Is Unitarian Universalism A Christian Religion?

a sermon by Reverend Lynn Thomas Strauss

Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville, January 21, 2007

Is your church, a Christian church? This is a question frequently asked. What people want to know is; who are you as a denomination? What do you believe? What does your long, difficult name stand for?

People ask me this often. Visitors on Sunday morning ask. Friends and extended family attending a memorial service or a wedding in our church ask. Clergy from other denominations ask. Our own UU children and youth ask. “Are we a Christian church?”

During 9 years of living and practicing ministry in East Tennessee-even waitresses at the diner asked. Who are you anyway? What do you believe?

I always offer the same thoughtful sincere response: “Yes, but…”

That’s the answer in a nutshell, “Yes, we can be classified as Christian, but…”.

First I’ll explain the “yes”…and then I’ll get to the “but”. Unitarianism- and because today is Partner Church Sunday, I will focus on the first U in our name…The idea of Unitarianism grew in the soil of the radical reformation. That dissent from Catholicism which began when Martin Luther, nailed his 95 Theses to the church door.

Luther, a professor of Bible at the University of Wittenburg, was excommunicated by Pope Leo X in 1520. He and his followers were also deemed outlaws by the Emperor Charles V. In the fertile soil of theological debate and the growing flow of publications of that time, Luther continued to teach and create the basis of Protestant liturgy and thought in Germany.

At this time in Europe, the monarchy, local kings and princes, decided which religion was to be followed- and so there were challenges and debates, battles and wars…fought to reform first Catholicism and then between the reforming traditions as well. The men who led these debates and challenges were often well educated and well meaning.

John Calvin was influenced by the French humanist reformers at University of Paris in the early 1530s. He introduced reforms in Geneva, Switzerland. His church had great influence there. Calvinism later spread to France, Scotland, the Netherlands and parts of Eastern Europe (including Transylvania) and Germany. The Universalist part of our heritage begins here in opposition to Calvin’s doctrine of salvation of the elect…but that’s for another sermon.

The Anglican Reformation was proceeding in England at this same time… with the Bible being available in English for the first time…the Book of Common Prayer was introduced in 1548. English Protestantism was firmly established under the reign of Elizabeth I 1558-1603. This period also marked the rise of the Puritans, who sought stricter piety and more lay autonomy. These were of course the forebears of New England Puritanism…who became in time New England Unitarians.

Alongside of these reforms in Europe there developed the Radical Reformation…the tradition of criticism against the mainstream of western Christianity. Unitarianism was in this group along with Anabaptists, Spiritualists, and Evangelical Rationalists.

Thus we come to anti-trinitarianism under the radical wing of the evangelical rationalists…thus we come to Michael Servetus 1511-1553….and the beginnings of Unitarian thought and sacrifice.

There we stood in the middle of the 16th century, at renaissance in Europe of scholarship, art, literature, poetry, theater, and the birth of the modern religions. Our religious forebears were those who spoke of the new, those who challenged the orthodoxy of their day, those who believed in the voice of the lay person, and in the power of the human spirit. Our liberal faith was conceived within a radical reformation and born through sacrifice to become a faith of free thought.

Any celebration of Unitarianism…any explanation of our roots, any answer to the question what do we believe…must emphasize free thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of belief. And these freedoms did not come without martyrs, without suffering, without faithfulness.

The quick answer to todays’ question…Are Unitarian Universalists’ Christian is “Yes, Christian dissenters, Christian martyrs, Christian critics, Christian Humanists, Yes,…we stand in the 430 year tradition of faithful renewal and reform of Christian doctrine.

I chose the words of our hymn “I Wish I Knew” because when I sing these words, I remember those who died to make us free…those who sacrificed so we could be who we are today….when I sing it, I remember who I am as a Unitarian Universalist…and how much it matters that we are a free faith.

“I wish I knew how it would feel to be free. I wish I could break all these chains holding me. I wish I could say all the things I could say, say em loud, say em clear for the whole world to hear…say em loud, say em clear for the whole world to hear.”

Two 16th century scholars on the side of anti-trinitarian thought were Michael Servetus and Francis David. Servetus was a Spaniard educated in France. In 1531 he published a treatise “On the Errors of the Trinity”. He argued that there was no Biblical support for the orthodox doctrine of the trinity. His pamphlet was a best seller – his assertion that Jesus was the son of god, not god, and therefore not eternal- grabbed peoples’ attention.

Even Calvin found Servetus’ critique threatening. Servetus was branded a heretic and lived underground for years, publishing under an assumed name. But in 1553, he showed up in Geneva where Calvin had him arrested, tried and burned at the stake.

Challenging the religious status quo was no small matter. These struggles to interpret Christian doctrine were volatile from the earliest times until even today.

The first Unitarian martyr was Francis David. Born in Transylvania, David studied in Wittenberg and became first a Lutheran minister, and then as his ideas developed a Calvinist Bishop. He was a brilliant and skilled orator. He was appointed court preacher by King John Sigismund.

Transylvania, because of its location in the Balkans…between Eastern Europe and the Asiatic, had been invaded and oppressed from the 3rd century to the 20th century. It has at times been part of Hungary, and at times part of Romania. Transylvania became diverse ethically and religiously as invaders became settlers and citizens. So it happened that in the 16th century there were tensions and fighting among the Lutherans, Calvinists, Catholics and Unitarians living in Transylvania.

