Commonly Asked Questions about Unity
What Is Unity?
Unity is positive, practical Christianity. We teach the effective daily application of the principles of Truth taught and exemplified by Jesus Christ. We promote a way of life that leads to health, prosperity, happiness and peace of mind. Unity has established centers of study and worship throughout the world where people discover and practice the Unity way of life. We address physical, mental and emotional needs through affirmative prayer and spiritual education. We serve those who seek inspiration and prayer support as well as those who use Unity teachings as their primary path of spiritual growth. We believe that all people are created with sacred worth, and we strive to reach out to all who seek support and spiritual growth. Therefore, we recognize the importance of serving all people in spiritually and emotionally caring ways. Our ministries and outreaches are free of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, physical disability and sexual orientation. Our sincere desire is to create spiritually aware organizations that are nondiscriminatory and support diversity
Is Unity a Denomination?
Some aspects of the Unity movement are denominational and some are not. For example, there are about 1000 Unity churches and study groups affiliated with Unity's sister organization, the Association of Unity Churches. This is a denominational aspect of Unity. In addition, the Unity Institute at Unity Village trains approximately 60 students every two years to be Unity ministers. This is also denominational. However, the majority of the work done by Unity at Unity Village involves prayer, publishing, and education services to people of all faiths. These nondenominational aspects include the prayer ministry, Silent Unity, Daily Word (Unity's nondenominational inspirational monthly magazine), retreats, and continuing education classes that are open to everyone and teach Unity principles in non-denominational settings.
What Is the Role of the Bible in Unity?
The Bible is Unity’s basic text. Unity 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. Scripture comes alive when it is understood as a clear and helpful guide for today's experiences.
What Does Unity Teach about 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.
Does Unity Believe in the Divinity of Jesus Christ?
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 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.
What Does Unity Teach about the Nature of Humankind?
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. 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.
What Is the Relationship of Unity to Other Churches?
Unity is a vehicle for instruction, inspiration, and prayer support for spiritual seekers, regardless of their religious affiliation. Unity freely shares its teachings with all churches.
What Does Unity Teach about Sin and Salvation, Heaven and Hell?
Sin is our separation from God, the Good, in consciousness. Salvation is now, not something that occurs after death. It happens whenever we turn our thoughts from fear, anxiety, worry, and doubt to thoughts of love, harmony, joy, and peace. The “fall” takes place in consciousness whenever we fall into negative habits of thinking. Heaven and hell are states of consciousness, not geographical locations. We make our own heaven or hell here and now by our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Does Unity Look for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
Members of the Association of Unity Churches understand the Second Coming as the individual expression of the Christ consciousness. This is not an event to be anticipated in the future. It is happening here and now, through prayer, meditation, study, and application.
Does Unity Believe in Reincarnation?
Many Unity students accept the concept of reincarnation (reembodiment after a period of soul rest). This allows us to attain new understandings in a new life experience, so that we can eventually express perfection and demonstrate eternal life. This is our ultimate goal. Unity's real emphasis is on regeneration, not reincarnation. When we achieve this goal, as Jesus did, it will no longer be necessary to reincarnate. The belief that we could ever be re-embodied into a lower form of life is not accepted by Unity.
How Does Unity Regard the Trinity?
Unity interprets the religious terms Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit metaphysically, as three aspects of mind action: mind,
idea, and expression. This is the process through which all
manifestation takes place.
Does Unity Practice Baptism and Communion?
Yes, symbolically. Whereas baptism by water represents the cleansing of the consciousness, spiritual baptism signifies the inflow of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a mental and spiritual process that takes place within the individual as he or she aligns with the spirit of God.
Spiritual communion takes place through prayer and meditation in the silence. The word of Truth is symbolized by the bread or body of Jesus Christ. The conscious realization of God-life is symbolized by the wine or blood of Jesus Christ. Unity practices communion by appropriating, or partaking, of the spiritual energy represented by these elements
