The main teachings of the Unity Movement are centred on the idea that God is love, that every person has inherent spiritual worth, and that spiritual growth comes through aligning our thoughts and lives with divine truth. Unity is an inclusive spiritual movement that also draws wisdom from many spiritual traditions, emphasising practical spirituality over rigid doctrine.
Five Basic Principles:
- God/Divine Presence is everywhere and is all good.
- God/Divine Presence is not distant or punitive but is loving energy and a creative presence in all life.
- God/Divine Presence is often understood as Spirit, Divine Mind, or Universal Love, etc.
- Human beings are inherently divine.
- Every person is created in the image and likeness of God/Divine Presence. It means that we all have a Divine Spark residing within our being that is of God/Divine Presence. This part is often called the Soul.
- Our true identity is spiritual, whole, and worthy, even though we may not always experience it or express it.
- Thoughts have creative power.
- Our beliefs and attitudes influence our experiences.
- By choosing thoughts aligned with love, truth, and faith, we cooperate with God’s/Divine’s Presence’s creative activity.
- Prayer is transformative.
- Prayer is not about persuading God to change circumstances but about opening ourselves to divine wisdom and healing.
- Unity practices affirmative prayer, focusing on spiritual truth rather than fear or lack.
- Living the truth is essential.
- Spiritual understanding must be expressed through daily life.
- Love, forgiveness, compassion, gratitude, generosity, and service are considered practical expressions of spiritual maturity.
Other important Unity teachings
- Because Unity finds its roots in Christianity, Jesus is regarded as the great example of fully expressing the divine nature, showing what every person can become spiritually. Unity distinguishes between Jesus (the individual) and the Christ (the universal divine presence within everyone). However, Unity accepts and embraces any spiritual teacher who showed exemplary ways of expressing the Divine Presence such as Buddha, Moses, Lao Tzu, Rumi, Mohhamad, etc.
- The Bible is interpreted primarily as a spiritual and symbolic text rather than only a literal historical account. Unity does not solely use the Bible but other spiritual texts as well such as the Course in Miracles, Tao Te Ching, Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita, etc. to support deeper understanding of our spiritual nature an dour individual spiritual journey.
- Evil is generally understood not as an independent force but as the result of ignorance, fear, separation, or ‘mistaken’ thinking. The solution is awakening to divine truth rather than battling an external evil.
- Healing includes spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical wholeness. Unity has a long tradition of prayer ministry and emphasises forgiveness and inner transformation.
- Freedom of belief is encouraged. Members are invited to think for themselves, ask questions, and explore spiritual truth rather than accept fixed creeds.
Note: Unity finds its roots in the Judaeo-Christian tradition because of our shared spiritual history in the western world but Unity is NOT a Christian denomination! Unity is a spiritual educational movement.
In short, Unity teaches that:
- God is unconditional love.
- Every person has divine potential. (please see the 12 Powers of Men, HERE, CLICK)
- Love is stronger than fear.
- Prayer-meditation changes us from within.
- Our thoughts and choices shape our lives.
- Spiritual growth means exploring our divine nature and using it for our and others’ benefit by expressing more love, wisdom, peace, and compassion every day.
Our true nature is divine, and our life’s purpose is to awaken to that truth and express it through love, wisdom, and service to self and others.