114-678: Unity Temple is a Unitarian Universalist church in Oak Park, Illinois , and the home of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation, which originally formed in 1871. It was designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright , and built between 1905 and 1908. Unity Temple is considered to be one of Wright's most important structures dating from the first decade of the twentieth century. Because of its consolidation of aesthetic intent and structure through use of
228-432: A Hindu temple, a Reform or Orthodox synagogue, and a Catholic church. There is great variety among Unitarian Universalist congregations, with some favoring particular religious beliefs or forms of worship over others, with many more home to an eclectic mix of beliefs. Regardless of their orientation, most congregations are fairly open to differing beliefs, though not always with various faith traditions represented to
342-473: A Protestant church, but they vary widely among congregations. The most common symbol of Unitarian Universalism is the flaming chalice , often framed by two overlapping rings that many interpret as representing Unitarianism and Universalism (the symbol has no official interpretation). The chalice itself has long been a symbol of liberal religion, and indeed liberal Christianity (the Disciples of Christ also use
456-508: A Unitarian Universalist congregation. As a result, individual practitioners may simultaneously identify as Unitarian Universalists, as well as other faith traditions. Although Unitarian Universalism draws its roots from Christian sources, contemporary Unitarian Universalists in North America view their religion as multifaith and drawing on a variety of sources, both religious and secular. Unitarian Universalism encourages its members to draw on
570-607: A Unitarian minister) and other transcendentalists , Unitarianism began its long journey from liberal Protestantism to its more pluralist form. After the schism in the Congregational Churches resulting in the foundation (1825) of the American Unitarian Association, some of those churches remained within the Congregational fold and became member congregations of the Congregational organization (later
684-621: A chalice as their denomination symbol ). The flaming chalice was initially the logo of the Unitarian Service Committee during the Second World War . It was created by Austrian artist Hans Deutsch . The holy oil burning in it is a symbol of helpfulness and sacrifice. Nevertheless, other interpretations have been suggested, such as the chalice used by the followers of Czech Jan Hus , which was supposedly reverential of Eastern Orthodox traditions; although Hus's early National Church
798-467: A circumference divisible as a whole number into ten long feet. The measures of Iron Age Britain are uncertain and proposed reconstructions such as the Megalithic Yard are controversial. Later Welsh legend credited Dyfnwal Moelmud with the establishment of their units , including a foot of 9 inches. The Belgic or North German foot of 335 mm (13.2 in) was introduced to England either by
912-905: A common slogan in Unitarian Universalist congregations, "Deeds, not creeds." They hold that belief divorced from action does not change the world, and that good intentions often lead to a worse situation in the long term. Unitarian Universalist thinkers have long recognized the need to bring belief and action together, and encourage their members to go into the larger world and improve it. Because of this importance of action, Unitarian Universalists have long been involved in social , economic , and environmental justice movements, both through organizations created by Unitarian Universalists and through local, regional, national, and international grassroots organizing. Many Unitarian Universalists see this work as inseparable from their Unitarian Universalist faith, and see their participation in justice movements as
1026-518: A congregation's lay-led or relatively new status. However, some Unitarian Universalist congregations have grown to appreciate alternative terms such as fellowship and retained them even though they have grown much larger or lost features sometimes associated with their use (such as, in the case of fellowships, a traditionally lay-led worship model). Also of note is that there are many more people who identify as Unitarian Universalist on surveys than those who attend Unitarian Universalist congregations (by
1140-740: A deeply important part of their religious faith. Historically, the Unitarian Univeralist Association's predecessor movements, Unitarianism and Universalism saw members involved in abolitionism , women's suffrage , pacifism , temperance , and prison reform . Today, Unitarian Universalists are deeply involved in causes such as racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement, LGBTQ movements , feminism and women's rights , immigration justice , reproductive rights , climate justice , and economic inequality . The Unitarian belief that reason, and not creed, defines
1254-402: A factor of four in a recent survey), reflecting those who have never joined (and lapsed members) but nonetheless consider themselves part of the Unitarian Universalist movement. In 2004, UU World magazine asked for contributions of " elevator speeches " explaining Unitarian Universalism. These are short speeches that could be made in the course of an elevator ride to those who knew nothing of
