Upton C. Ewing

Upton Clary Ewing (1894 – 30 October 1967) was an American sculptor, philosopher, theologian and writer.

Career

Ewing was born in Cincinnati in 1894. He left school in the 5th grade and would go on to study painting professionally. In 1955, Ewing visited Albert Schweitzer in Alsace–Lorraine where he took pictures and measured the dimensions of his head. Upon his return to Coral Gables he sculptured a bronze bust of Schweitzer.

Ewing was an architect and designed All Souls Unitarian Church on Flagler Street. He was influenced by Buddhism, Confucianism and the teachings of the Essenes. He opposed the slaughter of animals, slavery and war. He argued that eating animal flesh is a sin and that Paul the Apostle had perverted Christianity by condoning the consumption of animal flesh. In his book The Essene Christ, Ewing argued that Jesus was an Essene and vegetarian. He spent five years doing historical research on early Christianity for the book. He argued that inconsistencies were inserted into the New Testament throughout centuries, obscuring the true moral character of Jesus. Ewing corrected what he believed were distortions in the Canonical gospels and reconstructed a Fifth Gospel in which all violence to animals was purged. For example, the Feeding of the 5,000 were fed with only bread and not fish.

Personal life

Ewing was a vegetarian and a life member of the Anti-Vivisection Investigation League. He banned meat from his household and predicted that his meatless diet would help him maintain a 120 year lifespan. He died from a heart attack on October 30, 1967 at his home in Coral Gables, aged 72. They had two adopted daughters.

Selected publications

Quotes