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This article is about Unitarian theology. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while The crucifixion of Jesus is an event recorded in all four Gospels (;;) which takes place after his arrest and trial and includes his scourging Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend Church (disambiguation Christian Church and the word church are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a Place of worship The term New Covenant (; Greek:, diathēkē kainē is used in the Bible (both in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament) to refer The Twelve Apostles (Greek apostolos, "someone sent out" e This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament The purpose of this timeline is to give a detailed account of Christianity from the beginning of the current era ( AD) to the present Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Books of the Bible are listed differently in the canons of Jews and Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox Slavonic Orthodox Georgian Armenian Apostolic A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious The biblical apocrypha (from the Greek word ἀπόκρυφος meaning hidden) are books published in an edition of the Bible whose canonicity Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных In many religions the supreme Deity ( God) is given the title and attributions of Father. Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus including his divinity humanity and earthly life In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance This is an overview of the History of Christian Theology from the time of Christ to the present Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections Christian tradition is a collection of Traditions of practice or belief associated with Christianity. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c This is a general introduction to ecumenical councils For the Roman Catholic councils, see Catholic Ecumenical Councils. A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service See also Evangelism, Christianization A Christian mission has been widely defined since the Lausanne Congress of 1974 as that which The East-West Schism, or the Great Schism, divided medieval Christendom into Eastern (Greek and Western (Latin branches which later became known as the The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic Prayer is an important theme in Christianity, and there are several different forms of prayer Ecumenism (also oecumenism, œcumenism) refers to initiatives aimed at greater Religious unity or cooperation Christianity and other religions appear to share some elements Christian movements are theological, political or philosophical interpretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church Christian music is music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life A Liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship Christian liturgy is a pattern for worship used (whether recommended or prescribed by a Christian congregation or The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when Christian symbolism is defined as the investing of outward things or actions with an inner meaning the expression of Christian ideas Christian art is Art produced in an attempt to illustrate supplement and portray in tangible form the principles of Christianity. Throughout the History of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians For the liberal religious movement with the same name, see Unitarian Universalism for the United States and Canada, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches for the UK, and International Council of Unitarians and Universalists for other parts of the world. Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the Umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU is a world council bringing together Unitarians Universalists and Unitarian Universalists

Unitarianism is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God). SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных [1] It is the philosophy upon which the modern Unitarian movement was based, and, according to its proponents, is the original form of Christianity. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Unitarian Christians believe in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, as found in the New Testament and other early Christian writings, and hold him up as an exemplar. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) "Exemplars" directs here For the superpowered comic book team see Exemplars (comics. Adhering to strict monotheism, they maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Unitarians believe in the moral authority, but not necessarily the divinity, of Jesus. Divinity and divine (sometimes 'the Divinity' or 'the Divine' are broadly applied but loosely defined terms used variously within different faiths and belief systems — They do not pray to Jesus. Their theology is thus distinguishable from the theology of Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, and other Christian denominations, who hold the Trinity doctrine as a core belief. The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to The Eastern Orthodox Church: the Eastern Christian churches of Byzantine Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Denominationalism|List of Christian denominations|Church (disambiguation A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name structure and doctrine within

Some evangelicals hold a unitarian theology in that they see God as a single person, and are thus antitrinitarian, but because they perceive Jesus to be God himself do not fall into the general theology discussed here, which sees Jesus as subordinate to God and a finite being. Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine Instead see: Sabellianism, Oneness theology, Oneness Pentecostalism, Monarchianism, Binitarianism. In Christianity, Sabellianism (also known as modalism, modalistic monarchianism, or modal monarchism) is the Nontrinitarian belief Overview Although both Oneness and Trinitarian denominations acknowledge the God of the Bible as the only God in existence and that Jesus was Monarchianism or Monarchism is a set of beliefs that emphasize God as being one person and the only ruler of his kingdom. Binitarianism is a Christian theology of two personae two individuals or two aspects in one Godhead (or God as opposed to one ( Unitarianism

While there are both religiously liberal and religiously conservative unitarians, the name "Unitarian" is most commonly associated with the liberal branch of this theology.

