What is Unity?
Unity is a positive, practical, progressive approach to spirituality based on the universal truths in all religions. We are trans-religious, seeing value in each wisdom tradition. We believe that all rivers lead to the ocean.
"Our philosophy of Unity...is not new to the world. It is the synthesis of the greatest concepts that have ever come to the mind of man. The law of Moses, the Love of Christ, the ethics of Buddha, the morals of Confucius, the deep spiritual realizations of the Hindus, the mystical revelations of the saints of the Middle Ages, the laws of parallels and compensation of Emerson, the logic of Kant, the spirituality of Swedenbord, the beauty of Browning, and the wide, universal sweep of Walt Whitman -- all find an exalted place in the philosophy of Unity. Wherever you find Truth, it belongs to everybody." --adapted from Ernest Holmes
God
God is Spirit, the loving source of all that is. God is the one power, all good, everywhere present, all wisdom. God is divine energy, continually creating, expressing and sustaining all creation. In God, we live and move and have our being. In Unity, some other ways we speak of God are Life, Light, Love, Substance, Principle, Law, and Universal Mind.
Jesus
We believe that Jesus expressed his divine potential and sought to show humankind how to express ours as well. We see Jesus as a master teacher of universal truths, among others, and as our Way Shower. In Unity, we use the term Christ to mean the divinity in humankind. Jesus is the great example of the Christ in expression.
The Nature of Humankind
We are each individual, eternal expressions of God. Our essential nature is divine and therefore inherently good. Our purpose is to express our divine potential as realized and demonstrated by Jesus and other master teachers. The more we awaken to our divine nature, the more fully God expresses in and through our lives.
The Bible
Unity co-founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore studied the Bible as history and allegory and interpreted it as a metaphysical representation of humankind's evolutionary journey toward spiritual awakening. In addition, Unity recognizes that the Bible is a complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries. We honor the writings as reflecting the understanding and inspiration of the writers at the time they were written. The Bible continues to be a valuable spiritual resource for us.
Our Teachings
Unity teaches that each person is a unique expression of God created with sacred worth. Living from that awareness transforms our lives and the world. "You are the Light of the World." --Matthew 5:14
Unity emphasizes the creative power of thought in our life experience. We refer to this as the Law of Mind Action. When we take personal responsibility to choose life-affirming thoughts, words and actions, we experience a more fulfilling and abundant life. "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world. Speak or act with a pure mind and happiness will follow you, as your shadow-unshakeable." --from the Dhammapada
Unity emphasizes the importance of applying spiritual principles in our daily lives. "When people awaken to the consciousness that they are in every department of their being perfect and whole, that they are hale and healthy, that moment they begin to manifest [wholeness]. It is at first in their minds, and then that perfection begins to work in their bodies; it is the quickening of the Spirit and every atom of their bodies starts towards [wholeness]. --Charles Fillmore
Unity teachings continue to evolve as we identify, embrace, and apply spiritual insights and the spiritual implications of new discoveries.
Prayer and Meditation
Affirmative prayer is the highest form of creative thought. It includes the release of counterproductive, negative thoughts, as well as holding in mind statements of spiritual truth. Through meditation, we experience the presence of God. Prayer and meditation heighten our awareness and thereby transform our lives. "Therefore I say unto you; whatever things you ask when you pray believe that you receive them and you will have them." --Mark 11:24