Unitarian Universalist History

Unitarian Universalism is the result of the 1961 merger of two denominations, the Unitarians and the Universalists, which both have their roots in the Christian tradition. The Unitarians emerged during the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. They stressed individual freedom and reason in matters of religious faith, and dissented from the prevailing Christian theology that God is a trinity, preferring instead to think of God as a unity, with Jesus as a teacher and prophet. The Universalists, forming a distinct religious movement in the 1700s, have given us the belief in universal salvation and stressed the importance of compassion and service to one another. For more information on "UUism" in general, please visit the Unitarian Universalist Association website. Our online bookstore has many resources available for those interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism.

Some History Links

Unitarian Universalist Origins: Our Historic Faith
About Unitarianism
About Universalism
Unitarian Universalist Historical Society

Famous Unitarians and Universalists

famous_1.png
Famous people from our past include many who have fought for social justice and democracy:John Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Parker, Susan B. Anthony, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Clara Barton, Edward Everett Hale, Malvina Reynolds, Albert Schweitzer, and Adlai Stevenson. And, some of the greatest scientists of history and today, were or are either privately or publicly Unitarian or Universalist:
  • Joseph Priestley (a Unitarian theologian and chemist who discovered eight distinct gases, including oxygen, disproving the commonly held view that there was just one 'air')
  • Charles Darwin(theory of natural selection in evolution)
  • Maria Mitchell (Astronomer and first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science)
  • Linus Pauling (Noble Prize-winning chemist and founder of the discipline of molecular biology)
  • Clyde Tombaugh(discoverer of Pluto)
  • Tim Berners-Lee (creator of the World Wide Web)
  • Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960- July 25, 2008) computer scientist, best-selling author of The Last Lecture on Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,which he delivered on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon University, Pausch powerfully affirmed life, even as he himself faced death, and inspired his readers to actualize their dreams by living well each day. See In Memorium-UUA Videos: View the full lecture on YouTube. (1:16:27) See also, his May 18, 2008 commencement address (6:32)
famous_2.png

For information about famous Unitarians and Universalists, see:


chal_80.gif
Return to Front page