From Unity to Unitarian (again)

Over the last year or more I have been going to classes at Unity of Dallas that are part of the Unity Spiritual Development Program. Completion of the SDP and a following Leadership Development Program are pre-requisites to obtaining a Licensed Unity Teacher Certification. Obtaining the LUT is required to be able to teach classes within Unity spiritual communities. I did not necessarily set out to become a LUT but I was very interested in the Metaphysical studies offered there and figured as long as I was going to spend the time I might as well get credit for it. The Metaphysics classes have been excellent and last year I also completed studies in Metaphysical Bible Interpretation and Abundance.

The next class on the list was The Story of Unity which traces the history of the Unity movement from the original founders throughout the early 20th century and beyond. The material is very straightforward and not nearly as stimulating as the Metaphysics classes have been. I attended one class last week and have been considering whether to follow through with it. This morning I believe the decision was made and the answer is No. In fact, I may abandon the quest for completing the SDP as well. Here's why.

Unity of Dallas offers lots of classes and discussions. The curriculum for the SDP and LDP and LUT are interesting, life affirming and connected with self-actualization ideas from other traditions and secular expressions of healthy minded living. Some of the topics, though, are all in the same vein as each other. The breadth is sometimes lacking. For example, there will not be specific curricular study on Transcendentalism (which is a strong contributor to New Thought as a whole), Buddhism, Hinduism or other philosophic strands and traditions. You might find these as supplemental classes or discussions on the menu as well as topics that might be considered "New Age" whatever that means. But pursuit of the LUT through the SDP and LDP will be more narrow than that.

I have attended several interesting and insightful discussions at the First Unitarian Church of Dallas over the last couple of years as well. This morning I decided to go to the Adult Forum lecture and discussion on Transcendentalism. The topics covered in various adult discussion groups there are very broad and include topics on world religions, philosophy, history, current affairs and comparative mythology. I believe I am gravitating toward that approach for a while. Perhaps I will return to the Unity discussions at a later date.

Weekly Roundup

Over the last few weeks I have played jazz out a couple of times, checked out a couple of Toastmasters groups, helped a friend find a car and gone on a couple of short hikes.

An old musician friend called me to substitute for the regular piano player on a Wednesday night at the Balcony Club. This was great fun and the first public gig I've had in a few years. A minor downside was the tendency for the group to "trade fours" on pretty much every tune. I think that trading fours is effective if used sparingly. Doing it on almost every tune defeats the surprise element and becomes rigid and non-creative. A week or so later I came back to sit in for a couple of tunes. This was enjoyable and I played in a trio setting, so I could avoid trading fours, which I did.

I have an interest in improving my ability to speak spontaneously. Participating in a Toastmasters organization is one way to do that. They offer a "curriculum" of 10 speeches that range from ice breaker to entertainment to use of props. Everyone who speaks gets an evaluator who gives constructive criticism. Also, there are table topics which require you to stand and give a spontaneous 1-2 minute talk on some random topic or question. I have not decided if I will commit to this yet, but I have visited two different organizations in the Dallas area so far to investigate.

My friend bought an Acura TSX this past weekend. She loves it!

We started to go for another hike on the Katy Trail today but decided instead to go to church at Unity Church of Dallas. We had not been to church there in several weeks and Karen Epps was finishing up the series on the book, Writings in the Sand by Thomas Moore. The presentation was superb as usual.

Unitarian Universalism compared to New Thought

I've finally had some time to explore the Unitarian church. I was curious about the difference between Unitarian and New Thought churches such as Unity and Religious Science. Since about March of this year, I have been exploring these three denominations to see if I can find a church I can tolerate for more than a few visits. New Thought and Unitarian Universalist brands definitely have a chance. I believe I know enough now to characterize the differences from my perspective.

