Patheos
  • GO
  • Beliefs
    • Buddhist
    • Catholic
    • Contemplative
    • Evangelical
    • General Christian
    • Hindu
    • Jewish
    • Latter-day Saint
    • Muslim
    • New Visions
    • Nonreligious
    • Pagan
    • Progressive Christian
    • More Voices
  • Topics
    • Entertainment
    • Book Club
    • Docs/ology
    • Movie Club
    • Family and Relationships
    • Life Events
    • Politics Blue
    • Politics Red
    • Public Square
    • More Topics
    • Trending Now

    • Identity Politics vs. Transactional Politics
      Gene Veith
    • How Jesus Empowered Women (And Christians Re-Enslaved...
      Keith Giles
  • Columnists
  • Library
    • NEW! Patheos Answers
    • Faith Leaders Database
    • Research Tools
    • Comparison Lens
    • Preacher Resources
    • Teacher Resources
    • Anglican/Episcopalian
    • Baha'i
    • Baptist
    • Buddhism
    • Christianity
    • Confucianism
    • Eastern Orthodoxy
    • Hinduism
    • Holiness and Pentecostal
    • ISKCON
    • Islam
    • Judaism
    • Lutheran
    • Methodist
    • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
    • New Age
    • Paganism
    • Presbyterian and Reformed
    • Protestantism
    • Roman Catholic
    • Scientology
    • Shi'a Islam
    • Sikhism
    • Sufism
    • Sunni Islam
    • Taoism
    • Zen
    see all religions
  • newsletters
  • Ad-Free LogIn
  • More
    • Pastors and Church Leaders Resource Center

    • Church and ministry leadership resources to better equip, train and provide ideas for today's church and ministry leaders, like you.

      visit section now
    • Resources For the Faith Seeker
    • E-Books and Other Special Offers
    • 7 Day Prayer Challenge for Spouses
    • A Different Kind of Christian
    • Jesus Is Love
    • Pastors and Church Leaders
    • Prayer Devotional
    • The Saints We Love
    • Who Is God?

RELIGION LIBRARY

Unitarian-Universalism

  • Overview
  • Origins
  • History
  • Beliefs
  • Rituals and Worship
  • Ethics and Community

Sacred Time

Unitarian Universalists generally consider all moments as suffused with the sacred. In terms of ritual, congregations typically meet on Sunday mornings, and they celebrate versions of Protestant Christian, American, and other holidays as part of a liturgical year.

Sacred Space

As with sacred time, Unitarian Universalists hold all space as sacred. Most congregations meet in church buildings that exhibit a variety of architectural styles. Many Unitarian Universalists also find that nature and the environment offer a special sense of the divine.

Rites and Ceremonies

Sunday services often feature the lighting of a ceremonial chalice, and the sharing of congregational "joys and concerns" to the lighting of additional candles. Unitarian Universalists mark the life cycle with infant dedication ceremonies, weddings, and memorial services.

Worship and Devotion in Daily Life

Contemporary Unitarian Universalists draw their practices from a variety of traditions, often turning to various forms of prayer, meditation, or yoga. Not all Unitarian Universalists engage in daily practices, and many seek unique ways to imbue the everyday with sacred significance.

Symbolism

The main Unitarian Universalist symbol is the flaming chalice, a ceremonial cup topped by a flame, surrounded by two overlapping circles that represent the two traditions. Other symbols use variations of the emblems of the world's religions.

Beliefs Ethics and Community Back to religion Library
Get Patheos Newsletters
Get the latest from Patheos by signing up for our newsletters. Try our 3 most popular, or select from our huge collection of unique and thought-provoking newsletters.
Please also opt me in for Exclusive Offers from Patheos’s Partners Privacy and Data Policy
From time to time you will also receive Special Offers from our partners that help us make this content free for you. You can opt out of these offers at any time.
see our full list of newsletters
editors picks View All Columns
Evangelical
Before You Unplug or Sign Out for Good
Guest Contributor
Evangelical
What Is the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts, and How Do You Discover Yours?
Randy Alcorn
New Visions
5 Ways to Hear What God is Telling You
Tom Rapsas
Muslim
How Awake Are We? When Waking Up is Falling Asleep
Daniel Thomas Dyer
Latter-day Saint
"The Church supports the use of vaccinations"
Dan Peterson
Nonreligious
The GOP's Double Standard on Christianity
Libby Anne
Pagan
How to Keep a Prayer List for Healing
Melissa Hill
Progressive Christian
The POSITIVES of Purity Culture
Matthew Distefano
Evangelical
Luther and the Beauty of Christ
Guest Contributor
Entertainment
The Soul of Gospel Music Explored in New Netflix Series "Voices of Fire"
DeWayne Hamby
Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Service
  • Do Not Sell My Data
  • Contact Us
  • Follow Us on Facebook
  • Find Us on YouTube
  • Follow Us on Instagram
  • Manage Subscriptions
  • Unsubscribe From Notifications
Copyright 2008-2021, Patheos. All rights reserved.