on India’s customs and culture. Reverend Mills’ expectations regarding the Swami’s impact on the congregation were completely fulfilled. As many as 500 people had to turn away for lack of space. All his talks drew large crowds, who sat or stood on the edges of the foyer, enthralled, listening to his words of ancient wisdom. Through these lecture series, which were nicely reported by the local newspapers, Swami Vivekananda became known to a wider section of the Oakland population. Through the venue of the liberal and intellectually oriented First Unitarian Church of Oakland, the Swami disseminated the profound principles of Vedanta in the East Bay.