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What is Unitarian Universalism?
Unitarian Universalism is a rich, historic, unfolding and inclusive approach to thoughtful religious living. It affirms the spiritual truth of all humanity’s varied sacred paths. Its adherents come from a wide variety of backgrounds. They follow an approach to community that is as old as the first democratically governed congregations of New England, of which First Parish in Needham is surely one, having been gathered in 1711. Rather than ask the creedal question, “What do we all believe in common?” our forebears decided that the more important question was instead covenantal: “What hopes do we share? What spiritual resources shall we draw upon as we walk together toward the fulfillment of those shared hopes? And how shall we treat one another along the way?”
The roots of Unitarian Universalism are therefore both religious and American. Like the biblical prophets who proclaimed, “Hear, O Israel, our God is One!” it uses varied language to insist on a universalistic perspective; like Rabbi Jesus, who did the same, liberal religionists in America at the time of the American Revolution called for a reform of the religion that had prevailed in Puritan times. They came to regard Jesus as a key spiritual model, but not as divine, except insofar as all human beings are potentially divine, challenged to develop a life of spiritual depth and moral integrity within the finite time we all have in life.
Today Unitarian Universalism includes people who consider themselves agnostics, atheists, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, pagans, humanists, skeptics, seekers, and, ultimately, “just friends.” Together they form a diverse religious community that seeks to inspire everyone to transcend personal differences and to find common ground in the common good. We are liberals in both that sense and in keeping an open mind 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, and that in the end religious authority lies not in a book or person or institution, but in ourselves.
Unitarian Universalist congregations are locally self-governing. Authority and responsibility are vested in the membership of the congregation. Each Unitarian Universalist congregation is involved in many kinds of programs. Worship is held regularly, the insights of the past and the present are shared with those who will create the future, service to the community is undertaken, and friendships are made. A visitor to a UU congregation will very likely find events and activities that involve people of all ages and backgrounds in support groups, music, social ministries, discussions, lectures, intergenerational activities, study and worship. Please consult other parts of this website for activities at First Parish in Needham and for links to other Unitarian Universalist organizations, nationally and locally.
- John Buehrens