The King, Sigismund had in 1557 issued an Edict of Religious Toleration…a first…declaring that “in every place the preachers shall preach and explain the gospel each according to his understanding of it, and if the congregation like it, well; if not, no one shall compel them, but they shall keep the preachers whose doctrine they approve. None will be imprisoned or punished by removal from his post on account of his teaching; for faith is the gift of God.”

This was a radical statement…a statement of freedom of religion and of congregational polity. This could be seen as the first policy of church governance for Unitarian churches.

Lest you think, these 16th century innovations are old,dead history… Please follow the debates in Episcopal and Lutheran churches of today…not just the issue of whether or not the denominations approve gay/lesbian clergy, but also whether or not congregations can keep the ministers of their own choosing.

Back to the 16th century…because strife continued, especially between the Trinitarians and the anti-trinitarians…a debate was held…it lasted 10 days…starting at 5 o’clock in the morning and going all day….it took two days just to establish the rules of the debate…all arguments must be Biblically based, and all speakers should keep to the point and refrain from abusive language.

There were four judges from each side, and four ministers on each side. David had been eloquent and persuasive…The anti-trinitarians were declared the winners…he was received back home in Kolozsvar as a hero.

Still not satisfied, that they had been radical enough, the reformers asked for a second debate to be held in Hungarian, the first having been in Latin and inaccessible to the common people.

“I wish I could share all the love in my heart, remove all the bars that still keep us apart. I wish you could know what it means to be me. Then you’d see and agree everyone should be free. Then you’d see and agree everyone should be free”

Unfortunately, good King Sigismund died in an accident the following year, and David continued to push for more reform of doctrine. He questioned whether praying to Jesus made sense, since Jesus was not God.

This too, is an argument still with us. David continued to push for a rational interpretation of scripture and for further innovation. The new king, arrested him for the heresy of innovation he was sentenced to life in prison, where he died in 1579. On his cell wall was written; “neither the sword of popes, nor the cross, nor the image of death- nothing will halt the march of truth.”

Clearly, our Unitarian story is part of the Christian story. Unitarian Universalism today is an international faith. We have churches in Romania, in India, in Australia, in the Phillipines; all over the world. Our ties to our origins in Transylvania today are strong, many American UUs have traveled there and have helped with their reconstruction since the overthrow of Ceausescu in the 1980s. Today many Hungarian speaking Unitarians in Romania are learning to sing “Spirit of Life” in English. When we light our chalice, when we sing our hymns…we are embodying our connection to the international association of Unitarian Universalists.

But…are we a Christian denomination …are we a Christian church?

The ecumenical Christian councils don’t think so…we are excluded from many of the Christian organizations…because we have no doctrine of salvation by Christ.

And so I answer the question…Are we Christian? Yes, we have roots in the Christian Radical Reformation; But, We take much from the wisdom of the Hebrew Prophets, the liberation symbol of the exodus, and have many members who were raised Jewish.

Yes, But, we believe with the Buddhists that religion is a path, a way of living rather than the worship of a diety. And many of our members practice meditation.

Yes, But, we agree with the Quakers that there is an inner light, and each person can draw on that inner source of strength and guidance. And many of our members prefer making decisions by consensus and share the stance of non-violence.

Yes, But, we find common ground with Humanists who put ethical living at the heart of their faith, find the meaning of life explained by science, and many of our members are atheist or agnostic.

Yes, But, we understand our connections to the Earth and nature as guides to understand the cycles of life and the holiness of all living things. And many of our members celebrate the cycles of the moon.

Yes, But, we find meaning in the Hindu understanding that all life is part of a larger cosmic whole. Many of our members also find meaning in myth and symbol. And many practice yoga.

Yes, But, we share with Islam, an understanding of the unity of God, the focus on ethical behaviors and social responsibility. And many of our members find daily prayer meaningful.

So are Unitarian Universalists Christian, certainly not in the traditional, orthodox sense, certainly not in affiliation or structures of church hierarchy.

But we can proudly acknowledge our heritage of the radical reformation…our heritage of dissent and question…our heritage of freedom of thought and action….our heritage of innovation and willingness to change.

And yes, we find meaning in many sacred texts, and inspiration in the example of many religious leaders and many of the world’s religions.

Education, debate, publishing new ideas and sacrifice for our beliefs is an essential part of our identity as a faith. And we are a religion of love. Our Transylvania brothers and sisters rose again and again from the ashes of invasion, oppression and war. And the strength they found was the strength of love.

I wish I could share all the love in my heart, remove all the bars that still keep us apart. I wish you could know what it means to be me. Then you’d see and agree everyone should be free. Then you’d see and agree, everyone should be free.

Belonging to a faith that begins in freedom, that celebrates freedom means so much to me. Our heritage uplifts freedom of thought, freedom of inquiry, freedom of speech, and freedom of belief as its grounding principle.

Our three core principles are more important to us than any doctrine or creed: They have guided us for over 400 years as a liberal faith…
-the use of reason in religion
-freedom of individual belief
-and tolerance toward those who hold different views.

What could be more precious…more inspiring.

I wish I could be like a bird in the sky. How sweet it would be if I found I could fly. I’d soar to the sun and look down at the sea. Then I’d sing cause I’d know how it feels to be free. Then I’d sing cause I’d know how it feels to be free.

Amen/Blessed Be