Unity is…
a positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus and the power of prayer. Unity honors the universal truths in all religions and respects each individual's right to choose a spiritual path.
Who We Are | What is Unity | God | The 12 Powers
The Nature of Humankind | Our Teachings | Unity Books
Jesus | The Bible | Prayer and Meditation
Who We Are?
The Unity movement was founded in 1889 by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore as a healing ministry based on the power of prayer and the power of our thoughts to create our own reality. The Fillmores regarded Jesus as the great example rather than the great exception, interpreted the Bible metaphysically, and taught that God is present within all of us.
The Unity movement has always been a spiritual leader in promoting inclusivity and diversity. We are open and welcoming to people of every race, ethnicity, gender, age and sexual orientation and accept all spiritual paths. In 1995 Unity Worldwide Ministry declared global statements for peace and the honor of diversity.
Today, we are a worldwide movement of ministries that consistently teach Unity principles set forth by our founders and early teachers. Many of our churches now integrate Buddhist and other Eastern thought, as well as modern spiritual teachers, into their talks and classes. Charles Fillmore was also acquainted with these philosophies.
The Unity movement has always been a spiritual leader in promoting inclusivity and diversity. We are open and welcoming to people of every race, ethnicity, gender, age and sexual orientation and accept all spiritual paths. In 1995 Unity Worldwide Ministry declared global statements for peace and the honor of diversity.
Classic Unity writers include Charles Fillmore, Myrtle Fillmore, Emilie Cadie (Lessons in Truth), and Eric Butterworth. Contemporary teachers and writers who either work within Unity, or are studied by Unity churches include Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Robert Brumet, Paul Hasselbeck, Marianne Williamson, Gary Zukov, Joel Goldsmith, Byron Katie, Rev. Michael Beckwith, and Mary Morrissey. At Unity of Montclair, recent classes studied the teachings of Tolle, Morrissey, Katie and Beckwith.
What is Unity?
Unity is a positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus and the power of prayer.
Spiritual seekers often say that finding Unity is like coming home. Unity is an open-minded, welcoming and accepting spiritual community that honors all paths to God and helps people discover and live their spiritual potential and purpose.
Unity emphasizes the practical, everyday application of spiritual principles to help people live more abundant and meaningful lives. Although personal and spiritual growth comes from within, most people appreciate the support of classes, friendships, and companionship along the way. Unity is committed to helping you find your way to your own understanding—and experience—of God.
God
God is Spirit, the loving source of all that is. God is Oneness, 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.
We do not see God as an entity or being separate from ourselves.
Jesus
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 termChristto mean the divinity in all humankind—it is not just meant for Jesus. Jesus is the great example of the Christ in expression.
The Nature of Humankind
We are each individual, eternal expression of God. 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.
The Bible
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. In addition, Unity recognizes that the Bible is a complex collection of writings compiled over many centuries. We honor the writings as reflecting the understanding and inspiration of the writers at the time they were written. The Bible continues to be a valuable spiritual resource for us.
Our Teachings - A Conversation with Maya Angelou
