What is Unitarianism?

Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexistingcon-substantially as one in being. Thus, Unitarians adhere to strict monotheism, and maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but notGod himself.For most of its history, Unitarianism has been known for the rejection of several orthodox Protestant doctrines besides theTrinity, including the soteriological doctrines of original sin and predestination,[4][5] and, in more recent times, biblicalinerrancy. In J. Gordon Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions it is classified among "the 'liberal' family ofchurches".The first Unitarians, although not called Unitarians initially, were found in Poland and Transylvania from the 1540sonwards, though many of them were Italians. In England the first Unitarian Church was established in 1774 on Essex Street, London, where today's British Unitarian headquartersare still located. 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 Prayer Book according to Unitarian doctrinesin 1786.

Unitarianism at a glanceThere are about 7,000 Unitarians in Great Britain and Ireland, and about 150 Unitarian ministers. There are about 800,000 Unitarians worldwide.Unitarianism is an approach to religion that gives scope for a very wide range of beliefs and doubts.open-minded and individualisticReligious freedom for each individual is at the heart of Unitarianism. Everyone is free to search for meaning in life in a responsible way and to reach their own conclusions.In line with their approach to religious truth, Unitarians see diversity and pluralism as valuable rather than threatening. They want religion to be broad, inclusive, and tolerant. Unitarianism can therefore include people who are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Pagan and Atheist.

WorshipWorship 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, Unitarian services lack liturgy and ritual, while containing readingsfrom many sources, which may include sermons, prayers, hymns and songs.

BeliefsThere is no Unitarian creed. There is no specified list of things that Unitarians must believe. Unitarians are skeptical about any one person or tradition possessing the whole truth. They are also increasingly aware of the inherent value of diversity for the wellbeing of the natural world.With these points in mind, Unitarians suggest that human differences of opinion and lifestyle should be seen as potentially creative and enriching, rather than necessarily destructive.

GenderUnitarians firmly believe in gender equality, and gender inclusive language is common in the Church.

Core valuesDespite the lack of a creed, Unitarianism does not allow members to believe anything. All Unitarians:•Support freedom of religious thought•Base their religious ideas on rational thought rather than external authority•Form their religious principles from conscience, thinking and life's experiences•Tolerate a wide range of religious ideas, including humanism

The Role of the IndividualUnitarians believe that:Everyone has the right to seek truth and meaning for themselves, using: their intellect; their conscience and their own experience of lifeThe best setting for finding religious truth and meaning is a community that welcomes each individual for themselves, complete with their beliefs.

History of Unitarianism BeginningsUnitarianism as an organised church grew out of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century CE. It started in Poland and Transylvania in the 1560s, and was recognised as a religion in Transylvania within 10 years.

In 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.Joseph Priestley. The distinguished scientist and minister Joseph Priestley also played a key role in the formation of the movement.

Unitarianism in North AmericaThere are about 225,000 Unitarian Universalists in the USA and Canada, and about 1,000 congregations.The North American version has much in common with the UK version but includes additional ideas brought in when Universalist Church of America (founded in 1793) and the American Unitarian Association (founded in 1825) merged in 1961 to form the Unitarian Universalist Association. The Canadian Unitarian Council represents the Canadian congregations.The North American church has for many decades been much more 'humanist' than Unitarian churches elsewhere in the world. Recently, however, there has been a movement in the Unitarian Universalist Association to be more accepting of what its President calls the "language of reverence". This seems to be the result of the rising influence of a younger generation that is more attuned to spiritual values (or that has had fewer bad traditional church experiences).

Social responsibilityUnitarians think 'deeds speak louder than words' - they believe religion should make a difference to the world, so they are often active in social justice and community work.Unitarianism may attract people with a strong interest in social change. Such people may well be drawn to the church because they regard fixed creeds as having been used throughout history as an oppressive way of maintaining an institution or society's existing power structure, and so are more comfortable in a church that doesn't have a creed.Unitarians welcome gays and lesbians in their ministry and support equal rights for gay people within the Church and in society at large.