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: 11/16/2001 Subject: denial of trinity
Question Unitarians has the doctrine of unity of God, namely, denial of Trinity. What is the cause of the doctrine? In what part of the Bible can you find that denial?
I am a Japanese without a background of Christianity. So please give me a brief and plain account.
Answer Hello Akinobu Kanda:
I'll try to answer your question. Remember, I'm one of over 220,000 people 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: a background of our association and then a short discussion regarding the “denial of Trinity.”
First – a background (including where 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 – I'd like to try and discuss the main issue “denial of Trinity.”
As a preface, I'd like to compliment you on your study of Unitarians. Also, you must have read the Bible.
I have never found anything in the Bible that supports rejecting the concept of the Trinity. However, there is nothing in the Bible that supports it either. Therein lies the problem. While the term Trinity is not found in the Bible, the doctrine of the Trinity can be explained by biblical passages. Several passages speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the same context (see Matt. 28:19; I Cor. 12:4-6; II Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; Titus 3:4-6).
People who reject the doctrine of the Trinity argue that the term Trinity and the phrases "God the Son" and "God the Spirit" are not found in the Bible. Therefore, the doctrine of the Trinity must have been introduced later by the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century or by church tradition. However, the early church affirmed the doctrine in direct response to the revelation of God in the Bible as one, yet three. The doctrine of the Trinity first arose to explain the relationship between Jesus, the Son of God, and God the Father.
I direct your attention to my original statement “Remember, I'm one of over 220,000 people and, if you ask another UU (Unitarian Universalist), you may get a different (but, hopefully, not conflicting) answer.” Some 10% of our members consider themselves “Christian” and they (those 10%) may believe in the Trinity. I, personally, do not.
The Bible is a fine book and it's not surprising to find so many interpretations. I say it's not surprising because the Bible itself contains 136 contradictions. Here are some (of the 136):
PS 78:69 The earth was established forever.
2PE 3:10 The earth will perish.
EX 20:13 “You shall not kill.”
EX 32:27 “Slay every man his brother, … his companion, … and his neighbor.”
EX 21:23-26 (God) Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, etc.
MT 5:38-39 (Jesus) Do not resist one who is evil; turn the other cheek.
Given these facts (there are 133 others), one must assume that the Bible can only be interpreted by individuals who want some written confirmation of what they believe by faith.
If you'd like more information, please feel free to check out our web site http://uua.org/ Also, a good book to check on is “The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide” – ISBN 0-933840-45-4
Thank you for taking the time to submit a question and good luck!
