Revolutionary church challenges mainstream beliefs

Dr Glenville Ashby, Contributor

The Unitarian Universalist Church has been at the forefront of many social causes, the civil rights movement, the struggle against apartheid, gay and lesbian rights, the ordination of women, and offering the sacrament of marriage to same-sex couples.

Although its views are the antithesis of the ultra-conservative Christian coalition, the Unitarians are hardly a fringe movement.

Its seminarians graduate from two nationally accredited theological institutes, and one of their principal churches is located in one of New York City's premium neighbourhoods.

One of its leading clerics is Bruce Southworth, a revolutionary figure who has served the institution since 1979.

His candour is refreshing. He is more of a philosopher than theologian. And that's understandable, given the epistemological culture that the church promotes.

"We reject dogma," says Southworth, while defining that term as a rigid set of principles to which every member must subscribe.

"Revelation is forever unfolding," adds Southworth, rejecting theological homoeostasis.

He does not attempt to reconcile the Old and New testaments, and negates the divinity of Jesus, a controversial statement, but not historically uncommon.

In fact, the divinity of Jesus, upon which the Church was established was challenged by many bishops who embraced the doctrine of Christian presbyter, Arius, in the 3rd century.

Southworth is unequivocal. "Jesus was an exemplar, but a man, no more than you or me. We are all children of God."

He rejects vicarious atonement and the resurrection of the physical body.

"If God is pure love, he will not condemn anyone to hell for all eternity, nor would he allow the brutality and terror unleashed on his son. These views are insulting to God's perfection."

Southworth is a naturalist and teleologist, believing in goodness for its own sake, and not with the expectation of reward.

"Believing that God cares about you in some special way is a form of self-righteousness and hubris. It is destructive. The universe isn't about you or me."

He denounces the Calvinist view of man's inherent "evil", and the concept of original sin as a denunciation of humanity.

"We are the universe come to consciousness; we become gods and lights of the world," he says, invoking the provocative biblical pronouncement that we are gods (Psalms 82:6 and John 34:10).

The Garden of Eden, he views as allegorical and a discourse on free will.

He also views the nakedness of Adam and Eve as a celebration of the body's natural beauty, and not as a source of shame, as related in the biblical scene.

VALUE AND DIGNITY

Southworth affirms the value and dignity in every person, and believes that faiths and cultures must learn from each other. It is a vibrant interfaith philosophy, reflected in the banners (symbols) of several religions that adorn the inside of the church. And for a moment, he proudly poses with the iconic busts of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. - a sheer reminder of the church's social activism.

He veers away from mainstream eschatology, and opines that our individuality may extinguish at death. To believe otherwise is a reflection of self centeredness - the "I syndrome".

And Southworth views our relationship with God as a partnership. We are co-creators in the spirit of love.

"Faith must be put into practice," he asserts, and identifies several principles that distinguish the Unitarian Universalist movement from other creeds. Notably, the use of reason is arguably a critical element. It is the yardstick by which biblical and theological lore is interpreted.

Interestingly, women have played ministerial roles in the Church since the 1850s, and recent legal victories for same-sex unions can be partly attributed to the tireless advocacy of activist religious institutions.

"There are awful stories in the Old Testament that are unacceptable today," Southworth adds, citing the punishing, and deadly injunctions against sodomy and homosexuality.

And how does the church address the apparent conflict with Old Testament laws on gay rights? He responds rhetorically, "What did Jesus say about homosexuality?" There was an uneasy silence before I instinctively uttered, "Nothing". The very answer he sought.

An exponent of diverse theological disciplines, he admits to identifying with the Hindu Upanishads, but does not see a contradiction in his role as a Christian minister.

Revelation, he argues, is not exclusive to a single faith.

"The human spirit is bigger than any one tradition. Jesus' teachings are not unlike those found in the East. Yes, you must love yourself," he emphasises, but adds "that it's more important to love the world."

Dr Glenville Ashby is the president of Global Interfaith Council, NYC. Feedback: glenvilleashby@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby.