Beliefs

UU Beliefs, Values, and Principles

In Unitarian Universalism, you can bring your whole self: your full identity, your questioning mind, your expansive heart.

Together, we create a force more powerful than one person or one belief system. Unitarian Universalists do not have to let go of personal experiences, practices, or beliefs to be part of this community. We join together on a journey that honors all our individual backgrounds and experiences.

Beliefs


Our beliefs are diverse and inclusive. We have no shared creed. Our shared covenant is expressed through the inseparable and deeply interdependent shared values of interdependence, pluralism, justice, transformation, generosity, and equity – all centered around love. Although Unitarianism and Universalism both have origins as liberal Christian traditions, today we embrace diverse teachings from many different global religions and philosophies.

Unitarian Universalists believe more than one thing. We think for ourselves and reflect together about important topics like the following:

Values

Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition that has changed in many ways from the original Christian roots of its Universalist and Unitarian heritages, and it continues to evolve today. Our shared values are centered around love:

Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.
Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.
Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.
Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.

How our values are lived out:

Worship and reflection: Engaging in shared worship to explore and connect with what gives life meaning.

Personal growth: Providing opportunities for learning and personal growth.

Community and care: Fostering connection and providing care within the community.

Social justice: Actively working to create a more just and equitable world.

Life celebrations: Marking and celebrating life’s major transitions.

7 Principles

While each congregation is free to express its beliefs in any way it chooses, there are 7 shared principles which Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote. These principles embody how our national association describes our commonly held beliefs:

Love – Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love.

Interdependence We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.

Pluralism We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.

Justice We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.

Transformation We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.

Generosity We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.

Equity We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.