What is Unity?
Unity is a positive, practical, and progressive approach to spirituality rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the power of prayer. Unity honors the universal truths found in all religions and respects each individual’s right to choose their own spiritual path.
Unity is for people who may identify as spiritual but not religious, for those who feel a deep connection to their inner being and celebrate the awareness of a power greater than themselves. Unity inspires us to think in new ways about the force of love and intelligence that many people call God.
While some of Unity’s teachings may be familiar, others may feel entirely new. The principles of healing and prosperity taught by Unity founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in the late 19th century were considered revolutionary at the time. Today, these teachings are supported by scientific understandings, yet they remain timeless and transformative.
Five Basic Principles
We invite you to explore Unity teachings in a way that resonates with your unique spiritual journey. Our belief system is based on the following five core principles:
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God is the source and creator of all. There is no other enduring power. God is good and present everywhere.
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We are spiritual beings, created in God’s image. The spirit of God lives within each person; therefore, all people are inherently good.
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We create our life experiences through our way of thinking.
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There is power in affirmative prayer, which increases our awareness of God’s presence.
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Knowledge of these spiritual principles is not enough. We must live them in our daily lives.
God
God is Spirit, the loving source of all that is. God is the one power, all good, everywhere present, and all wise. God is the divine energy that creates, sustains, and expresses in all creation. In Unity, we may refer to God as Life, Light, Love, Substance, Principle, Law, or Universal Mind.
Jesus
We honor Jesus as a master teacher who expressed his divine potential and showed humanity how to express its own. In Unity, we see Jesus as the Way Shower, guiding us toward the divine potential within us all. The term “Christ” refers to the divinity within humankind, with Jesus as the great example of that divinity in action.
The Nature of Humankind
Each of us is a unique and eternal expression of God. Our essential nature is divine, and therefore, we are inherently good. Our purpose is to awaken to and express our divine potential, as demonstrated by Jesus and other spiritual teachers. The more we recognize our divine nature, the more fully God expresses through our lives.
The Bible
Unity co-founders Charles and Myrtle Fillmore studied the Bible as a spiritual and allegorical resource, interpreting it as a metaphor for humanity’s journey toward spiritual awakening. We recognize that the Bible is a complex collection of writings that reflect the understanding of the authors during their time. We honor these teachings and continue to find the Bible to be a valuable spiritual resource today.
Our Teachings
Unity teaches that each person is a unique expression of God, created with sacred worth. Living from this awareness transforms both our lives and the world around us.
We emphasize the creative power of thought and the importance of personal responsibility in shaping our life experience. Through the Law of Mind Action, we learn that by choosing life-affirming thoughts, words, and actions, we create a more fulfilling and abundant life.
Unity also teaches that spiritual principles are most meaningful when they are applied in our everyday lives. Our teachings continue to evolve as we explore new spiritual insights and embrace the implications of these discoveries.
Prayer and Meditation
In Unity, we believe affirmative prayer is the highest form of creative thought. This form of prayer releases negative, counterproductive thoughts and holds spiritual truths in our minds. Through meditation, we experience God’s presence and deepen our awareness. Prayer and meditation transform our lives by bringing us closer to the divine.
Spiritual Action
Unity encourages us to make a positive difference in our communities and the world through personal example and active service. We honor the sacred responsibility to contribute to the well-being of others and embody our spiritual principles in action.
Honoring Diversity
Unity is committed to inclusivity and support of all people, recognizing the inherent good in everyone. We welcome individuals from all walks of life, honoring the many ways that divine expression shows up in the world. This includes all genders, sexual orientations, cultures, and spiritual paths.
Unity’s core values are reflected in our policies, teachings, and communities, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to social justice and human rights for all people.
Statement for Peace
Unity stands for peace in the presence of conflict, love in the presence of hatred, and forgiveness in the presence of injury. We honor the many names and paths to God and affirm that there is only one power—God—and that God loves each one of us equally. Unity encourages all nations, leaders, and people to turn to God, however they may conceive of that divine source, and seek guidance in these challenging times. We advocate for peace, not war, as the highest expression of love.