How and when did Unitarian Universalism develop?
Our religious roots go back to the Protestant Reformation. Our earliest leaders questioned the rigid orthodoxy and creeds of the established Church. Unitarians urged people to read, reflect on, and consider Biblical texts on their own merit, not on the basis of what “church orthodoxy” proclaimed. Among the early Unitarians there was a deep desire to return to the true teachings of Jesus and to model our lives simply after his. Many of our earliest Unitarian leaders and congregations were found in Poland, Romania and northern Italy. Universalists believed in a loving God who would not preordain some to be saved and some not to be saved. This loving God urges us to use the love and courage within us to respect and affirm the inherent worth and dignity of all people and to actively work to help the world be a better place for all creatures. Many of our earliest Universalist leaders and congregations were found in England.
Related Questions
- If Unitarian Universalism doesn explicitly require its members to believe in a personal God, why does it call itself a religion? Is Unitarian Universalism generally regarded as a religion?
- Does Unitarian Universalism have a creed that sums up its beliefs?
- How and when did Unitarian Universalism develop?
