- the belief in One God and the oneness or unity of God.
- the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as the exemplar model for living one's own life.
- that reason, rational thought, science, and philosophy coexist with faith in God.
What are the beliefs of Unitarianism?
Unitarianism is a Christian belief that God is a single entity and not three forms as expressed in the Trinity. Unitarian Churches follow the doctrine of Unitarianism and are organized in the United States and the United Kingdom on a national and local level. Discover the intriguing history and beliefs of these churches and Unitarianism below!
What happened to American Unitarianism?
Still anti-creedal, anti-Calvinist, and dedicated to “freedom of conscience”, American Unitarianism was transformed over the course of the mid 19th century by internal movements towards Transcendentalism and universalism (see heaven and hell, section 1.2, and by an increasing focus on various political causes.
What is the history of Unitarians?
Unitarians track their history back to the Apostolic Age and maintain this belief was popular during the pre-Nicene era, preceding the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Many Unitarians consider their Christology most similarly matches that of the "original Christians."
What are the Unitarian beliefs?
Unitarian Universalists claim a theological orientation that aspires to creativity, freedom, and compassion with respect for diversity and interconnectedness. Members seek spiritual growth and justice-making through fellowship, personal experience, social action, and education.
What are the major beliefs of the Unitarians and the Universalists?
The Unitarian belief that reason, and not creed, defines the search for truth, and the Universalist belief that God embraces all people equally has led to the current Unitarian Universalist belief that truth and spiritual meaning can be found in all faiths.
What do Unitarians believe about the Bible?
Biblical unitarianism (also capitalized as biblical Unitarianism, BU) encompasses the key doctrines of nontrinitarian Christians who affirm the Bible as their sole authority, and from it base their beliefs that God the Father is one singular being, and that Jesus Christ is God's son but not divine.
Who was the founder of Unitarianism?
Theophilus LindseyUnitarianism / FounderIn England, Unitarian ideas were being discussed by the mid 1600s in the writings of John Biddle (1615-62), and the first Unitarian congregation came into being in 1774 at Essex Chapel in London, founded by a former Church of England minister, Theophilus Lindsey.
What's the definition of a Unitarian?
Definition of unitarian 1a often capitalized : one who believes that the deity exists only in one person. b capitalized : a member of a denomination that stresses individual freedom of belief, the free use of reason in religion, a united world community, and liberal social action.
What kind of church is Unitarian?
Unitarianism is a Christian religious denomination. Unitarians believe that God is only one person. Unitarians reject the Trinity and do not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Followers of Unitarianism also do not accept the concepts of original sin and of eternal punishment for sins committed on earth.
What Unitarians believe about God?
Unitarianism rejects the mainstream Christian doctrine of the Trinity, or three Persons in one God, made up of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They typically believe that God is one being - God the Father, or Mother. Jesus was simply a man, not the incarnate deity.
How do Unitarians worship?
In general, Unitarian services lack liturgy and ritual, but do contain readings from many sources, sermons, prayers, silences, and hymns and songs. Unitarian worship will tend to use gender-inclusive language, as well as language and concepts drawn from a wide range of religious and philosophical traditions.
Who are famous Unitarians?
Famous UnitariansJohn Quincy Adams - US president.Louisa May Alcott - children's writer.P. T. Barnum - circus owner.Béla Bartók - composer.Dorothea Dix - social reformer.Ralph Waldo Emerson - writer and thinker.Elizabeth Gaskell - novelist.Edvard Greig - composer.More items...•
Do Unitarians believe prayer?
Each Unitarian congregation is at liberty to devise its own form of worship, though commonly, Unitarians will light their chalice (symbol of faith), have a story for all ages; and include sermons, prayers, hymns and songs.
Where was Unitarianism founded?
Unitarianism as an organized religious movement emerged during the Reformation period in Poland, Transylvania, and England and later in North America from the original New England Puritan churches.
What kind of religion is Unitarian Universalism?
liberal religionUnitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions. We keep our minds open to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places. We believe that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion.
What does the Universalist church believe?
Universalism is a religious denomination that shares many of the same beliefs as Christianity, but it does not accept all Christian teachings. Its followers believe that all persons can find salvation and that the souls of all people are in a constant search for improvement.
Who do Unitarians think Jesus is?
Unitarian Christians believe that Jesus was inspired by God in his moral teachings and that he is a savior, but not divine.