Conservative (Biblical or Evangelical) unitarians strictly adhere to the principle of sola scriptura and their belief that the Bible is both inspired and inerrant and uphold "fundamentals" of belief. Sola scriptura ( Latin ablative, "by scripture alone" is the assertion that the Bible as God's written word is self-authenticating This version of unitarianism is more commonly called Nontrinitarianism, rather than Unitarianism. Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine

Unitarians sum up their faith as "the religion of Jesus, not a religion about Jesus. " Historically, they have encouraged non-dogmatic views of God, Jesus, the world and purpose of life as revealed through reason, scholarship, science, philosophy, scripture and other prophets and religions. See also God Conceptions of God can vary widely despite the use of the same term for them all "The world " is a proper noun for the planet Earth envisioned from an Anthropocentric or Human Worldview, as a place See also Western philosophy, Eastern religions, Eastern philosophy The Reason involves the ability to think understand and draw Conclusions in an Abstract way as in Human thinking A scholarship is an award of access to an institution or a financial aid award for an individual student scholar for the purpose of furthering their Education Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos They believe that reason and belief are complementary and that religion and science can co-exist and guide them in their understanding of nature and God. The relationship between religion and science has long held interest for scholars particularly in the Philosophy of science, the Philosophy of religion, and Nature, in the broadest sense is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. They also do not enforce belief in creeds or dogmatic formulas. A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas, Greek, plural) is the established Belief or Although there is flexibility in the nuances of belief or basic truths for the individual Unitarian Christian, general principles of faith have been recognized as a way to bind the group in some commonality. Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a Proposition or Premise to be true The meaning of the word truth extends from Honesty, Good faith, and Sincerity in general to agreement with Fact or Reality A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Adherents generally accept religious pluralism and find value in all teachings, but remain committed to their core belief in Christ's teachings. Religious pluralism (rel Comparative religion) is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of different Religions and is used in a number of related Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Liberal Unitarians value a secular society in which government stays out of religious affairs. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Separation of church and state is a Political and Legal Doctrine that Government and religious institutions are to be kept separate

Unitarians are not to be confused with members of the Unity Church or the Uniting Church in Australia. Unity also known as Unity School of Christianity and informally as Unity Church, is a school of thought founded upon holistic Christian principles The Uniting Church in Australia ( UCA) was formed on June 22 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia,

Contents

Distinction between Theological Unitarians and Denominational Unitarians

The term "Unitarian" has been applied both to those who hold a Unitarian theological belief and to those who belong to a Unitarian church. A hundred years ago, this would not have made much of a difference, but today it is a distinction that needs to be made.

Unitarian theology is distinguishable from the belief system of modern Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist churches and fellowships in several countries. Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth This is because over time, some Unitarians and many Unitarian Universalists have moved away from the traditional Christian roots of Unitarianism. For example, in the 1890s the American Unitarian Association began to allow non-Christian and non-theistic churches and individuals to be part of their fellowship. As a result, people who held no Unitarian belief began to be called "Unitarians," simply because they were members of churches that belonged to the American Unitarian Association. After several decades, the non-theistic members outnumbered the theological Unitarians. [2] A similar, though proportionally much smaller, phenomenon has taken place in the Unitarian churches in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and other countries, which remain more theologically based.

The remainder of this article includes information about Unitarianism as a theology and about the development of theologically Unitarian churches in several countries around the world. For a more specific discussion of Unitarianism as it evolved into a secular liberal philosophy in the United States and elsewhere in more recent times, see Unitarian Universalism, Canadian Unitarian Council, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, and International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC is the national body for Unitarian Universalists in Canada. The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the Umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU is a world council bringing together Unitarians Universalists and Unitarian Universalists

Forms

Unitarianism can very loosely be divided into two categories. Both maintain that God is one being and one "person"—the one Jesus called "Our Father". God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Jesus is the (or a) Son of God, but generally not God himself. Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament. However, they differ as to particulars.

