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Unitarian Universalists and congregations have a few more months to study the proposed changes to Article II before the final vote at General Assembly in June.
Having easily accessible information for conversations, sermons, and other ways of learning is crucial to building that understanding.
Rev. Dr. Sheri Prud'homme—assistant professor of religion and education at Starr King School for the Ministry in Oakland, California— wrote a theological analysis of the potential revision to Article II. Her essay and other valuable congregational resources are available on the UUA's website: uua.org/re/article2.
What follows are nine quotes from Prud'homme's piece to help UUs engage more deeply with the proposal.
On UU Theological Heritage and Expression Being like a Quilt:
“In a patchwork quilt, each piece of fabric contains a story in itself—where, when, and how it was made; what other garment or fabric it once was part of; who created and touched the fabric. Sewn together, the quilt collectively tells other stories and goes on to be part of yet more stories in the lives of many beings who interact with it.”
On the Restorative Power of Love:
“We affirm the power of Love to heal what is broken, to hold us together across pluralities of diverse religious practices and beliefs, to hold us when things fall apart, to grow our capacities, and to guide us as we return again and again in our families and communities to side with Love.”
On How Interdependence Shapes Unitarian Universalism:
“... increasing religious plurality in our congregations has brought in perspectives and practices from earth-based religions of many kinds, amplifying an understanding of humankind as one part of a great interconnected web of all existence and deepening our humility and reverence for the web of life.”
On Embracing the Pluralism of Truth:
“We declare that there are many paths to the sacred. We hold fast to the notion that one religion does not hold all the truth for all time, not even Unitarian Universalism. We maintain that a free, open, and respectful dialogue is one of the primary ways our theological perspectives evolve and grow.”
On Active Struggles for Justice:
“The religious responsibility of the faithful is to remove and dismantle the systems and structures that prevent the full flourishing of life and to enhance and side with the movement of creative and active love.”
On ‘Abiding an Openness to Change’:
“Our religious communities at their best are places where we grow our capacities to be with experience in all its complexity and paradox, to listen deeply to one another, to allow ourselves to be seen and held in love, and to respond creatively and collectively.”
On the Call for Urgent Generosity:
“In an era when it is becoming clear that industrialized nations under a system of global corporation-controlled capitalism need to change quickly and dramatically for the benefit of all life, we will be called to experience generosity, gratitude, and hope in new ways.”
On Striving for Life-Affirming Equity:
“We understand there is a mandate emerging from our theological heritage to dismantle the structures and systems which silence, harm, and exploit human beings and the varied ecosystems of our planet as well as to work to create just and sustainable communities without barriers to belonging in our communities for all those who share our values and theological perspectives.”
On Spiritual Growth and Maturity:
“The patchwork quilt of our theological heritage is torn and fraying in places, and it is stunningly vibrant in others. Some sections have been mended or wholly replaced. ... As we mature spiritually as a tradition and as people, we develop our capacities to be with the broken and the beautiful, the contradictions, and the complexities.”
Related Resources
Q&A with UUA Vice-President Carey McDonald: Why Unitarian Universalists are Reexamining Article II