Is there a connection between Unity and Unitarianism? No ~ both movements have their own specific tenets and philosophies to support their distinctly different beliefs. To illuminate these differences, a brief history of the two movements is needed.
Unity was founded in 1889 by Myrtle and Charles Fillmore, after Myrtle experienced major healing from prayer and affirmations. Today, Unity is positive, practical Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus and other world spiritual leaders and the power of prayer. Unity has three distinct ministries: prayer, publishing and education.
-Prayers and affirmations are the foundation and heart of Unity and demonstrate a commitment to helping people through the power of prayer.
-Unity also provides many publications and extensive educational workshops and classes to support individuals in developing spiritual nderstanding and enhancing personal growth, regardless of their religious practices.
The Unitarian Church was started hundreds of years ago in Europe by a group of Christians that did not believe in the Holy Trinity, but focused on just a single aspect of God. In America, the Unitarian Church was established in 1825 as a liberal voice to bring reform and justice to many social and political issues around the country, such as capital punishment and slavery. Over time, Unitarians moved away from the Christian philosophy to a more Humanist-based emphasis, which promotes the here and now of the human aspects of life and places responsibility for ethical behavior on each individual. In 1961, the Unitarians and the Universalist Church merged to create the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) since both churches shared theological and ethical ideologies.
In closing, the one similarity between Unity and the Unitarians is the quest for individual spiritual truth. But, while the foundation of Unity is Christian-based, less than 10% of Unitarian Universalist members believe the Christian tenets. Indeed, the Unitarians have no creeds or established belief system. They espouse a Statement of Purpose, while Unity follows an established belief structure. Finally, while both Unity and Unitarians draw from many religious and spiritual sources to guide their quest for truth, Unity believes in the divinity of Jesus Christ and the power of prayer and affirmations on that journey.
- Written by Danielle Troia, Edited by Susan Bayha
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