This is still a DRAFT.

A brief history

Unitarian Universalism grew out of two liberal Christian movements:

  • Unitarianism rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, holding that God is one; its roots go back to 16th-century Transylvania and Poland, and it later flourished in England and in New England, and the American Unitarian Association was founded in 1825.
  • Universalism taught that God’s love is so great that all people will eventually be saved, and none will be damned forever.

Over the 19th and 20th centuries, both movements moved beyond their Christian origins, influenced among others by the Transcendentalists (such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau) and by religious humanism. In 1961 the two merged to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).

Today, Unitarian Universalism is a non-creedal religion whose members include liberal Christians, Jews, Buddhists, pagans, humanists, atheists, and agnostics.

The Seven Principles and the Six Sources

From 1985 until 2024, the core statement of Unitarian Universalism was the Seven Principles, which member congregations covenanted to affirm and promote:

  1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
  2. Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;
  3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
  4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
  5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
  6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
  7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Alongside the principles, the UUA listed the sources from which the “living tradition” draws:

  • Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder which renews the spirit and opens us to the forces that create and uphold life;
  • Words and deeds of prophetic people who challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and love;
  • Wisdom from the world’s religions;
  • Jewish and Christian teachings;
  • Humanist teachings, which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science;
  • Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions (added in 1995).

Many congregations also adopted a proposed “8th Principle”, committing to dismantle racism and other oppressions in themselves and their institutions.

Note that the principles did not state what the meaning of life is. Instead, the fourth principle made the search for meaning itself a core commitment, leaving the answer to each person.

The new Article II (2024)

In June 2024, the UUA’s General Assembly replaced the Seven Principles and the Sources with a new Article II of its bylaws. At its center is Love: “Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values.” Around it are six values, each paired with a covenant:

  • Interdependence: honoring the interdependent web of all existence, and protecting Earth and all beings from exploitation.
  • Pluralism: “We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning.”
  • Justice: building diverse, multicultural “Beloved Communities” where all thrive, and dismantling racism and all forms of systemic oppression.
  • Transformation: adapting to a changing world; “Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages.”
  • Generosity: cultivating gratitude and hope, and freely sharing faith, presence, and resources.
  • Equity: “Every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love and compassion.”

The new Article II also names “direct experiences of transcending mystery and wonder” as primary sources of inspiration, drawing on “sacred, secular, and scientific understandings”, and it affirms freedom of belief: congregations may not require members to adhere to a particular creed.

Lumessianity vs. Unitarian Universalism

What is similar

  • No creed: Neither tradition requires its members to accept a fixed set of beliefs, and both welcome people with different views about God, the afterlife, and the nature of reality (see Anti-Dogmatism).
  • A free search for meaning, done together: Neither hands out a fixed answer to the question of life’s meaning. Both see the search as something each person does freely, but in a community, learning from one another (see Meaning and Community).
  • Many sources: Both draw inspiration from the world’s religions, philosophy, science, and personal experience.
  • Love and human dignity at the core: Both place love, and the worth and dignity of every person, at their center (see Upholding Human Rights).
  • Openness to change: Both see their tradition as evolving rather than fixed (see Flexible Co-Creation of Tradition).

What is different

  • Offering inspiring answers: Unitarian Universalism largely leaves the content of life’s meaning open. Lumessianity also offers a set of possible answers, and aims to emotionally inspire people to adopt lofty ones, such as joy and kindness and service to others.
  • Origins and form: Unitarian Universalism grew out of liberal Protestant Christianity, and it still largely keeps a church-like form: congregations, ordained ministers, and Sunday services. Lumessianity is a new tradition that is not built on any single existing religion, and its practices are still being designed together.
  • Institutional emphasis: The UUA’s new Article II puts strong emphasis on social justice and on dismantling systemic oppression at the institutional level. Lumessianity shares these values, but its main emphasis is on each person’s inner life: meaning, wellbeing, and personal growth.