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#17328445049621368-408: A family of Unitarians, a faith that had many beliefs in common with Universalism. The congregation needed a space of worship , as well as a community room. There were several immediate problems that the architect had to work with in order to satisfy the client. The budget was $ 45,000, a modest amount even in the early 20th century. Building materials had to be inexpensive and as Wright said, “concrete
1482-597: A few. Instrumental music is also a common feature of the typical worship service, including preludes, offertory music, postludes, or music for contemplation. Foot (length) The foot (standard symbol: ft ) is a unit of length in the British imperial and United States customary systems of measurement . The prime symbol , ′ , is commonly used to represent the foot. In both customary and imperial units, one foot comprises 12 inches , and one yard comprises three feet. Since an international agreement in 1959 ,
1596-584: A leading figure in the founding of the church on American soil. Once laity and clergy relaxed their vehement opposition to the Doctrine of the Trinity Act 1813 , which finally allowed for protections of dissenting religions, the British and Foreign Unitarian Association was founded in 1825. It has its headquarters in Essex Hall, successor to Lindsey's Essex House. Two that have been significant in national life are
1710-484: A leap forward in design for Wright. In recounting his experiences with Unity Temple, he stated that this design was the first time he ever realized that the real heart of a building is its space, not its walls. Indeed, architectural historians have commented on Wright's genius in creating and manipulating space in his designs; in his book The Master Builders , Peter Blake entitled the section on Wright "The Mastery of Space." In addition to being very accomplished with making
1824-429: A length of 1 / 600 of a stadion , one stadion being about 181.2 m (594 ft); therefore a foot was, at the time, about 302 mm (11.9 in). Its exact size varied from city to city and could range between 270 mm (10.6 in) and 350 mm (13.8 in), but lengths used for temple construction appear to have been about 295 mm (11.6 in) to 325 mm (12.8 in);
1938-664: A literal reading of the Bible . Liberalizing Unitarians rejected the Trinitarian belief in the tri-personal godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost/Spirit. Instead, they asserted a unitary notion of God. In addition, they rejected the doctrine of original sin , moving away from the Calvinism of the Congregationalists . New England Universalists rejected the Puritan forefathers' emphasis on
2052-618: A measurement of the previous Indian standard of the yard. However, it is now obsolete as the current National Topographic Database of the Survey of India is based on the metric WGS-84 datum , which is also used by the Global Positioning System . An ISO 2848 measure of 3 basic modules (30 cm) is called a " metric foot ", but there were earlier distinct definitions of a metric foot during metrication in France and Germany. In 1799
2166-548: A part of article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association's bylaws. These Principles and Purposes were statements of shared values that Unitarian Universalist congregations agreed to uphold: These principles, first adopted in 1960 and later revised in 1984 and 1985, proved so popular that many Unitarian Universalists came to see them as a wisdom source in and of themselves and a guide for participation in Unitarian Universalist congregations. In June 2024,
2280-567: A particular caring for the poor, the weak and the downtrodden. As a result, issues of justice, including social justice are held in common among most. It's a blessing each of us was born; It matters what we do with our lives; What each of us knows about God is a piece of the truth; We don't have to do it alone. As in theology, Unitarian Universalist worship and ritual are often a combination of elements derived from other faith traditions alongside original practices and symbols. In form, church services might be difficult to distinguish from those of
2394-469: A period resembling purgatory . Christian Universalism denies the doctrine of everlasting damnation , and proclaims belief in an entirely loving God who will ultimately redeem all human beings. Historically, several forms of Nontrinitarianism have appeared within Christianity. The term may refer to any belief about the nature of Jesus Christ that affirms God as a singular entity and rejects
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#17328445049622508-444: A plurality of beliefs. Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to engage in their own unique spiritual journey and to follow their conscience in what beliefs to hold. Unitarian Universalism is seen as compatible with other spiritual paths, and individual Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to engage in their own spiritual journey, whatever the path. Unitarian Universalists are not required to renounce previous faith traditions to join