Do Universalists believe in Jesus?
In 1899 the Universalist General Convention, later called the Universalist Church of America, adopted the Five Principles: the belief in God, belief in Jesus Christ, the immortality of the human soul, that sinful actions have consequence, and universal reconciliation.
Do Unitarian Universalists believe in heaven?
Some believe in heaven. Few probably believe in hell except for the hell that people create for themselves. Some UUs believe in reincarnation, and some believe there is no afterlife.
How did Unitarianism impact the Victorian era?
In the United Kingdom, although Unitarianism was the religion of only a small minority of the population, its practitioners had an enormous impact on Victorian politics, not only in the larger cities – Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool – but in smaller communities such as Leicester, where there were so many Unitarian mayors that the Unitarian Chapel was known as the "Mayors' Nest". Numerous Unitarian families were highly significant in the social and political life of Britain from Victorian times to the middle of the 20th century. They included the Nettlefolds, Martineaus, Luptons, Kitsons, Chamberlains and Kenricks. In Birmingham, England, a Unitarian church – the Church of the Messiah – was opened in 1862. It became a cultural and intellectual centre of a whole society, a place where ideas about society were openly and critically discussed.
Why is unitarianism considered a factor in the decline of classical deism?
Unitarianism is considered a factor in the decline of classical deism because there were people who increasingly preferred to identify themselves as Unitarians rather than deists.
How many Unitarian Universalist congregations are there in 2020?
As of 2020, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) reports 187,689 individual members active in 1027 congregations.
What is the Christian theological movement that believes that the God in Christianity is one entity?
For its British counterpart, see General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. For other uses, see Unitarian. Unitarianism (from Latin unitas "unity, oneness", from unus "one") is a Christian theological movement that believes that the God in Christianity is one entity, as opposed to a Trinity (tri- from Latin tres "three").
Where is Unitarian Universalist Association located?
A sign of the Unitarian Universalist Association in Rochester, Minnesota. Unitarianism in the English-speaking world largely evolved into a pluralistic liberal religious movement, while retaining its distinctiveness in continental Europe and elsewhere.
How many Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Unitarians?
Eleven Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Unitarians: Robert Millikan and John Bardeen (twice) in physics; Emily Green Balch, Albert Schweitzer and Linus Pauling for peace; George Wald and David H. Hubel in medicine; Linus Pauling in chemistry; and Herbert A. Simon in economics.
Where did Unitarian theology originate?
In the United States, different schools of Unitarian theology first spread in New England and the mid-Atlantic states. The first official acceptance of the Unitarian faith on the part of a congregation in America was by King's Chapel in Boston, from where James Freeman began teaching Unitarian doctrine in 1784, and was appointed rector and revised the Book of Common Prayer according to Unitarian doctrines in 1786.
What are the characteristics of Unitarianism?
Along with the fundamental doctrine, certain characteristics have always marked those who profess unitarianism: a large degree of tolerance, a historical study of scripture, a minimizing of essentials, and a repugnance to formulated creed .
What is Unitarianism in the United States?
Unitarianism in the United States followed essentially the same development as in England, and passed through the stages of Arminianism, Arianism, to rationalism and a modernism based on an acceptance of the results of the comparative study of all religions. In the early 18th century Arminianism presented itself in New England, and sporadically elsewhere. This tendency was largely accelerated by a backlash against the " Great Awakening " under Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Before the War of Independence Arianism showed itself in individual instances, and French influences were widespread in the direction of deism, though they were not organized into any definite utterance by religious bodies.
What is the name of the first Transylvanian Unitarian bishop?
The church is akin to both Transylvanian Unitarianism and Judaism, hence the name bét referring to the Hebrew word for "house" and Dávid which is the name of the first Transylvanian Unitarian bishop Dávid Ferenc (1510–1579).
How many periods of Unitarian thought are there?
The history of Unitarian thought in the United States can be roughly divided into four periods:
When did Unitarians start?
Early origins. Unitarians trace their history back to the Apostolic Age, i.e. the life of Jesus and the decades immediately after his death, and claim this doctrine was widespread during the pre-Nicene period, that is, before the First Council of Nicaea met in 325.
What was the next period of Unitarianism?
The next period of American Unitarianism, from about 1800 to about 1835, can be thought of as formative, mainly influenced by English philosophy, semi-supernatural, imperfectly rationalistic, devoted to philanthropy and practical Christianity. Dr. Channing was its distinguished exponent.
