Academic History From "Reference Guide to the World’s Religions".

In 1961, two religious traditions – the Unitarian and Universalist – merged to form one denomination. The Unitarians and Universalists had long shared similar views, as well as similar histories, so their union was almost inevitable.

The Unitarian movement owes its origins to several early "freethinkers," some of whom died for their Unitarian beliefs. Once such example is that of Michael Servetus, a man who rebelled against the strict Calvinist regime in Geneva during the 1500’s. He was burned at the stake in 1533 for professing that worship was a matter of personal choice. Unitarians also consider King John Sigismund of Transylvania to be an integral part of the foundation of the Unitarian church. In 1568, King John issued an edict supporting religious freedom which allowed his subjects to worship differently than their king without placing their loyalty under suspicion.

From Eastern Europe, Unitarianism spread to England. John Priestly, an English religious refugee, brought Unitarian ideas to America. 

Universalists also came out of the Calvinist movement in Europe. Because they did not seek to acquire existing church buildings and properties, Universalism was considered more a philosophy than a religion. Some early Universalists still maintained membership in the Calvinist church.  During the nineteenth century missionaries spread Universalist ideas throughout America.

Today, there are more than 4500 Unitarian Universalist congregations in the world. However, since Unitarianism is as much a philosophy as a denomination, anybody who accepts fundamental Unitarian or Universalist beliefs might be considered to be Unitarian Universalist. These fundamentals include: a belief in the value of all persons, a conviction that everyone has the right to believe whatever they choose, a belief that religious ideas must be tested by personal experience, a desire to acquire truth wherever it may be found, and respect for the teachings of ALL great religions while still exercising personal judgment.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FUNDAMENTALS

The term "Unitarian" comes from some of the early philosophies, because the movement rejected the notion of god as a Trinity. These early Unitarians believed God is God and Christ was an "inspired" individual who should not be equated with God. God is not three persons in one, neither is he three separate persons. God’s presence is manifest by his own spirit and not by another being such as the Holy Ghost.

"Universalists" believe that God is a god of love, and therefore cannot limit salvation to a few "elect" individuals. Salvation is a gift for all people regardless of their sins or lack of faith.

The combined Unitarian Universalist movement addressed God more often in meditation than they do in traditional prayer. Communication with God is not so much an attempt to influence him for favors or blessings as it is time to express feelings, to verbalize concerns and to outline hopes and aspirations. Unitarian Universalists place less emphasis on who is listening to these meditations than on the vocalization process itself.

People must decide what, or who, God is for themselves.

Of Jesus, Unitarian Universalists admire his example of ethical leadership. They accept his teaching and his example of how people should treat one another. Unitarian Universalists don’t accept Jesus as the final religious authority any more than they would accept Buddha or Mohammed. But Unitarian Universalists do typically consider themselves to be Christians if only because the movement grew out of Christian roots. Unitarian Universalists are not strictly limited to Christian tradition in their beliefs, however.

Though Universalists and Unitarians come from religions that focused on different central doctrines – the idea that God is a unified being and the belief that salvation is achievable by all humans – their theology arrives at the same conclusion: human beings are not separate from God but are "manifestations" of him.

Unitarian Universalists have a strong belief in the worth of all human beings. Without making suppositions about an afterlife, they believe that this life is a time to learn valuable lessons. These lessons are learned as people fill their social obligations to create a just and peaceful society. A strong sense of personal liberty is fundamental to finding and living a meaningful life. When individual freedom is curtailed, people end up living the lives of others and don’t discover what valuable lessons await them.

End of Section from "Reference Guide to the World’s Religions".

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