Jesus existed as a person before his human life

The Son of God is a preexistent being, the Logos who dwelt with God in the beginning and then was born as the man Jesus. grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) However, he is not eternal, but had a beginning of existence. This theology is commonly called Arianism, but there are many varieties of this form of Unitarianism, ranging from the belief that the Son, before he came to earth, was a divine spirit of the same nature as God to the belief that he was an angel or other lesser spirit creature of a wholly different nature from God, and Arius' views represent only one variation of this theology. Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. Arius ( AD ca 250 or 256 - 336 was a Christian priest from Alexandria Egypt in the early fourth century whose teachings now called Arianism

Whatever the case, in this belief system, Jesus is beneath God, but higher than humans (and has always been so). We might call it "elevated subordinationism. " It is associated with early church figures such as Justin Martyr, Lucian of Antioch, Eusebius of Caesarea, Arius, Eusebius of Nicomedia, Asterius the Sophist, Eunomius, and Ulfilas, as well as Felix, Bishop of Urgel and others who believed that Jesus was God in his divine nature but his divinity in his human nature was through adoption. Saint Justin Martyr (also Justin the Martyr, Justin of Caesarea, Justin the Philosopher, Latin Iustinus Martyr or Flavius Saint Lucian of Antioch (c 240&ndash January 7, 312) was an early and extremely influential theologian and teacher of Christianity, particularly Arius ( AD ca 250 or 256 - 336 was a Christian priest from Alexandria Egypt in the early fourth century whose teachings now called Arianism Eusebius of Nicomedia (died 341 was a bishop of Berytus (modern-day Beirut) in Phoenicia, then of Nicomedia where the imperial court resided in Bithynia Asterius the Sophist (died c 341 was an Arian Christian theologian Eunomius (Εὐνόμιος (died c393 one of the leaders of the extreme or anomoeans who are sometimes accordingly called Eunomians was born at Dacora in Wulfila is also a spider genus ( Anyphaenidae) Wulfila (meaning "little wolf" (ca Adoptionism, also called dynamic Monarchianism, was a minority Christian belief that Jesus was born merely human and that he became divine later in his life Arian forms of Unitarianism remain among Unitarians in Transylvania, Hungary, France, and several countries in Africa. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Famous Arian Unitarians include Isaac Newton,[3] Andrews Norton[4] and Dr. Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements Andrews Norton ( December 31, 1786 - September 18, 1853) was an American preacher and theologian William Ellery Channing. This article is about Dr William Ellery Channing the Unitarian theologian [5]

Since the 19th century, several Evangelical or Revivalist movements adopted an elevated subordinationist theology (best described as Nontrinitarianism, rather than Unitarianism). The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Subordinationism is a Doctrine in Christian theology which holds that God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are not merely relationally subordinate Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine Important figures include Barton W. Stone and Charles Taze Russell. Barton Warren Stone was born on December 24 1772 to John and Mary Stone in Port Tobacco, Maryland. Charles Taze Russell ( February 16, 1852 &ndash October 31, 1916) also known as Pastor Russell, was a Protestant Theologies among Evangelical Unitarians are sometimes Arian,[6] and sometimes Sabellian[7] (Jesus is God in the flesh, the manifestation of God, who exists as a single person). In Christianity, Sabellianism (also known as modalism, modalistic monarchianism, or modal monarchism) is the Nontrinitarian belief Other modern non-trinitarian churches, such as the Filipino-based Iglesia ni Cristo, may also be included, although they reject the "unitarian" name to avoid confusion. The Iglesia ni Cristo (ɪˈgleʃɐ ni ˈkɾisto Tagalog for Church of Christ; also known as INC, formerly called Iglesya ni Kristo or Jehovah's Witnesses also have a nontrinitarian theology with specific traits. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination

