TEDxBoston

Steeple Climb

Can a long line of highly educated, liberal clergy set the standard for revolutionary ideas?

Steeple Climb Climb the steeple of the iconic Arlington Street Church in Boston's Back Bay and learn from a member of this leading UU congregation how the Church has fostered innovative ideas since its inception in 1729. The Congregation's previous church was the site of the Massachusetts Convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution. In the early 1800s, it's Senior Minister was an outspoken abolitionist. And the present-day church, built in 1861, has hosted numerous revolutionary events from a Draft Card Turn-In and Burn-In service during the Vietnam war to the first church- and state-sanctioned same-gender wedding in the United States. Jeffrey Quinlan will even let you ring the bells on which he played "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" in celebration of the Red Sox's World Series Victory in 2004.

Report

Dedicated Arlington Street Church member Jeff Quinlan led an “eager” “TEDx crowd” up the iconic church steeple for a tour that “tied[d] together revolutionary ideas, Arlington Street Church, and US History.” Climbing one of Boston’s civil rights’ landmarks with a passionate guide proved a very “personal” and “amazing experience” that participants “won’t soon forget.”

About TEDxBoston

What happens when a group of people rally around a radical idea and set in motion unlimited possibilities for a brighter future? A Revolution.

More than 230 years ago, ordinary citizens in Boston dreamed of a democracy and launched a revolution that changed the course of human history. That innovative spirit still thrives in our local students, educators, scientists, artists, leaders, and entrepreneurs. At TEDx Boston, we celebrate their ideas and their passion for improving the way citizens of the world learn, live, give, work, and play.

What is TEDx?

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxBoston, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxBoston event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.