Unitarian Universalism ( UUism ) is a theologically liberal religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning." Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth. Unitarian Universalists draw on many different theological sources and have a wide range of beliefs and practices.
Both Unitarianism and Universalism trace their origins to Christian Protestantism and thus Unitarian Universalism has its historical roots in the Christian faith. By the time they decided to combine their efforts at the continental level, the theological significance of these terms had expanded beyond the traditional Christian understanding. Today’s UUs appreciate and value aspects of other religions ranging from Judaism to Buddhism. Although Unitarian Universalist congregations and fellowships tend to retain some Christian traditions, such as Sunday worship with a sermon and the singing of hymns, they do not necessarily identify themselves as Christians, nor do they necessarily subscribe to Christian beliefs. The extent to which the elements of any particular faith tradition are incorporated into one's personal spiritual practices is a matter of personal choice in keeping with Unitarian Universalism's creedless, non-dogmatic approach to spirituality and faith development.
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), founded in 1961 as a consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church in America, is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and serves churches mostly in the United States. The Canadian Unitarian Council became an independent body in 2002. The UUA represents more than 1,000 member congregations that collectively include more than 217,000 members. According to the United States Census Bureau 629,000 individuals identified themselves as Unitarian/Universalist in 2001. A more recent survey (2007) performed by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that 0.3% of U.S. adults or approximately 340,000 individuals identified themselves as Unitarian Universalist. Unitarian Universalists follow a congregational model of church governance, in which power resides at the local level; individual congregations call ministers and make other decisions involving worship, theology and day-to-day church management. The denominational headquarters in Boston in turn provides services for congregations that can more effectively be handled through joint efforts.
A separate organization from the UUA is the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU), founded in 1995, which coordinates national Unitarian and Universalist associations of churches throughout the world.
History
Unitarian Universalism was formed from the merger in 1961 of two historically Christian religions, the Universalist Church in America and the American Unitarian Association, both based in the United States.
Universalism
Main article: UniversalismUniversalism broadly refers to any religion and theology that believes all persons and creatures are related to God or the divine and will be reconciled to God (Universal Salvation).
Christian Universalism
Main article: Christian UniversalismChristian Universalism has a long history, which can be traced deep into Christian past, beginning with the earliest Church scholars. Both Origen and St. Gregory of Nyssa preached its essentials. It is based upon the doctrine of universal salvation through Christ and the restitution of all things (apocatastasis). Christian Universalism denies the doctrine of eternal damnation, and proclaims belief in a loving god who will redeem all souls. In 1793, Universalism emerged as a particular denomination of Christianity in the United States, eventually called the Universalist Church of America.
Unitarianism
Main article: UnitarianismTraditionally, Unitarianism was a form of Christianity. The term may refer to any belief about the nature of Jesus Christ that affirms God as a singular entity and rejects the doctrine of the Trinity. Unitarianism was rebuffed by orthodox Christianity at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, but it resurfaced subsequently in Church history, especially during the theological turmoils of the Protestant Reformation. A Spanish physician, Michael Servetus, studied the Bible and concluded that the concept of the Trinity was not Biblical. His books On the Errors of the Trinity and Christianismi Restitutio caused much uproar. Servetus was eventually arrested, judged, and burned at the stake in Geneva in 1553 when John Calvin was leading the Reformation there. Unitarian churches were formally established in Transylvania and Poland (by the Socinians) in the second half of the 16th Century. The early Unitarian church not only rejected the Trinity, but also predestination, Original Sin and Substitutionary atonement; there were several different forms of Christology in the beginnings of the Unitarian movement; ultimately, the variety that became prevalent was that Jesus was a man, but a man with a unique relationship to God.
Unitarianism in Britain
Samuel Clarke revised the Book of Common Prayer, removing the Trinitarian Nicene Creed and references to Jesus as God. Theophilus Lindsey also revised the Book of Common Prayer to allow a more Unitarian interpretation. His efforts met with substantial criticism by the more conservative priests and bishops who held sufficient power within the Church of England to stifle his attempts at reform. In response, in 1774, Lindsey founded the Essex Street Chapel, the first true Unitarian congregation in England. A third Anglican, Joseph Priestley (more widely known as the scientist who discovered oxygen), founded a reform congregation. Priestley fled to America after his home was burned down in riots named after him, and became a leading figure in the founding of the church on American soil.
Unitarian congregations in Britain today meet under the auspices of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. Two that have been significant in national life are the Cross Street Chapel in Manchester and Newington Green Unitarian Church in north London.
Unitarianism in the United States
In the United States, the Unitarian movement began primarily in the Congregational parish churches of New England, which were part of the state church of Massachusetts. These churches, which may still be seen today in many New England town squares, trace their roots to the division of the Puritan colonies into parishes for the administration of their religious needs. In the late 18th century, conflict grew within some of these churches between Unitarian and Trinitarian factions. In 1819 William Ellery Channing preached the ordination sermon for Jared Sparks in Baltimore, outlining the Unitarian position, and the dispute culminated in the foundation of the American Unitarian Association as a separate denomination in 1825.
The integration of Unitarianism and Universalism
After the schism, some of those churches remained within the Congregational fold, while others voted to become Unitarian. In the aftermath of their various historical circumstances, some of these churches became member congregations of the Congregational organization (later the United Church of Christ), others became Unitarian and eventually became part of the UUA. Universalist churches in contrast followed a different path, having begun as independent congregations beyond the bounds of the established Puritan churches entirely. Today, the UUA and the United Church of Christ cooperate jointly on social justice initiatives such as the Sexuality Education Advocacy Training project . In the 19th century, under the influence of Ralph Waldo Emerson (who had been a Unitarian minister) and other transcendentalists, Unitarianism began its long journey from liberal Protestantism to its present more pluralist form.
Unitarians and Universalists often have had common interests and communication between them. In the often-quoted words of Thomas Starr King, pastor of the San Francisco Unitarian Church at the beginning of the civil war: "The Universalists believe that God is too good to damn them, and the Unitarians believe they are too good to be damned!"
In 1961, the American Unitarian Association (AUA) was consolidated with the Universalist Church of America (UCA), thus forming the Unitarian Universalist Association. In the same year, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) formed. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was also given corporate status in May 1961 under special acts of legislature of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New York. In 1998 the CUC and UUA dissolved their financial accord, although they continue to cooperate in many ways.
In 1995 the UUA helped establish the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) to connect unitarian and universalist faith traditions around the world.
Beliefs
General beliefs of Unitarian Universalists
Unitarian Universalists (UUs) believe in complete and responsible freedom of speech, thought, belief, faith, and disposition. They believe that each person is free to search for his or her own personal truth on issues, such as the existence, nature, and meaning of life, deities, creation, and afterlife. UUs can come
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