Jesus did not exist as a person before his human life

This theology ranges from the belief that Jesus was merely a great man filled with the Holy Spirit (sometimes called Psilanthropism or, more commonly, Socinianism) to the belief that he is the incarnation of God's impersonal Logos. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance In Christianity, Psilanthropism or Socinianism is a Christological view that believes Jesus was merely human Socinianism is a form of Antitrinitarianism, named for Laelius Socinus (died 1562 in Zürich) and of his nephew Faustus Socinus grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion It is associated with early church figures like the Ebionites, Theodotus of Byzantium, Artemon, and Paul of Samosata in the early Church, Marcellus of Ancyra and his pupil Photinus in the 4th century AD, and Michael Servetus, Ferenc Dávid and Faustus Socinus in the Protestant Reformation. The Ebionites ( Greek: grc Ἐβιωναῖοι Ebionaioi from Hebrew; he '''אביונים''' he-Latn ''Ebyonim'' "the Poor Ones" were an Theodotus of Byzantium (also known as Theodotus the Tanner and Theodotus the Shoemaker; flourished late 2nd century) was an early Christian Artemon (fl ca 230 AD a prominent Christian teacher in Rome, who held Adoptionist, or Nontrinitarian views about whose life little Paul of Samosata (lived from 200 to 275 AD was Bishop of Antioch from 260 to 268 Marcellus of Ancyra (? - c 374 CE) was one of the Bishops present at the Councils of Ancyra and of Nicaea. This article is about the 4th century bishop Photinus For the Firefly Beetle Genus, see Photinus (beetle. Michael Servetus (also Miguel Servet or Miguel Serveto; 29 September, 1511 &ndash 27 October, 1553) was a Spanish Ferenc Dávid (occasionally rendered as Francis David; c 1510 &ndash November 15, 1579) was a Transylvanian Nontrinitarian and Fausto Paolo Sozzini, also known as Faustus Socinus or Faust Socyn (Polish ( December 5, 1539 in Siena &ndash March 4 It is from the latter that we get the word "Socinianism," but the teaching of Socinus is unique in more than just its Christology, and so the name is best not used as merely a Christological term.

In modern times we see the psilanthropist view manifested in Rationalist Unitarianism, which emerged from the German Rationalism and the liberal theology of the 19th century. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Its proponents took a highly intellectual and humanistic approach to religion, rejecting most of the miraculous events in the Bible (including the virgin birth. ) They embraced evolutionary concepts, asserted the "inherent goodness of man" and abandoned the doctrine of biblical infallibility. Rationalist Unitarianism is distinguished from Deism (with which it nevertheless shares many features) by its belief in a personal deity who directly acts on creation, while Deists see God as holding aloof from creation. Deism is the belief that a supreme God exists and created the physical universe and that religious truths can be arrived at by the application of reason alone without dependence on revelation

