Values

Unitarian Universalism draws from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love. We covenant, congregation-to-congregation and through our Association, to support and assist one another in our ministries.

Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. The values we share include all the following, which we hold as inseparable and deeply interconnected:

• Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence and acknowledge our place in it.
• Pluralism: We are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
• Justice: We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all feel welcome and can thrive.
• Transformation: We adapt to the changing world.
• Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
• Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.

A Living Tradition

Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition that has changed in many ways, and it continues to evolve today. Most recently, this evolution has taken the form of adopting new language to describe who we are as UUs. At General Assembly in 2024, UUs voted to replace existing Seven Principles and Six Sources language in our bylaws with the above shared values, all centered around love.

The Principles and Sources will always be part of our heritage, and can continue to be a resource to congregations.

Principles

(as amended in 1985)

Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides.

As Rev. Barbara Wells ten Hove explains, “The Principles are not dogma or doctrine, but rather a guide for those of us who choose to join and participate in Unitarian Universalist religious communities.” They are:

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Sources

(as amended in 2017)

We live out these Principles within a “living tradition” of wisdom and spirituality, drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience:

1. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
2. Words and deeds of prophetic people which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
3. Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
4. Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
5. Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
6. Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.