2622-460: A sermon and the singing of hymns. The extent to which the elements of any particular faith tradition are incorporated into personal spiritual practice is a matter of individual choice for congregants, in keeping with a creedless, non-dogmatic approach to spirituality and faith development. New England Unitarians evolved from the Pilgrim Fathers ' Congregational Christianity , which was based on
2736-502: A sermon or presentation by a minister, a lay leader of the congregation, or an invited speaker. Sermons may cover a wide range of topics. Since Unitarian Universalists do not recognize a particular text or set of texts as primary or inherently superior, inspiration can be found in many different religious or cultural texts as well as the personal experiences of the minister. The service also includes hymn-singing, accompanied by organ, piano, or other available instruments, and possibly led by
2850-406: A single material, reinforced concrete , Unity Temple is considered by many architects to be the first modern building in the world. This idea became of central importance to the modern architects who followed Wright, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe , and even the post-modernists, such as Frank Gehry . In 2019, along with seven other buildings designed by Wright in the 20th century, Unity Temple
2964-657: A site to the World Heritage List." After revised proposals, the properties were inscribed on the World Heritage List under the title " The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright " in July 2019. A drawback to the modern design of the Unity Temple is structural problems that have emerged over time. Through the years of its existence, the Unity Temple's concrete structure has suffered extensive water damage. Pieces of
3078-509: A small parcel, but becomes significant for mapping, or when the state plane coordinate system (SPCS) is used in the US, because the origin of the system may be hundreds of thousands of feet (hundreds of miles) from the point of interest. Hence the previous definitions continued to be used for surveying in the United States and India for many years, and are denoted survey feet to distinguish them from
3192-513: A sole member within the UUA. The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) became an independent body in 2002. The UUA and CUC were two of the seventeen members of the now defunct International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (1995–2021). Unitarian Universalism was formed from the consolidation in 1961 of two historically separate Christian denominations, the Universalist Church of America and
3306-591: A song leader or choir. The most recent worship songbook published by the denomination, Singing the Journey contains 75 songs and is a supplement to the older Singing the Living Tradition which contains readings as well. Hymns typically sung in Unitarian Universalist services come from a variety of sources—traditional hymn tunes with new or adapted lyrics, spirituals, folk songs from various cultures, or original compositions by Unitarian Universalist musicians are just
3420-549: A variety of beliefs about the nature of the divine. The diversity of beliefs about divinity in Unitarian Universalism can be accounted for because of the influence of religious humanism on the movement in the late nineteenth century. Although Unitarian Universalists believe that anyone can be a Humanist, regardless of their position on the use of language of divinity, the rise of religious humanism within Unitarian Universalism enable members to be able to further question
3534-449: Is feet . However, the singular form may be used like a plural when it is preceded by a number, as in "he is six foot tall." Historically, the human body has been used to provide the basis for units of length. The foot of an adult European-American male is typically about 15.3% of his height, giving a person of 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) a foot-length of about 268 mm (10.6 in), on average. Archaeologists believe that, in
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3648-483: Is a liberal religious movement characterized by a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning ". Unitarian Universalists assert no creed , but instead are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth . Unitarian Universalists do not have an official, unified corpus of sacred texts . Unitarian Universalist congregations include many atheists , agnostics , deists , and theists ; there are churches, fellowships, congregations, and societies around
3762-546: Is a religion marked by freedom, reason, and acceptance. As such, Unitarian Universalists practice a non-creedal religion that does not require one to believe in any particular belief or doctrine. Rather than sharing common beliefs, Unitarian Universalists are united by a common history, the affirmation of each person's individual spiritual quest, and a covenant to uphold the community's shared spiritual values. As such, Unitarian Universalists vary greatly in their beliefs, and Unitarian Universalist congregations are often defined by
3876-415: Is based upon calculations from surveys of Phase 1 elements at Stonehenge . They found that the underlying diameters of the stone circles had been consistently laid out using multiples of a base unit amounting to 30 long feet , which they calculated to be 1.056 of a modern international foot (thus 12.672 inches or 0.3219 m). Furthermore, this unit is identifiable in the dimensions of some stone lintels at