Notable Rationalist Unitarians include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Theodore Parker in theology and ministry, Joseph Priestley and Linus Pauling in science, Susan B. Anthony and Florence Nightingale in humanitarianism and social justice, Charles Dickens in literature, and Frank Lloyd Wright in arts. Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25 1803 &ndash April 27 1882 was an American essayist philosopher poet and leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early 19th century Theodore Parker (August 24 1810 – May 10 1860 was an American Transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian Joseph Priestley (13 March 1733 ( Old Linus Carl Pauling (February 28 1901 – August 19 1994 was an American Scientist, Peace activist, Author and educator. Susan Brownell Anthony ( February 15, 1820 &ndash March 13, 1906) was a prominent American Civil rights leader who played Florence Nightingale, OM, RRC (in her own pronunciation ˈflɒɾəns ˈnaɪtɪŋgeɪl 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910 who came to be known as "The Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8 1867 &ndash April 9 1959 was an American (of Welsh descent Architect, Interior designer, Writer, and educator who Many Hungarian Unitarians embrace the principles of Rationalist Unitarianism—the only Unitarian high school in the world, John Sigismund Unitarian Academy in Cluj Napoca (Kolozsvár, Klausenburg), Romania, teaches Rationalist Unitarianism. (pronunciation in Romanian: /'kluʒ na'poka/ Klausenburg Kolozsvár Napoca Castrum Clus Claudiopolis קלויזנבורג Kloiznburg until 1974 Cluj, is the third Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The psilanthropist concept of the nature of Jesus is similar to the viewpoint held by the Islamic faith, which regards Jesus as a non-divine and human Prophet. Etymology The Anglicized name of Jesus is derived from the Latin Iēsus, which in turn comes from the Greek (Iēsoûs In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary Christadelphians and both groups called the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith are Evangelical Unitarians. Christadelphians (from the Greek for Brothers of Christ / Christ's Brethren: Christou Adelphoi; cf

History

Main article: History of Unitarianism

Common beliefs among theological Unitarians

There is no specific set of beliefs shared by all Unitarians, although some common traits may be found. Unitarianism, both as a theology and as a denominational family of churches was first defined and developed within the Protestant Reformation, although theological ancestors The most obvious connection among Unitarians is the rejection of the Trinitarian dogma. Apart from that, conservative (Biblical or evangelical) Unitarian Christians generally hold similar beliefs to most other evangelical Christians, apart from their rejection of the Trinity doctrine, whereas liberal Unitarian Christians generally do not believe in the Virgin Birth, the deity of Christ, or Biblical inerrancy. The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious Tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always Biblical inerrancy is the conservative evangelical doctrinal position that in its original form the Bible is totally without error and free from all contradiction

Although there is no specific authority on these convictions, the following represent the most generally accepted:

Most Unitarian Christians would say that Jesus of Nazareth and his followers and disciples would today be defined as Unitarian Christians, and that Unitarian Christianity is the form of Christianity most closely following the direct teachings of Jesus. In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. However, Unitarian Christians usually respect the beliefs of others and do not believe that their way is the only way to follow God's will.

Unitarian Christians believe Jesus did not claim to be God nor did his teachings hint at his divinity or the existence of a triune God. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных They generally do not believe that Jesus was conceived in the womb of a virgin or performed miracles to the extent reported in the Gospels. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament In theological Unitarianism, the most weight regarding the accounts of Jesus, his character, and his life is given to the four canonical Gospels (Mark, Mathew, Luke, and John). Canonical is an Adjective derived from canon. Canon comes from the Greek word kanon, "rule" (perhaps originally from Other sources of information about Jesus including newly discovered Gospels that were not included in the original canon of the Bible (e. g. Nag Hammadi Library) are also generally accepted. Nag Hammadi library (popularly known as The Gnostic Gospels) is a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts discovered near the

Unitarian Christians reject the doctrine of some Christian denominations that God chooses to redeem or save only those certain individuals that accept the creeds of, or affiliate with a specific Church or religion, from a common ruin or corruption of the mass of humanity. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of They generally do not believe that God merely demands belief in certain principles of faith and that no good works in life are required to be morally righteous.

Most contemporary Unitarian Christians believe that one's personal moral convictions will guide one's political activities and a secular society is the most viable, just, and fair society.