I'll try to be succinct, as there is plenty of information elsewhere that compares these two approaches. Here are some ways they are the similar:

1. Both accept all religions as valid paths to the truth
2. Both believe in the quest for individual spiritual truth
3. Both support free thought
4. Both are tolerant of all races and sexual orientations
5. Both are metaphysically robust
6. Both share some overlap of thinkers in the 19th century (e.g. Emerson)

Here are some ways they are different:

1. Unitarians encourage no particular form of theistic belief - New Thought has a somewhat specific theistic concept
2. Unitarians draw from all theological, philosophical and other sources equally - New Thought emphasizes Christianity and the New Thought tradition while accepting and drawing from other sources as well
3. In particular, Religious Science draws from the Gospels, Eastern Religion, Ernest Holmes and Emerson somewhat equally while Unity tends to give a metaphysical interpretation of Christianity more emphasis
4. Unitarians have a more traditional form of worship service, drawing from many traditional hymns and using lots of classical music during worship services - New Thought is more contemporary with music
5. New Thought emphasizes meditation and affirmative prayer more than Unitarians
6. Unitarians are more intellectual, where Unity is more emotional
7. Unitarians appear to be somewhat equally represented by both genders - Unity/Religious Science appears to skew toward females
8. Unitarians are more intellectually broad in their sources - New Thought writing seems to have a more specific conceptual mentality

That's just a few. I wanted to get these down while I was thinking about them. My experiences recently in some of the discussion groups at the First Unitarian Church of Dallas have been extremely intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking.

History of Unity

As I have mentioned before in this blog, I have been exploring New Thought quite a bit over the last several months in particular. Lately I have been focusing on the Unity part of that movement that also includes Religious Science (Science of Mind) and Divine Science. I was fortunate several evenings ago to hear a presentation of the history of the Unity movement in particular.

The roots of Unity extend most recently back into the New Thought movements of the 19th century. Unity was eventually created out of the life and writings of Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. One strand of that line of thought comes from the background of Christian Science through Emma Curtis Hopkins and Mary Baker Eddy. Another strand comes from the American Transcendentalist philosophers including Emerson and Thoreau. A third strand comes out of a more Gnostic or "secret" strand of thought.

Unity itself is enclosed in the larger New Thought container. New Thought includes Unity as well as Religious Science and Divine Science. Religious Science (originally Science of Mind) was founded and inspired primarily by the writings of Ernest Holmes, who was a very active metaphysical writer and teacher in the early 20th century. The metaphysical underpinnings of New Thought go back to Hinduism through Plato, Neo-Platonism and many other steps up through the 19th century philosophies mentioned above.

All New Thought supports all paths to spirituality and accepts all religious orientations. I don't know much about Divine Science, but I can compare Religious Science to Unity to some degree. Where Religious Science appears to be more focused on the metaphysical, Unity includes that focus but also includes a relatively strong component of spiritual and physical healing, perhaps due to the influence of Christian Science. Unity also provides a clear articulation of Five Principles in order to give some abstract support to a common body of belief. These are not dogmatic commandments, but instead have much more breathing room for incorporation into a variety of lifestyles and situations.

Unity and Religious Science

The two religious movements seem to have come out of a similar motivation and time. Both movements have roots in the 19th century and accept all spiritual paths, Christianity and otherwise. Both movements have a connection to Eastern religious principles, but to differing degrees. Both movements appear to be motivated toward a metaphysical interpretation of the Bible, the New Testament Gospels in particular. Both movements emphasize the oneness of the Universe and our ability to get in touch with the One Presence.

I was surprised when I visited a Unity Church bookstore recently that I found no books about Religious Science. From my limited exposure to both approaches, I thought they share fundamental concepts. The differences seem to be in style and emphasis.

Religious Science appears to be a bit more theologically broad and to emphasize philosophy, metaphysics and concepts from Emerson, Science and Eastern religions a bit more. Bible acceptance is focused on the Gospels, although Ernest Holmes Science of Mind writings reference Bible scripture across the board. Unity appears to be a bit more rooted in traditional Christianity, with much more use of Christian scripture during services.

Both movements are a very refreshing approach to spiritual progress. Accepting all paths and pulling concepts from Science, Philosophy, Eastern Theology as well as New Testament Christianity is a recipe for enlightenment and practical application to modern life.