3990-599: Is between just two, as in a union of marriage, or whether the agreement is among millions, as in a free nation, or whether the agreement is among members who gather to be a free congregation." The use of covenants in Unitarian Universalist community dates back to 1646 and the creation of the Cambridge Platform by the Congregational churches of colonial New England , some of whom would later become Unitarians , predecessors of modern Unitarian Universalists. The Platform
4104-417: Is cheap.” The same concrete molds were used multiple times, as Wright had designed repeating walls with similar dimensions. Additionally, the building site stood on a busy street. And finally, the architect was expected to design not only the structure but also furniture and stained glass for the building. Charles E. Roberts, an engineer, inventor and an important early client of Frank Lloyd Wright, served on
4218-468: Is elevated a few steps above the main level of the building, which accommodates seating space. Additionally, the room features two balconies for congregation seating. These varying seating levels enabled the architect to design a building that efficiently accommodates the congregation's size, ensuring no individual is more than 40 feet from the pulpit . Furthermore, Wright prioritized excellent acoustics in his design. The design of Unity Temple represents
4332-467: Is of no practical significance given the precision of normal surveying measurements over short distances (usually much less than a mile). Out of 50 states and six other jurisdictions, 40 have legislated that surveying measures should be based on the US survey foot, six have legislated that they be made on the basis of the international foot, and ten have not specified. The Indian survey foot is defined as exactly 0.304 7996 m , presumably derived from
4446-423: Is seen as an evolving philosophy where the limits of science and reason are recognized, its tenets continue to play a large role in the thought of Unitarian Universalist congregations. Unitarian Universalist Humanists hold that the naturalism of their Humanism encourages individuals to recognize the awe, beauty, and wonder of the natural world and recognize the interdependence between humans and other beings. In
4560-478: Is the only industrialized country that uses the (international) foot in preference to the meter in its commercial, engineering, and standards activities. The foot is legally recognized in the United Kingdom; road distance signs must use imperial units (however, distances on road signs are always marked in miles or yards, not feet; bridge clearances are given in meters as well as feet and inches), while its usage
4674-624: Is widespread among the British public as a measurement of height. The foot is recognized as an alternative expression of length in Canada. Both the UK and Canada have partially metricated their units of measurement. The measurement of altitude in international aviation (the flight level unit) is one of the few areas where the foot is used outside the English-speaking world. The most common plural of foot
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4788-481: The toise and in particular the toise de l'Écritoire , the distance between the fingertips of the outstretched arms of a man. The toise has 6 pieds (feet) each of 326.6 mm (12.9 in). He was unsuccessful in introducing a standard unit of length throughout his realm: an analysis of the measurements of Charlieu Abbey shows that during the 9th century the Roman foot of 296.1 mm (11.66 in)
4902-714: The Book of Common Prayer , removing the Trinitarian Nicene Creed and references to Jesus as God . Theophilus Lindsey also revised the Book of Common Prayer to allow a more tolerant, free Unitarian interpretation. Neither cleric was charged under the Blasphemy Act 1697 that made it an "offense for any person, educated in or having made profession of the Christian religion, by writing, preaching, teaching or advised speaking, to deny
5016-696: The Baháʼí Faith . The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) was formed in 1961 through the consolidation of the American Unitarian Association , established in 1825, and the Universalist Church of America , established in 1793. The UUA is headquartered in Boston , Massachusetts; and serves churches mostly in the United States . A group of thirty Philippine congregations is represented as
5130-782: The Belgic Celts during their invasions prior to the Romans or by the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th and 6th century. Roman units were introduced following their invasion in AD ;43. Following the Roman withdrawal and Saxon invasions , the Roman foot continued to be used in the construction crafts while the Belgic foot was used for land measurement. Both the Welsh and Belgic feet seem to have been based on multiples of
5244-515: The British Standards Institution 's adoption of a scientific standard inch of 25.4 millimeters in 1930. The IEEE standard symbol for a foot is "ft". In some cases, the foot is denoted by a prime , often approximated by an apostrophe , and the inch by a double prime; for example, 2 feet 4 inches is sometimes denoted 2′ 4″. In Imperial units , the foot was defined as 1 / 3 yard, with