Unitarian Christian Groups and Publications

Organizations of Unitarian Christians

There are a number of associations, congregations and publications that can be considered as actively involved in the preservation and development of the distinct tradition known as Unitarian Christianity - started by Francis David in 1565. Ferenc Dávid (occasionally rendered as Francis David; c 1510 &ndash November 15, 1579) was a Transylvanian Nontrinitarian and

Many American Unitarian Christians identify primarily with the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship, a sub-group of the Unitarian Universalist Association, which is the result of the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America, and is located in the United States. Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association The American Unitarian Association (AUA was a Religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations The Universalist Church of America was a Christian Universalist religious denomination in the United States (plus affiliated Churches in other parts of the world In addition many Unitarian Christian groups are affiliated with the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU is a world council bringing together Unitarians Universalists and Unitarian Universalists

Some organizations, such as the American Unitarian Conference, are independent of the UUA and the ICUU. The American Unitarian Conference (AUC was founded in 2000 by several Unitarian Universalists who felt that the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA had become Others, such as Bét Dávid Unitarian Association, have recently become associated with the ICUU. They tend to contain a majority membership who express specifically Unitarian Christian beliefs as opposed to the religious pluralism of the UUA - nevertheless they remain liberal, open-minded and inclusive communities.

The Unitarian Christian Association (UK) and Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship (USA) maintain formal links with their national movements but again, have a membership that is majoritarily Christian. The Unitarian Christian Association is a relatively small fellowship of Christians who feel an affinity with traditional Unitarianism and Free Christianity The association is This can also be said of numerous local congregations.

A final point to note is the Unitarian Church in Hungary and the Transylvanian Unitarian Church are affiliated with the ICUU and continue with the historical Unitarian Christian tradition established by Francis David. The Unitarian Church of Transylvania (Erdélyi Unitárius Egyház Romanian: Biserica Unitariană din Transilvania) is a church of the Unitarian denomination The Unitarian Church of Transylvania (Erdélyi Unitárius Egyház Romanian: Biserica Unitariană din Transilvania) is a church of the Unitarian denomination Ferenc Dávid (occasionally rendered as Francis David; c 1510 &ndash November 15, 1579) was a Transylvanian Nontrinitarian and The Unitarian churches in Hungary and Transylvania are structured and organized along a church hierarchy that includes the election by the Synod of a national Bishop who serves as superintendent of the Church.

The majority of Unitarian Christian publications are sponsored by an organization and published specifically for their membership. They generally do not serve as a tool for missionary work or encouraging conversions.

Development in the 21st Century

In recent years there has been a relatively small, yet significant, growth in groups with a specifically Unitarian Christian outlook and ethos. The Congregazione Italiana Cristiana Unitariana (Italy) and Bét Dávid Unitarian Association (Norway) are two examples of this trend. There are also reports of the development of Unitarian Christian groups in African countries such as Burundi. Some of these groups are joining the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists, either as Emerging Groups or as Associates, as they gain a solid organizational structure.

There is a noticeable presence of Unitarian Christians on the internet, and online networks have been growing steadily for some time attracting members from across the world. Many Unitarian Christians who join these networks do not have a congregation in their locality and so rely on the internet as the main contact with their fellow believers.

Ecclesiology

When Unitarianism developed in the 1600s during the Protestant era of the evolution of the Christian church, the strongholds in Transylvania, Poland (which practically disappeared after 1640) and eventually Britain and the North Eastern parts of the United States were firmly in the congregational tradition in the English-speaking countries. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In the Hungarian-speaking territories it adopted a governance system that combined the Synodal and Episcopal models.

For those churches under the congregational model, each church governed itself independently of a hierarchical authority. These small congregations did belong, however, to more formal associations of churches. The American Unitarian Association, formed in 1825, was one of these. Later, in 1961, the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America merged to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), which is the largest organization of Unitarians in the US. The American Unitarian Association (AUA was a Religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations The Universalist Church of America was a Christian Universalist religious denomination in the United States (plus affiliated Churches in other parts of the world Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association The UUA is no longer an explicitly Christian organization and does not focus exclusively on the core teachings of Jesus Christ or Christianity.

