AboutJon Bond Expertise Will answer all questions regarding Unitarian Universalist (UU)church; including ancient history (Universalists go back to at least 250 A.D.) and medieval history (Unitarians look to 1553 A.D. as their beginning) up to merger of the two movements in 1961 and continuing up to present. Am familiar with Christian church organizations and relationship of UUs to traditional churches.
Experience Currently member of Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado. Past vice-president of Board of Trustees and currently on Membership Committee. Have taught UU history for over 20 years. Have attended Unitarian Universalist General Assemblies (annual meetings held in June) for past 15 years.
Organizations Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado
Expert: Jon Bond Date: 10/13/2004 Subject: deity of jesus
Question do you believe Jesus is God?
Answer Hello lil job:
I'll try to answer your question. Remember, I'm one of over 250,000 people in the UU Association and, if you ask another UU (Unitarian Universalist), you may get a different (but, hopefully, not conflicting) answer. I'd like to divide my answer into two parts: first, a background of our association, then secondly; I'd like to discuss whether any of our group believes that Jesus of Nazareth is God.
First: a background (including when the two groups originated):
The concept of Unitarianism generally looks to a Catholic priest, Michael Servetus, as a spiritual originator. Servetus was born in Spain in 1511 and died in 1553, after attacking the doctrines of the Trinity. Unitarianism is a doctrinal system characterized chiefly by a belief in the unipersonality of God and the normal humanity of Jesus, as contrasted with the Trinity and the eternal deity (divinity) of Jesus. Most Unitarians I¡¦ve spoken with reject the divinity of Jesus, but do recognize him (Jesus) as a great moral teacher
Universalism is the theological doctrine that all souls will ultimately be saved and that there are no torments of hell. Universalism has been asserted at various times in different contexts throughout the history of the "Christian church"--e.g., Origen in the 3rd century. The Universalists also denied the miraculous element in Scripture, and rejected such important Bible doctrines as the total depravity of man and the Trinity.
The Unitarian Universalist Association was created in May of 1961 as a merger of Unitarians and Universalists.
Second: here's a long discussion on whether any of our group believes that Jesus of Nazareth is God.
Lil job, we have formulated a statement of Principles and Purposes. There are no creeds, only statements of purpose, in the UU church. We pride ourselves in welcoming atheists and humanists. So, I believe the short answer to your question is: No, many of us do not believe Jesus is God.
But, let's go into some "deeper water" and I'll try to develop a long answer for you to see where/how/what we believe in. To do that, we have some survey results on what our members believe. Recently (in the last six years), the UU organization took a survey to find out what we believe is important in our religious lives.
Almost 10,000 Unitarian Universalists took the time to fill out and return the survey, giving us all an invaluable snapshot of who we are. Our association has been enriched by the knowledge gained from the answers many UUs provided.
This survey began a process designed to reach out to all UU individuals and congregations called "Fulfilling the Promise." This Concept was set in motion by the Unitarian Universalist Association's Board of Trustees. Its goal was to help us move toward agreement about why we come together as congregations and as an association and what we hope to accomplish.
The survey questions came from individual UUs, as did the suggested responses. More than 500 people helped create this survey. Lil job, you may, as you look through this statistical list, find your own experience reflected in the questions and answers, even if the exact language you would use is not perfectly captured here.
What follows are the total tabulations for the first 8118 surveys. At least one question deals with theological perspective. Question number 30 results follow:
Question 30 - Please check the one of the following which best describes your theological perspective:
The balance of the questions (age, sex, length of church membership, etc.), gave us a picture of who are demographically and as church persons. They provide a picture of what we say our values in religious community are.
Lil job, you can now see that less than 10% of UUs follow the path of Christianity. Now, allow me to take apart your question concerning whether Jesus is "God." Hebrew religion was strictly monotheistic, and the term "Son of God," as found in the Old Testament, must not be understood in any literal sense. That term ("Son of God") has its origin in the Semitic idiom which expresses any intimate relation as one of sonship. Angels are sons of God, and this name is likewise given to judges and sovereigns, ruling in God's name. Israel as God's people, is personified as his son. But, the New Testament writers repeatedly describe Jesus, in his Messianic character, as Son of God. Their (the New Testament writers) idea is still, fundamentally, the Semitic one of close relation, but it merges in the further idea that Jesus of Nazareth (who you're calling "God") in some way participates in the divine nature. Lil job, you will recall the Nativity stories in Matthew and Luke that might seem to suggest a literal sonship, but the thought is rather that Jesus of Nazareth (who you're calling "God") had entered the world like Adam by an immediate divine creation.
The discussion which you have initiated (is Jesus God?) was a central point throughout the second and third centuries and came to a head in the Arian controversy, which ostensibly was settled by the Nicene creed. At this point, however, it began again under new forms, and has never come to any real conclusion. No metaphysical definition of the nature of Jesus will ever be possible.
It is impossible to give you an answer as to what other UUs might believe in God and Jesus of Nazareth. Oh well, here's my take on the subject: UUs have an acceptance of agnosticism, humanism (see survey results discussed earlier), even atheism. There is also an understanding that belief in God can be manifested in many ways ¡V from an idea of a "personal God" to an idea of God as an "Ultimate Reality"
Regarding Jesus, and setting aside whether Jesus was ¡§God¡¨, I know that many UUs regard Jesus as one of the highest models of the religious life: At the same time, there is an interpretation of Jesus that equates his ministry with that of Moses, Buddha, Socrates, and Mohammed.
Lil job, you have asked a serious question. Remember that my answers are my own; the UUs would never dictate what to believe to member churches. Good luck in your search, you're on the right track!
Thank you for taking the time to question what UUs might believe regarding Jesus as "God." For more information, please feel free to check out our web site http://uua.org/ A good book to check on is ¡§The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide¡¨ ¡V ISBN 0-933840-45-4
