Unitarian Universalism
Unitarian Universalism is a church founded on a search for truth and meaning. Formed in 1961 by a merger between the Universalist Church of America and the American Unitarian Association, Unitarian Universalism is somewhat unique among religions. Followers of Universal Unitarianism are united not by a single creed, as in most religions, but instead a quest for spiritual growth. Members believe that this growth is the end goal, rather than obedience to a religious code. Due to the open nature of Universal Unitarianism, the religion incorporates ideas from many different religions and philosophies.
The word “Unitarian” in the title of the religion refers to an early core belief in the singular personhood of God. This was a rejection of the Catholic belief in the Holy Trinity- the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost- postulating instead the existence of a single God figure. The second word in the name, Universalism, refers to a belief that all souls are essentially saved. That is, Universalism rejects any belief in an everlasting Hell. Modern Unitarian Universalists, meanwhile, do not necessarily hold the beliefs historically associated with the religion. Followers are free to believe whatever they choose spiritually, and so even atheists are accepted into the fold.
Though the church of Unitarian Universalism was founded in the United States, churches have sprung up in many nations. In fact, similar religions existed in many countries prior to the official founding of Unitarian Universalism in 1962. However, these churches lacked any kind of unifying principles or leadership. To this end, the Internation Council of Unitarians and Universalists, abbreviated ICUU, was founded in 1995. This council provides guidance to Unitarian and Universalist churches all over the world. Today, Unitarian Universalist churches exist in many countries, such as the UK, Transylvania, Hungary, India, the Philippines, several African nations, and Canada.
Unitarian Universalists, or UUs for short, do not hold any one specific belief in common. However, UUs do hold several principles as essential to Unitarian Universalism. UUs hold freedom of speech, belief, and behavior dear. Practitioners are guaranteed the freedom to pursue their own personal spiritual searches to whatever ends that may lead them. Because of this, UUs may hold wildly divergent beliefs regarding the nature of God. Many UUs are atheists, while others are deists, or polytheists, or even pantheists (a belief that God is nature). Some UUs believe not in a deity but in the power of life spirits in the world.
Because of the Unitarian Universalist belief in freedom of thought, the religion does not have any one official creed. Instead, the Universalist Unitarian Association suggests several Thoughts and Principles, with which most UUs concur. These guidelines were suggested by a committee and confirmed by UU congregations worldwide. There are seven Principles, which are paraphrased as follows.
Members of Universal Unitarianism agree to:
- Respect for the value and dignity of every individual
- Fairness, empathy, and justness in human interaction
- Acceptance of all beliefs and encouragement towards personal spiritual growth
- Liberty to conduct a personal search for spiritual meaning
- The right to a democratic method in each congregation and in the world at large
- Pursuit of a peaceful world, with justice and freedom for every human
- Respect the interconnected web of the Universe
These guiding principles are not eternal, and the church may add or remove Principles at any time. In fact, the seventh principle was added in 1985.
Unitarian Universalism does not take a fundamentalist view of any religious tome, including the Christian Bible. They believe that no such book can be regarded as the infallible truth, teaching instead that spiritual meaning is up to the individual to divine. UUs often use religious texts to guide and inform their decisions, but the church as a whole does not endorse the truth of any one religion.
The church services of Universal Unitarianism can differ wildly from congregation to congregation. Many US congregations practice a form of worship very similar to that seen in Protestant churches, but this is not the case worldwide. Many UU churches combine rituals from a number of different religions. In general, services are held on Sundays. Typically a minister or other congregational leader presents a sermon or lecture, whose topic is often inspired by many sources. Many services also include hymn-singing, with an organ or other instrument playing simultaneously. Traditional hymns are common, but original compositions are also performed, as are songs from other religions.
Most UU churches do not perform traditional Christian rituals, such as baptism or communion. Many churches choose to replace these sacraments with their own rituals, such as a “child dedication” in place of baptism. Some churches do continue to practice the original Christian rituals, however.
Unitarian Universalism’s symbol is a burning chalice, which is bounded by two rings. The rings represent Universalism and Unitarianism, which are united in the UU religion. The flaming chalice is a symbol of sacrifice. Another common UU symbol is a pair of hands letting a dove fly away.
Unitarian Universalism has often been highly involved in political manners, most famously the civil rights movement. Other movements in which UU has been active include the gay rights movement, abolitionism, feminism, and the social justice movement. Most Unitarian Universalists identify as liberal, but conservatives and others of any political stripe are welcome to the movement.
Some controversies have arisen due to Universal Unitarianism’s unique structure. In 2004, a UU church in Texas lost its tax-exempt status after a government official decided that the church’s lack of a unifying creed precluded it from consideration as a religion. This decision was later overturned.
The Reverend William Sinkford, current president of the UUA, has suggested that Universal Unitarianism has lost spiritual power by abandoning the traditional language of religion. He suggests that they may gain significance by creating their own religious language, what he calls the “language of reverence.” Some UUs fear, however, that this will spark a return to traditional Christian beliefs.
Another controversy has been the appropriation of sacred rituals and beliefs from other religions. Some UU leaders believe that this practice, without the proper context, is disrespectful and trivializes followers of those religions from whom they borrow. Leaders suggest that UUs think about the differences between religions, rather than borrowing others’ beliefs.
Univeral Unitarianism is a unique church in the world, one based not on creed or dogma but on principles. These principles guide followers on their own spiritual search. It is this personal odyssey, rather than any holy text, that Unitarian Universalism holds sacred.