Several Unitarian organizations still promote Christianity as their central theme including the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship (UUCF, an affiliate of the UUA), the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches (GAUFCC) of the United Kingdom, and the Unitarian Christian Association (UCA, an affiliate of the GAUFCC). The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the Umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations The Unitarian Christian Association is a relatively small fellowship of Christians who feel an affinity with traditional Unitarianism and Free Christianity The association is

In the US, the newest organization promoting a return to the theistic roots of Unitarianism is the American Unitarian Conference (AUC), formed in 2000. The American Unitarian Conference (AUC was founded in 2000 by several Unitarian Universalists who felt that the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA had become The AUC's stated goal is to formulate and promote classical Unitarian-based, unifying religious convictions, which balance the needs of members with a practical approach to inclusion and progressive free thought.

Interfaith Dialogue & Relations

The adoption of Unitarian belief almost always entails severance of identification with "Christianity" as it is formulated in the creeds of the Nicene and pre-Chalcedonian churches (Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestants). Unitarianism is outside of the fellowship of these traditions. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant creeds of various stripes insist on trinitarian belief as an essential of Christianity and basic to a group's continuity of identity with the historical Christian faith.

As a tradition founded by dissenters from mainstream Christian churches, and traditionally denounced as heretics, it is difficult to see the emergence of Unitarian groups in areas dominated by existing Christian denominations.

However, occasionally, especially in Protestant history, traditionally trinitarian groups grow friendly to, or incorporate, unitarianism. Friendliness toward unitarianism has sometimes gone hand-in-hand with anti-Catholicism. Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for Discrimination, hostility or Prejudice directed at the Roman Catholic Church or its followers In some cases non-trinitarian or unitarian belief has been adopted by some, and tolerated in Christian churches as a "non-essential". This was the case in the English Presbyterian Church, and in the Congregational Church in New England late in the 18th century. The Restoration Movement also attempted to forge a compatible relation between trinitarians and unitarians, as did the Seventh Day Baptists and various Adventists. This article is about the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement and churches that have a historical and/or theological connection to it (e Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who continue to observe the Sabbath on Saturday which is the original seventh day of the week for the founding The term Adventist generally refers to someone who believes in the Second Advent of Jesus (popularly known as the Second coming) in the tradition of the Millerites The unitarian tendency in these last-mentioned groups is probably due to the in-built skepticism about Catholic history as a reliable guide to the Christian tradition of interpretation.

In other cases, this openness to unitarianism within traditionally trinitarian churches has been inspired by a very broad ecumenical motive. Modern liberal Protestant denominations are often accused by trinitarians within their ranks, and critics outside, of being indifferent to the doctrine, and therefore self-isolated from their respective trinitarian pasts and heritage. In some cases, it is charged that these trinitarian denominations are no longer Christian, because of their toleration of unitarian belief among their teachers, and in their seminaries.

At a local level, many Unitarian Christian groups - and individual Unitarian Christians - have links with tolerant congregations affiliated with the United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ, Anglican Church and Unity Church. The United Church of Christ ( UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Unity also known as Unity School of Christianity and informally as Unity Church, is a school of thought founded upon holistic Christian principles Indeed, some argue they feel more at home within these denominations than Unitarian-Universalism. A small proportion of Unitarian Christians also have links with Progressive Christianity. Progressive Christianity is the name given to a movement within contemporary Protestant Christianity characterized by willingness to question tradition acceptance

Despite the close friendship and shared heritage that exists between adherents to Unitarian Universalism and Unitarian Christianity, there is an element within Unitarian Universalism that opposes specifically Unitarian Christian groups, believing them to be exclusive and intolerant of non-Christian thought. Likewise, some Unitarian Christians also believe that Unitarian Universalists are intolerant of Christian thought and tend to marginalize Christians.

The American Unitarian Conference is open to non-Christian Unitarians - being particularly popular with non-Christian theists and deists. Theism, in its most inclusive usage is the belief in at least one Deity. Deism is the belief that a supreme God exists and created the physical universe and that religious truths can be arrived at by the application of reason alone without dependence on revelation In addition, the Bét Dávid Unitarian Association (Norway) has forged positive and mutual friendships with Jewish groups.

