Our
Unitarian Universalist Faith: Frequently Asked Questions
by Alice
Blair Wesley
At a Unitarian Universalist
worship service or meeting, you are likely to find members whose
positions on faith may be derived from a variety of religious
beliefs: Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, naturist, atheist, or agnostic.
Members might tell you that they are religious humanists, liberal
Christians, or world religionists.
All these people,
and others who label their beliefs still differently, are faithful
Unitarian Universalists committed to the practice of free religion.
We worship, sing, play, study, teach, and work for social justice
together as congregations-all the while remaining strong in our
individual convictions.
If Unitarian Universalists
hold such varied convictions, what does it mean to be a Unitarian
Universalist?
Who
are Unitarian Universalists?
We are
a religious people who have woven strands of a rich past into
a tapestry of the present.
In the first
centuries of the Christian era, Christians held a variety of beliefs
concerning the nature of Jesus. In 325 CE, however, the Council
of Nicea promulgated the doctrine of the Trinity-God as Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost-and denounced all those who believed differently
as heretics.
In the
sixteenth century, Christian humanists in Central Europe-in Poland
and Transylvania-studied the Bible closely. They could not find
the orthodox dogma of the Trinity in the texts. Therefore, they
affirmed-as did Jesus, according to the Gospels-the unity, or
oneness, of God. Hence they acquired the name Unitarian.
These sixteenth-century
Unitarians preached and organized churches according to their
own rational convictions in the face of overwhelming orthodox
opposition and persecution. They also advocated religious freedom
for others. In Transylvania, now part of Romania, Unitarians persuaded
the Diet (legislature) to pass the Edict of Toleration. In 1568
the law declared that, since "faith is the gift of God," people
would not be forced to adhere to a faith they did not choose.
In the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries, radical reformers in Europe and America
also studied the Bible closely. They found only a few references
to hell, which they believed orthodox Christians had grossly misinterpreted.
They found, both in the Bible and in their own hearts, an unconditionally
loving God. They believed that God would not deem any human being
unworthy of divine love, and that salvation was for all. Because
of this emphasis on universal salvation, they called themselves
Universalists.
In the eighteenth
century, a dogmatic Calvinist insistence on predestination and
human depravity seemed to liberal Christians irrational, perverse,
and contrary to both biblical tradition and immediate experience.
Liberal Christians believe that human beings are free to heed
an inner summons of conscience and character. To deny human freedom
is to make God a tyrant and to undermine God-given human dignity.
In continuity
with our sixteenth-century Unitarian forebears, today we Unitarian
Universalists are determined to follow our own reasoned convictions,
no matter what others may say, and we embrace tolerance as a central
principle, inside and outside our own churches.
Also during
the seventeenth century, reformers in several European countries,
especially in England, could not find a biblical basis for the
authority and power of ecclesiastical bishops. They affirmed,
therefore, the authority and power of the Holy Spirit to guide
the local members. These reformers on the radical left wing of
the Reformation, seeking to "purify" the church of its "corruptions,"
reclaimed what they believed to be ancient church practice and
named it congregational polity.
These same
seventeenth-century radicals did away with creeds, that is, with
precisely phrased statements of belief to which members had to
subscribe. Members joining their churches signed a simple and
broadly phrased covenant, or agreement, such as this one: "We
pledge to walk together in the ways of the Lord as it pleaseth
Him to make them known to us, now and in days to come."
Some of
these reformers, the Pilgrims and the Puritans, crossed the Atlantic
and braved the North American wilderness to establish covenanted
congregations whose direction belonged to the local members. Some
of these original congregational churches developed increasingly
liberal theological beliefs after 1750, and in the early nineteenth
century, many of them added the word Unitarian to their
names. Thus, some of the oldest churches in the United States,
including the First Parish of Plymouth, Massachusetts, became
Unitarian. In the late eighteenth century, other radicals who
believed in religious liberty and universal salvation organized
separate Universalist congregations.
In continuity with our independent forebears, today Unitarian
Universalist congregations are covenanted, not creedal. Congregational
polity is a basic doctrine. In the spirit of freedom, we cherish
honest dialogue and persuasion, not coercion. We embrace democratic
method as a central principle. Our local members unite to engage
in and to support ministries of their own choosing.
The
seventeenth-century scientific revolution began a great shift
in Western thinking. In the eighteenth century, the Enlightenment
brought an increased willingness to look critically and analytically
at all human institutions, without presupposing the sanctity or
privilege of any.