What was the Protestant Reformation?
The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century saw in many European countries an outbreak, more or less serious, of anti-Trinitarian opinion . Some doubt has been raised about the Reformers' commitment to previous beliefs, including previous Christology: John Henry Newman wrote, "Luther himself at one time rejected the Apocalypse, called the Epistle of St. James straminea ['straw'], condemned the word 'Trinity,' fell into a kind of Eutychianism in his view of the Holy Eucharist, and in a particular case sanctioned bigamy. Calvinism, again, in various distinct countries, has become Socinianism, and Calvin himself seems to have denied our Lord's Eternal Sonship and ridiculed the Nicene Creed.
When did Unitarianism start in Poland?
Unitarianism appeared in Poland in incipient form in 1555 when Peter Gonesius, a Polish student, proclaimed views derived from Servetus at a Polish Reformed Church synod. Controversies that ensued with tritheists, ditheists, and those who affirmed the unity of God resulted in a schism in 1565 and the formation of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland (Polish Brethren). Gregory Paul, Marcin Czechowic, and Georg Schomann soon emerged as leaders of the new church. They were encouraged by Georgius Blandrata (1515–88), an Italian physician to the Polish-Italian bride of King John Sigismund, who aided the development of anti-Trinitarianism in Poland and Transylvania. In 1569 Racow was founded as the Polish Brethren’s central community.
Who was the Spanish physician and theologian who advocated for Unitarianism?
In De Trinitatis erroribus(1531; “On the Errors of the Trinity”) and Christianismi restitutio(1553; “The Restitution of Christianity”) the Spanish physician and theologian Michael Servetusprovi ded important stimulus for the emergence of Unitarianism. Servetus’s execution for heresyin 1553 led Sebastian Castellio, a liberal humanist, to advocate religious tolerationin De haereticis… (1554; Concerning Heretics”) and caused some Italian religious exiles, who were then in Switzerland, to move to Poland.
What was the name of the school that the Socinians destroyed?
The hostility of their opponents, however, caused the destruction of the Socinians’ famous printing pressand school at Racow (1632). In 1658 a legislative decree was enacted stating that by 1660 the Socinians must either become Roman Catholics, go into exile, or face execution. A few of these Polish exiles reached Kolozsvár, centre of the Transylvanian Unitarian movement, and some of their leaders moved to the Netherlands, where they continued the publication of Socinian books.
What did Socinus emphasize?
Socinus emphasized the validity of prayer to Christ as an expression of honour and as a request for aid. Through his ability in theological debate he soon became the leader of the Polish Brethren, whose adherents were frequently referred to as Socinians.
What did Socinus believe about Jesus Christ?
Socinus emphasized the validity of prayer to Christ as an expression of honour and as a request for aid.
What caused the destruction of the Socinians' famous printing press and school at Racow?
The hostility of their opponents , however, caused the destruction of the Socinians’ famous printing press and school at Racow (1632). In 1658 a legislative decree was enacted stating that by 1660 the Socinians must either become Roman Catholics, go into exile, or face execution.
Who was the theologian who proposed the reformation of Christian doctrines?
His acquisition in 1562 of the papers of his uncle Laelius Socinus (1525–62), a theologian suspected of heterodox views, led him to adopt some of Laelius’s proposals for the reformation of Christian doctrines and to become an anti-Trinitarian theologian.
What is the difference between Unitarian and Socinian?
1. Terminology. The term “unitarian” was popularized in late 1680s England as a less pejorative and more descriptive term than “Socinian”for Christians who hold God to be identical to one and only one divine self, the Father. It has since been used as a denominational label for several distinct groups, but it is here primarily used in ...
What does subordinationists believe about the Son?
Subordinationists hold that the Son is divine but is nonetheless in some sense ontologically dependent on God, that is, the Father. (Some also allege a similar dependence of the Holy Spirit on the Father.) Its proponents argue that there is a strong strain of subordinationist thinking about the Son in most of the church fathers prior to the 4th century. (Anti-subordinationists often counter that this strain is exaggerated or partly due to misinterpretation of those ancient writers.) Current patristic scholars tend to hold that this early subordinationism has been downplayed by church historians because it is unorthodox relative to later standards, although they sometimes find counterbalancing themes in many writers inconsistent with subordinationism. Clear and well-developed subordinationist unitarianism mainly belongs to two periods of history, the fourth and the eighteenth centuries.
