What is this faith tradition with long longest name ever—Unitarian Universalism? Every Unitarian Universalist (UU) will give you a different answer. Some will tell you what it’s not—not a doctrinal religion, not creedal, there isn’t even a prayer book. Others will tell you what it is—they’ll say it’s their spiritual home (surprised to hear themselves say such a thing), the place they count on to figure out what matters most, a movement that inspires them to live with intention. Unitarian Universalism is a creedless faith tradition that invites individuals to figure out what matters to them and inspires them to make a difference in the world we so love. UU congregations are guided not by creed but by covenant—an agreement about how to live our lives as people of faith. They affirm and promote seven principles: UUs find wisdom and guidance from direct experience, the world’s religions, science and the natural world, and from women and men whose lives inspire us. See UU Principles and Sources. Historically, Unitarian Universalism has theological roots in the Judeo-Christian tradition. In the United States, the Universalist Church was founded in 1793 and the American Unitarian Association in 1825. They consolidated in 1966 to become Unitarian Universalism. Read about UU history in Rev. Mark Harris’s pamphlet “Unitarian Universalist Origins: Our Historic Faith”.