Many religious
groups fiercely resisted these scientific analytical ideas. Some
still do. In the churches of our forebears, new scientific and
social ideas-from Newtonian physics, to evolution, to psychology,
to relativity-found ready acceptance. Indeed, some of the greatest
scientists and social theorists of the age were either privately
or publicly Unitarian or Universalist: Joseph Priestley, Charles
Darwin, Maria Mitchell, and Benjamin Rush, for example.
In the
nineteenth century, increased travel and translation of Eastern
religious texts brought greater awareness of different religions.
Again, many of our forebears were uncommonly open to new ideas
from Eastern cultures. Ralph Waldo Emerson was deeply influenced
by Hinduism, and James Freeman Clarke was among the first in the
world to urge and teach the study of comparative religion.
In continuity
with our forebears, today Unitarian Universalists expect new
scientific disclosures to cohere, not conflict, with our religious
faith. We embrace the challenge and the joy of intercultural religious
fellowship.
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How did
the movement come to have such a long name?
In North America, Unitarianism and Universalism
developed separately. Universalist congregations began to be established
in the 1770s. Other congregations, many established earlier, began
to take the Unitarian name in the 1820s. Over the decades the
two groups converged in their liberal emphasis and style, and
in 1961 they merged to become the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Where
can one find Unitarian Universalist congregations now?
More than
one thousand congregations in the United States and Canada belong
to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations,
with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.
The oldest
Unitarian congregations are in Romania. There are large Unitarian
congregations in the Khasi Hills of India. Others are found in
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, Great Britain,
Australia, Nigeria, South Africa, the Philippines, and Japan.
(Some of these are Unitarian and some are Universalist.)
North American
Unitarian Universalists maintain ties with other Unitarian Universalists
throughout the world, mostly through our membership in the International
Association for Religious Freedom (IARF), organized in 1900. Members
of the IARF include other liberal Christian groups as well as
Humanist, Hindu Reform, Shinto, and Buddhist groups.
What
do UUs believe about God?
Some Unitarian
Universalists are nontheists and do not find language about God
useful. The faith of other Unitarian Universalists in God may
be profound, though among these, too, talk of God may be restrained.
Why?
The word
God is much abused. Far too often, the word seems to refer to
a kind of granddaddy in the sky or a super magician. To avoid
confusion, many Unitarian Universalists are more apt to speak
of "reverence for life" (in the words of Albert Schweitzer, a
Unitarian), the spirit of love or truth, the holy, or the gracious.
Many also prefer such language because it is inclusive; it is
used with integrity by theist and nontheist members.
Whatever
our theological persuasion, Unitarian Universalists generally
agree that the fruits of religious belief matter more than beliefs
about religion-even about God. So we usually speak more of the
fruits: gratitude for blessings, worthy aspirations, the renewal
of hope, and service on behalf of justice.
What
about Jesus?
Classically,
Unitarian Universalist Christians have understood Jesus as a savior
because he was a God-filled human being, not a supernatural being.
He was, and still is for many UUs, an exemplar, one who has shown
the way of redemptive love, in whose spirit anyone may live generously
and abundantly. Among us, Jesus' very human life and teaching
have been understood as products of, and in line with, the great
Jewish tradition of prophets and teachers. He neither broke with
that tradition nor superseded it.
Many of us honor Jesus, and many of us honor other master teachers
of past or present generations, like Moses or the Buddha. As a
result, mixed-tradition families may find common ground in the
UU fellowship without compromising other loyalties.
And
about the Bible?
In most
of our congregations, our children learn Bible stories as a part
of their church school curricula. It is not unusual to find adult
study groups in the churches, or in workshops at summer camps
and conferences, focusing on the Bible. Allusions to biblical
symbols and events are frequent in our sermons. In most of our
congregations, the Bible is read as any other sacred text might
be-from time to time, but not routinely.
We have
especially cherished the prophetic books of the Bible. Amos, Hosea,
Isaiah, and other prophets dared to speak critical words of love
to the powerful, calling for justice for the oppressed. Many Unitarian
and Universalist social reformers have been inspired by the biblical
prophets. We hallow the names of Unitarian and Universalist prophets:
Joseph Tuckerman, Dorothea Dix, Clara Barton, Theodore Parker,
Susan B. Anthony, and many others.
We do not,
however, hold the Bible-or any other account of human experience-to
be either an infallible guide or the exclusive source of truth.
Much biblical material is mythical or legendary. Not that it should
be discarded for that reason! Rather, it should be treasured for
what it is. We believe that we should read the Bible as we read
other books (or the newspaper)-with imagination and a critical
eye.
We also respect the sacred literature of other
religions. Contemporary works of science, art, and social commentary
are valued as well. We hold, in the words of an old liberal formulation,
that "revelation is not sealed." Unitarian Universalists aspire
to truth as wide as the world-we look to find truth anywhere,
universally.
