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is a widely used symbol for Unitarian Universalism.]]Unitarian Universalism ('''UUism''') is a Theologically Liberal religious movement characterized by its support of a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning." This principle permits Unitarian Universalists a wide range of beliefs and practices. Unitarian Universalist congregations and fellowships tend to retain some Christian traditions such as Sunday worship that includes a sermon and singing of hymns, but do not necessarily identify themselves as Christians. Both Unitarianism and Universalism trace their roots to Christian Protestantism . Many UUs appreciate and value aspects of Christian and Jewish Spirituality , but 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 UU's Creed less, non- Dogmatic approach to spirituality and faith development. Even before the Unitarian and Universalist movements combined their efforts at the continental level, the theological significance of Unitarianism and Universalism expanded beyond the traditional understanding of these terms. 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 in North America . The UUA represents more than 1,000 member congregations that collectively include more than 217,000 members. 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. PROFILE Unitarian Universalism is a Faith with no creedal requirements imposed on its members. It values Religious Pluralism and respects diverse traditions within the movement and often within the same congregation. Many see it as a Syncretic religion, as personal beliefs and religious services draw from more than one faith tradition. Even when one faith tradition is primary within a particular setting, Unitarian Universalists are unlikely to assert that theirs is the "only" or even the "best" way possible to discern meaning or theological truths. There is even a popular adult UU course called "Building Your Own Theology ". Many Unitarian Universalists consider themselves Humanists , while others hold to Christian , Buddhist , Jew ish, Natural Theist , Atheist , Agnostic , Pantheist , Pagan , or other beliefs. Some choose to attach no particular theological label to their own idiosyncratic combination of beliefs. This diversity of views is usually considered a strength by those in the Unitarian Universalist movement, since the emphasis is on the common search for meaning among its members rather than adherence to any particular doctrine. Many UU congregations have study groups that examine the traditions and spiritual practices of Neopaganism , Christianity , Buddhism , Judaism , Islam , Pantheism , and other faiths. At least one UU minister, the Reverend James Ishmael Ford , has been acknowledged as a Zen master. There are Buddhist Meditation teachers, Sufi teachers, as well as Gnostic and Episcopi Vagantes clerics. Some view their Jewish heritage as primary, and others see the concept of God as unhelpful in their personal spiritual journeys. While Sunday services in most congregations tend to espouse Humanism, it is not unusual for a part of a church's membership to attend pagan, Buddhist, or other spiritual study or worship groups as an alternative means of worship. Many Unitarian Universalists are also atheist or agnostic. In a survey,http://www.uua.org/news/011205.html "Surveys: 'UUism' unique Churchgoers from elsewhere" by John Dart, News Editor, ''Christian Century'' Unitarian Universalists in the United States were asked which provided term or set of terms best describe their belief. Many respondents chose more than one term to describe their beliefs. The top choices were:
There is great variety among Unitarian Universalist congregations, with some favoring particular religious beliefs or forms of worship over others, with many more home to an eclectic mix of beliefs. Regardless of their orientation, most congregations are fairly open to differing beliefs, though not always with various faith traditions represented to the same degree. There is also a wide variety in how congregations conceive of themselves. Congregations call themselves "churches," "societies," "fellowships," "congregations," or eschew the use of any particular descriptor (e.g. "Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists"). Many use the name "Unitarian Universalist," (and a few "Universalist Unitarian"), having gradually adopted this formulation since consolidation in 1961. Others use names that reflect their historic roots by keeping simply the designation "Unitarian" or "Universalist." A few congregations use neither (e.g. "Community Church of White Plains"). For some congregations, the name can be a clue to their theological orientation. For others, avoidance of the word "church" indicates a desire to distance itself from traditional Christian theology. Sometimes the use of another term may simply indicate a congregation's lay-led or relatively new status. However, some UU congregations have grown to appreciate alternate terms such as ''fellowship'' and retained them even though they have grown much larger or lost features sometimes associated with their use (such as, in the case of fellowships, a traditionally lay-led worship model).See for examples: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens A current trend within Unitarian Universalism is to re-embrace forms of Theism , both in worship and as a focus of intellectual inquiry. This has led to a shift away from Secular Humanism , agnosticism and atheism, and towards natural theism, liberal Christianity and other forms of engaged spirituality. The trend is particularly visible in the overall demographics, with nontheists better represented in the over-50 age group. Nontheism is also overrepresented in the under-18 group, but does not generally translate into greater numbers of nontheists among adults as these youth are more likely than their peers to leave UU congregations upon reaching adulthood. This is related to the gap between the under-18 and the over-30 groups, reflecting a lack of childless adults among those of child-bearing age. Also of note is that there are many more people who identify as UU on surveys than those who attend UU churches (by a factor of four in a recent survey), "Largest Religious Groups in the United States of America" (on adherents.com) reflecting lapsed members who nonetheless consider themselves part of the UU movement. BELIEFS General beliefs of UUs Unitarian Universalists (UUs) believe in complete but 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 like the existence, nature, and meaning of life, deities, creation, and Afterlife . UUs can come from any heritage, have any sexual orientation, and hold beliefs from a variety of Culture s or Religion s. Concepts about Deity are diverse among UUs. Some believe that there is no god ( Atheism ); others believe in many gods ( Polytheism ). Some believe that God is a metaphor for a transcendant reality. Some believe in a female god ( Goddess ), a passive god ( Deism ), a Christian god, or a god manifested in nature or one which is the " Ground Of Being ". Some UUs reject the idea of deities and instead speak of "universal spirit" or "reverence of life". Unitarian Universalists support each person's search for truth and meaning in concepts of deity. Principles and purposes Although lacking an official creed or dogma, Unitarian Universalist congregations typically respect the Principles And Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association. As with most actions in Unitarian Universalism, these were created in committee, and affirmed democratically by a vote of member congregations, proportional to their membership, taken at an annual General Assembly (a meeting of delegates from member congregations). The full Principles, Purposes And Sources can be found in the article on the Unitarian Universalist Association. The Principles are as follows: "We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote |
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