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According to Unitarian? What's That? | Darby Unitarians
Its roots lie in the Reformation of 16th-century Europe. At that time Protestant Christians claimed the right to read the Bible in their own languages and to interpret it for themselves.
  Some who did so found that it spoke of one God, without qualification. This did not square with the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which says that God consists of three "persons". Because these people believed God to be a "unity" rather than a "trinity" they became known as "Unitarians".

Unitarians are less likely to argue about such strictly theological issues today. We now place more stress on the importance of liberty of conscience in matters of faith.

With its historical roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions, Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion -- that is, a religion that keeps an open mind to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places.

Many Unitarians consider themselves Christians, but others embody different spiritual traditions; see below. Most celebrate Christmas and Easter.

According to Unitarianism at Wikipedia, The Unitarian movement, although not called "Unitarian" initially, began almost simultaneously in Poland-Lithuania and Transylvania in the mid-sixteenth century.

According to Unitarian Universalism at Wikipedia, The roots of Unitarian Universalism are in liberal Christianity.
New England Unitarians evolved from the Pilgrim fathers' Congregational Christianity.

The theology of individual Unitarian Universalists ranges widely, including Humanism, Atheism, Agnosticism, Pantheism, Deism, Christianity, Judaism, Neopaganism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and many more.

Today they draw from a variety of religious traditions. Individuals may or may not self-identify as Christians or subscribe to Christian beliefs. Unitarian Universalist congregations and fellowships tend to retain some Christian traditions, such as Sunday worship with a sermon and the singing of hymns. The extent to which the elements of any particular faith tradition are incorporated into personal spiritual practice is a matter of individual choice for congregants, in keeping with a creedless, non-dogmatic approach to spirituality and faith development.

Stained glass roundel
The Octagon Unitarian Chapel
Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK
According to Religion 101: NJ Unitarian Universalist ,
Universalists became an organized religion in 1763 and the Unitarians followed suit in 1825. The Universalist Church of America, established in 1866. They combined resources and become one faith, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), in 1961. See Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Beliefs

Principles:

  1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person
  2. Justice, equality and compassion in human relations
  3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
  4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
  5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
  6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all
  7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Six living Traditions draw from many sources:
  1. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life
  2. Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion and the transforming power of love
  3. Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life
  4. Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves
  5. Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit
  6. Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
Our Unitarian Universalist Principles and Sources - UUA

Morristown Unitarian Fellowship Mission and Covenant Statement:

  • To create for ourselves and our children a spiritual home which will nurture, challenge and offer us renewal.
  • To seek what is true even as we celebrate the mystery of existence.
  • To reach out to all who share our liberal religious values and participate in the broader Unitarian Universalist movement.
  • To work for social justice and the well-being of our planet Earth.

Unitarians are very environmentally conscious. See Environmental Justice - UUA

US founding fathers John Adams (2nd U.S. President) and John Quincy Adams (th U.S. President) were Unitarians and Thomas Jefferson was an exponent of ideas now commonly associated with Unitarianism.
Charles Darwin was also a Unitarian.

According to Unitarian faith growing nationwide | USA Today 2012 there are about 211,000 Unitarian Universalists in the U.S.
They grew by 15.8% from 2000 to 2010.

There are about 800,000 worldwide.

Links
Unitarian? What's That? | Darby Unitarians
Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Beliefs and Principles and Sources
The Unitarian Society of East Brunswick, NJ - Mission
Unitarian Universalism - Wikipedia
Unitarianism - Wikipedia,
Flaming Chalice: Symbol of Unitarian Universalism - UUA
Unitarian Jokes

last updated 16 April 2014