What was the subordinationist movement after Clarke's death?
A relatively strong subordinationist movement in England gradually lost momentum after Clarke’s death, and was supplanted by a more radical unitarianism which nonetheless owed more to Clarke than to earlier unitarian or Socinian sources. Having been convinced that the Bible teaches the Father and the one God are one and the same, they proceeded to discard the rest of Clarke’s scheme in favor of one they held was simpler and more in keeping with the teaching of the apostles.
What is the true veneration of mysteries?
The true Veneration of Mysteries consists, not in making them ourselves, and in receiving blindly the Words of Men without understanding them; but it consists… in taking care there to stop , where the Scripture itself has stopped… (Clarke Scripture , xiii; cf. Crellius 1691, 245–6)
What does it mean to be a rationalist?
The term “rationalist” implies some sort of epistemic over-confidence or dogmatism, and usually suggests some underlying moral or spiritual defect (s) as well (e.g., Newman 1890, xiii, 18–24, 133–42, 219–30).
Who were the Socinians?
The history of such groups is complex. For example, a body of these Christians in Poland followed the forceful Italian theologian Faustus Socinus (or Fausto Paolo Sozzini, 1539–1604), and were thereafter dubbed “Socinians” by their opponents. The term came to be used by some as a derogatory expression for any sort of unitarian. This tradition, centered in Rakow in Poland, flourished until 1660 when its members were forced by governmental persecution to flee the country. But in its heyday, soon after the death of Socinus, the first edition of the Racovian Catechism was published. This book was the end result of a commission given to Socinus and three other ministers to revise an earlier Polish catechism. Later versions of this in Latin and other languages have repeatedly influenced later unitarians (Rees 1818, lxxi-lxxviii; Williams 1967).
Who was the first person to believe in subordination?
A seminal figure was the great physicist Isaac Newton (1642–1727) , who was as concerned with Christian theology as he was with physics.
What is Unitarian Universalist worship?
English and American Unitarian Universalist worship is predominantly thematic in emphasis and sermon-centred in form. It makes use of hymnals that have been revised to reflect changing religious interests; for example, today’s hymns express themes of religious humanism. There also is some liturgical experimentation.
Who was the Unitarian theologian who believed in freedom of religion?
The Unitarian theologian Earl Morse Wilbur (1866–1956) advanced the thesis, now widely accepted, that the history of Unitarianism in Poland, Transylvania, England, and America gains unity from certain common themes. These themes are freedom of religious thought rather than required agreement with creeds or confessions, reliance not on tradition or external authority but on the use of reason in formulating religious beliefs, and tolerance of differing religious views and customs in worship and polity.
Who were the Universalists in 1935?
In 1935 the Universalists adopted a non-creedal Bond of Fellowship, which they revised in 1953. Clinton Lee Scott and Kenneth Patton affirmed religious humanism and emphasized drawing religious sustenance from the traditions of the world’s great religions.
When was Ballou's theology rescinded?
This restriction was rescinded in 1899. Ballou’s theology was dominant during the first half of the 19th century, when Universalist ministers founded congregations in many states. Opposed to Ballou’s theology, however, was a small group of ministers and laypersons, who left the denomination to form the Massachusetts Association ...
What was the significance of the Unitarian doctrine?
The Unitarian doctrine had wide-ranging implications for students and religious seekers in Emerson's time. The movement became more than a curiosity in late eighteenth-century England, and in the New England of the young American republic. Suddenly, the basic Calvinist idea still lingering in 1836 New England of humanity's helpless dependence on ...
What do Unitarians believe about Christ?
Hence, they are not Trinitarian, but Unitarian — God is one being, the Supreme Being.
Why were Unitarians considered liberal?
Because one of the principal tenets of Unitarianism is the equality of all, nineteenth-century Unitarians took a keen interest in affairs far beyond the walls of their churches. Politically, Unitarians were among the most liberal groups in the nation.
What did Emerson think of Calvinists?
The more the Calvinists claimed sole authority for religious instruction, the more Emerson and his contemporaries thought them selfish and interested only in their own — rather than their congregations'well-being. Emerson wished for salvation, but not within a church that still held Calvinist beliefs.