How do
UUs understand salvation?
The English
word salvation derives from the Latin salus, meaning health.
Unitarian Universalists are as concerned with salvation, in the
sense of spiritual health or wholeness, as any other religious
people.
However,
in many Western churches, salvation has come to be associated
with a specific set of beliefs or a spiritual transformation of
a very limited type.
Among Unitarian
Universalists, instead of salvation you will hear of our yearning
for, and our experience of, personal growth, increased wisdom,
strength of character, and gifts of insight, understanding, inner
and outer peace, courage, patience, and compassion. The ways in
which these things come to, change, and heal us, are many indeed.
We seek and celebrate them in our worship.
What
ceremonies are observed, what holidays celebrated?
Our ceremonies-of
marriage and starting a new family, naming or dedicating our children,
and memorializing our dead-are phrased in simple, contemporary
language. We observe these rites in community, not because they
are required by some rule or dogma, but because in them we may
voice our affection, hopes, and dedication.
Though practices
vary in our congregations and change over time, UUs celebrate
many of the great religious holidays with enthusiasm. Whether
we gather to celebrate Christmas, Passover, or the Hindu holiday
Divali, we do so in a universal context, recognizing and honoring
religious observances and festivals as innate and needful in all
human cultures.
Are Unitarian
Universalists Christian?
Yes and
no.
Yes, some
Unitarian Universalists are Christian. Personal encounter with
the spirit of Jesus as the christ richly informs their religious
lives.
No, Unitarian
Universalists are not Christian, if by Christian you mean
those who think that acceptance of any creedal belief whatsoever
is necessary for salvation. Unitarian Universalist Christians
are considered heretics by those orthodox Christians who claim
none but Christians are "saved." (Fortunately, not all the orthodox
make that claim.)
Yes, Unitarian
Universalists are Christian in the sense that both Unitarian and
Universalist history are part of Christian history. Our core principles
and practices were first articulated and established by liberal
Christians.
Some Unitarian
Universalists are not Christian. For though they may acknowledge
the Christian history of our faith, Christian stories and symbols
are no longer primary for them. They draw their personal faith
from many sources: nature, intuition, other cultures, science,
civil liberation movements, and so on.
How is
religious education conducted?
The program
of religious education is determined, as are all other programs,
by members of the local congregation. A wide range of courses
is available through our Association. These are adapted by members
as they choose. Courses appropriate for children may be offered
in subjects as varied as interpersonal relations, ethical questions,
the Bible, world religions, nature and ecology, heroes and heroines
of social reform, Unitarian Universalist history, and holy days
around the world. The same is true of adult religious education.
In most of
our congregations, regular children's worship-often held during
a portion of the adult service-is part of the program. We seek
to teach our children to be responsible for their own thinking
and to nurture their own impulses of reverence, morality, respect
for others, and self-respect.
Do Unitarian
Universalists practice what they preach?
Religious
liberals put less emphasis on formal beliefs and more on practical
living. Our interest is in deeds, not creeds. We appreciate the
biblical text, "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only."
Our members
have been active leaders in the struggles for racial equality,
civil liberty, international peace, and equal rights for all people.
We work as individuals, in congregational social action, and in
other groupings, including such denominational efforts as the
UUA's Faith in Action Department and the UU-UN Office. We also
work with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, which
brings critically needed social change to many parts of the world.
How can
I become part of a Unitarian Universalist congregation?
Many of
our societies offer introductory sessions, study groups, videotapes,
and increasingly, a World Wide Web homepage to acquaint those
interested in membership with our history, Principles, and programs.
Individual appointments with ministers and members are encouraged.
Many pamphlets are available through the UUA Bookstore. Usually,
these are readily accessible in a church's foyer, and even small
fellowships may have a good library of Unitarian Uni-versalist
writings. The UUA website at www.uua.org is another good source
of information about Unitarian Universalism.
All of these,
along with your presence with us at worship and in our many other
activities, provide the means for learning more about who Unitarian
Universalists are, and whether you want to become one of us.
The last
act of joining the congregation is simple, but significant: You
write your name on a membership card or in the membership book
or parish register.
We have
no creedal requirements. With your signature you affirm your pledge
to enter and to remain in a continuing and tolerant dialogue concerning
the ways of truth and love, a dialogue within which free persuasion
may occur; to share in our fellowship and in our corporate decision
making; and to support with your gifts of energy and money our
common work for the common good.
About
the Author
Alice
Blair Wesley is a Unitarian Universalist minister who has served
congregations in College Station, Texas; Silver Spring, Maryland;
Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Hagerstown, Maryland; and Harford County,
Maryland.
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