Unitarian Universalism | |
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![]() An early logo of the Unitarian Universalist Association which includes a flaming chalice, its most widely used symbol | |
Abbreviation | UUism[1] |
Type | Liberal religion[1][2] |
Orientation | Mix of Protestant, liberal, progressive, and pluralist[1][2][3] |
Scripture | Officially none;[2] religious principles and moral teachings were historically drawn from the Six Sources[4] |
Founder | Members of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America via consolidation[2][5] |
Origin | May 1961[5] |
Congregations | 1,048 worldwide |
Number of followers | 148,232 members of Unitarian Universalist Association congregations in the United States; 800,000 identify as Unitarian Universalist worldwide (including the U.S.).[6] |
Unitarian Universalism (otherwise referred to as UUism[1] or UU)[7][8][9] is a liberal religious movement[1] characterized by a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning".[10][11] Unitarian Universalists assert no creed,[2] but instead are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth.[1][3][12] Unitarian Universalists do not have an official, unified corpus of sacred texts.[2] Unitarian Universalist congregations include many atheists, agnostics, deists, and theists; there are churches, fellowships, congregations, and societies around the world.[1][12]
The roots of Unitarian Universalism can be traced back to Protestantism[2][13] and liberal Christianity;[1][2] more specifically, it can be traced to Unitarianism and Christian Universalism.[2] Unitarian Universalists state that from these traditions comes a deep regard for intellectual freedom and inclusive love.[3][12] Congregations and members seek inspiration and derive insight from all major world religions.[1][12][14] The beliefs of individual Unitarian Universalists range widely; they can include, but are not limited to, religious humanism,[1][2][12][15] Judaism,[4] Christianity,[4] Islam,[16] Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Taoism, syncretism,[1] neopaganism,[1][12] atheism,[1] agnosticism,[1] New Age,[1][12] omnism, pantheism, panentheism, pandeism, deism, and teachings of the Baháʼí Faith.[17]
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was formed in 1961 through the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association, established in 1825, and the Universalist Church of America,[5] established in 1793.[2] The UUA is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts; and serves churches mostly in the United States. A group of thirty Philippine congregations is represented as a sole member within the UUA. The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) became an independent body in 2002.[18] The UUA and CUC were two of the seventeen members of the now defunct International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (1995–2021).[19]
The Unitarian Universalist Association, a Christian denomination, seeks wisdom from six sources: personal experience, prophetic utterances, world religions, Jewish and Christian teachings, humanist teachings, and spiritual teachings.
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