An important point to note is the shared belief that exists between Unitarian Christians and their Muslim, Jewish and Sikh counterparts, who all adhere to strict monotheism - this common ground may form the basis of future friendship. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism.

Unitarian Christians do not currently have any formal links with the 'Biblical Unitarian' movements in the United States - the two communities should be regarded as separate and distinct.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ See "The Blessed Trinity," Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15047a.htm
  2. ^ See the results of a recent poll on theological self-identity among UUs in the Engaging Our Theological Diversity report, pp. Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine The American Unitarian Conference (AUC was founded in 2000 by several Unitarian Universalists who felt that the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA had become The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU is a world council bringing together Unitarians Universalists and Unitarian Universalists The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches is the Umbrella organisation for Unitarian, Free Christian and other liberal religious congregations Adoptionism, also called dynamic Monarchianism, was a minority Christian belief that Jesus was born merely human and that he became divine later in his life Arius ( AD ca 250 or 256 - 336 was a Christian priest from Alexandria Egypt in the early fourth century whose teachings now called Arianism Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. In 4th century Christianity, the Anomœans, also known as Anomeans, Heterousians, Aetians, or Eunomians, were a Sect Deism is the belief that a supreme God exists and created the physical universe and that religious truths can be arrived at by the application of reason alone without dependence on revelation In Theology, the doctrine of divine simplicity says that God is without parts Polish Brethren (also called Antitrinitarians, Arians, or Socinians, Polish Arianie, Bracia Polscy) was the name of a Protestant The history of philosophy in Poland parallels the evolution of Philosophy in Europe generally The phrase non-Trinitarian churches is sometimes used to refer to a number of New religious movements (NRMs grounded in Christianity, which parallel each other in Messianic Judaism is a Christian movement that emphasizes the Jewish roots of the Christian religion Etymology The Anglicized name of Jesus is derived from the Latin Iēsus, which in turn comes from the Greek (Iēsoûs 70–72.
  3. ^ See James Glick's biography Isaac Newton.
  4. ^ See his book, A Statement of Reasons for Not Believing the Doctrines of Trinitarians (1859)
  5. ^ See his famous sermon, "Unitarian Christianity" in The Works of W. E. Channing, D. D (1841)
  6. ^ See, for example, Spirit and Truth Fellowship International [www. biblicalunitarian. com].
  7. ^ See, for example, United Pentecostal Church International [www. upci. org].

Bibliography

External links

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The following religious groups are often confused with one another:

Unification Church | Unity Church | Universal Life Church | Unitarian Universalist Association | Canadian Unitarian Council

United and uniting churches: Churches Uniting in Christ | United Church of Canada |
United Church of Christ | United Methodist Church | United Free Church of Scotland | United Reformed Church | Uniting Church in Australia
The Unification Church is a New religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. Unity also known as Unity School of Christianity and informally as Unity Church, is a school of thought founded upon holistic Christian principles The Universal Life Church (or ULC) is a religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate Ordination as a ULC minister free of charge Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC is the national body for Unitarian Universalists in Canada. United and uniting churches are churches formed from the merger or other form of union of two or more different Protestant denominations. Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC brings together ten mainline American denominations (including both predominantly white and predominantly The United Church of Canada was founded in 1925 as a merger of four Christian denominations two thirds of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (then the largest Canadian Protestant The United Church of Christ ( UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination principally in the United States, The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist denomination and the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. The United Free Church of Scotland (or ‘UF Church’ is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland An unrelated American church of similar name is the United Reformed Churches in North America. The Uniting Church in Australia ( UCA) was formed on June 22 1977 when many congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia,

Dictionary

unitarianism

-noun

  1. The belief in a single God, not divided into any aspects, particularly when presented as a contrast to Christian trinitarianism.

Unitarianism

-noun

  1. The religious belief that God is a single Person.

-proper noun

  1. Short for Unitarian Universalism.
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