Why are Unitarians hypocritical?
Unitarians, by contrast, picture a God who extends salvation to everyone: They insist that the distinction between those who are saved — "born again" — and the rest of humanity is hypocritical because it creates a false dichotomy between the chosen and the unchosen.
What is Emerson's belief in individualism?
Not surprisingly, given Emerson's belief in the sanctity of individualism and his accepting Unitarian principles, this denomination is based fundamentally on an individual's private relationship with God — the God within each of us — and on the individual's personal judgment in matters of morals and ethics. Unitarianism denies that the God of ...
Why is religion important to Emerson?
We know that religion is important to him because every essay seems saturated with references to attaining a more perfect relationship with God. His emphasis on a universal soul flowing through individual souls can ...
Overview
Beliefs
Unitarians believe that mainstream (Nicene) Christianity does not adhere to strict monotheism, but by contrast, Unitarians do, by maintaining that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. They believe Jesus did not claim to be God and that his teachings did not suggest the existence of a triune God.
Terminology
Unitarianism is a proper noun and follows the same English usage as other theologies that have developed within a religious movement (Calvinism, Anabaptism, Adventism, Wesleyanism, Lutheranism, etc.). The term existed shortly before it became the name of a religious movement, thus occasionally it is used as a common noun to describe any understanding of Jesus Christ that …
History
Unitarianism, both as a theology and as a denominational family of churches, was defined and developed in Poland, Transylvania, England, Wales, India, Japan, Jamaica, the United States, and beyond in the 16th century through the present. Although common beliefs existed among Unitarians in each of these regions, they initially grew independently from each other. Only later did they i…
Worship
Worship within the Unitarian tradition accommodates a wide range of understandings of God, while the focus of the service may be simply the celebration of life itself. Each Unitarian congregation is at liberty to devise its own form of worship, though commonly, Unitarians will light their chalice (symbol of faith), have a story for all ages; and include sermons, prayers, hymns and songs. Some will allow attendees to publicly share their recent joys or concerns.
Modern Christian Unitarian organizations
This section relates to Unitarian churches and organizations today which are still specifically Christian, whether within or outside Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism, conversely, refers to the embracing of non-Christian religions.
Some Unitarian Christian groups are affiliated with the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU), founded in 1995. The ICUU has "full mem…
Notable Unitarians
Notable Unitarians include classical composers Edvard Grieg and Béla Bartók; Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Parker, Yveon Seon and Thomas Lamb Eliot in theology and ministry; Oliver Heaviside, Erasmus Darwin, Joseph Priestley, John Archibald Wheeler, Linus Pauling, Sir Isaac Newton and inventor Sir Francis Ronalds in science; George Boole in mathematics; Susan B. Anthony in civil gov…
See also
• Anomoeanism – radical Arians of the 4th century.
• Binitarianism
• Christadelphians
• Divine simplicity
Overview
Unitarianism, as a Christian denominational family of churches, was first defined in Poland-Lithuania and Transylvania in the late 16th century. It was then further developed in England and America until the early 19th century, although theological ancestors are to be found as far back as the early days of Christianity. It matured and reached its classical form in the middle 19th century. Later historical development has been diverse in different countries.
Classical period of Unitarianism
Scattered expressions of anti-Trinitarian opinion appeared in Poland early. At the age of 80, Catherine, wife of Melchior Vogel or Weygel, was burned at Cracow (1539) for apostasy; whether her views embraced more than deism is not clear. The first synod of the (Calvinist) Reformed Church took place in 1555; the second Synod (1556) faced the theological challenges of Grzegorz Paweł z Brz…
Historical antecedents
Arianism was a position that Jesus was created by God, it was started by the presbyter Arius.
The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century saw in many European countries an outbreak, more or less serious, of anti-Trinitarian opinion. Some doubt has been raised about the Reformers' commitment to previous beliefs, including previous Christology: John Henry Newman wrote, "Luther himself at one time rejected the Apocalypse, called the Epistle of St. James stram…
Modern period
In 1928 the British and Foreign Unitarian Association merged with the Sunday School Association, with which it had been sharing offices for decades, as the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. The General Assembly is still the umbrella organisation for British Unitarianism, which has its headquarters, Essex Hall, in the same place in central London.
In May 2004 Rev. Peter Hughes, vice-chairman of the East Lancashire Unitarian Mission, and a …