5358-663: The Confederation of the Rhine was founded and three different reformed feet were defined, all of which were based on the metric system: Prior to the introduction of the metric system, many European cities and countries used the foot, but it varied considerably in length: the voet in Ypres , Belgium, was 273.8 millimeters (10.78 in) while the piede in Venice was 347.73 millimeters (13.690 in). Lists of conversion factors between
5472-541: The Congregational parish churches of New England , which were part of the state church of Massachusetts. These churches, whose buildings may still be seen in many New England town squares, trace their roots to the division of the Puritan colonies into parishes for the administration of their religious needs. In the late 18th century, conflict grew within some of these churches between Unitarian and Trinitarian factions. In 1805, Unitarians gained key faculty positions at Harvard . In 1819 William Ellery Channing preached
5586-756: The Cross Street Chapel in Manchester and, Newington Green Unitarian Church in north London . Unitarian congregations in Britain meet under the auspices of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches . There are 170 communities of Unitarians across Britain. The Chief Officer of the British Unitarians was Liz Slade as of 2024. In the United States, the Unitarian movement began primarily in
5700-716: The Guggenheim Museum in New York City , another bipartite design). Additionally, for the Temple's architecture, Wright incorporated several elements from his previous creation, the Larkin Administration Building . Key features included the use of stained glass windows and geometric figures. However, unlike the Larkin Building, the Temple's plan resulted in a perfect square rather than the double-square rectangle of
5814-568: The Holy Trinity ". The Act of Toleration (1689) gave relief to English Dissenters , but excluded Unitarians. The efforts of Clarke and Lindsey met with substantial criticism from the more conservative clergy and laity of the Church of England . In response, in 1774, Lindsey applied for registration of the Essex House as a "Dissenting place of worship" with the assistance of barrister John Lee . On
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#17328445049625928-667: The National Institute of Standards and Technology , the National Geodetic Survey , and the United States Department of Commerce deprecated use of the US survey foot and recommended conversion to either the meter or the international foot (0.3048 m). However, the historic relevance of the US survey foot persists, as the Federal Register notes: The date of December 31, 2022, was selected to accompany
6042-480: The U.S. National Park Service submitted Unity Temple, along with nine other Frank Lloyd Wright properties, to a tentative list for World Heritage Status. The 10 sites have been submitted as one, total, site. The January 22, 2008 press release from the National Park Service website announcing the nominations states that, "The preparation of a Tentative List is a necessary first step in the process of nominating
6156-553: The United Church of Christ ), while others voted to become Unitarian. Some of the latter eventually became part of the Unitarian Universalist Association (formed in 1961) during a consolidation of the Unitarian and Universalist churches. Universalist churches in contrast followed a different path, having begun as independent congregations beyond the bounds of the established Puritan churches entirely. The UUA and
6270-506: The barleycorn , but by as early as 950 the English kings seem to have (ineffectually) ordered measures to be based upon an iron yardstick at Winchester and then London . Henry I was said to have ordered a new standard to be based upon the length of his own arm and, by the c. 1300 Act concerning the Composition of Yards and Perches traditionally credited to Edward I or II ,
6384-502: The ordination sermon for Jared Sparks in Baltimore , outlining the Unitarian position. The American Unitarian Association was founded as a separate denomination in 1825. By coincidence and unknown to both parties, the AUA was formed on the same day—May 26, 1825—as the British and Foreign Unitarian Association . In the 19th century, under the influence of Ralph Waldo Emerson (who had been
6498-550: The substitutionary atonement of Christ developed by Anselm of Canterbury and John Calvin. There were several different forms of Christology in the beginnings of the Unitarian movement; ultimately, the dominant Christology became psilanthropism : that Jesus was a man, but one with a unique relationship to God. Influenced by the Socinian doctrine of the Polish Brethren , the Unitarian minister Samuel Clarke (1675–1729) revised
6612-617: The American Unitarian Association, both based in the United States ; the new organization formed in this merger was the Unitarian Universalist Association. At the time of the North American consolidation, Unitarians and Universalists diverged beyond their roots in liberal Christian theology. They draw from a variety of religious traditions. Individuals may or may not self-identify as Christians or subscribe to Christian beliefs. Unitarian Universalist congregations and fellowships tend to retain some Christian traditions, such as Sunday worship with
6726-450: The City of London and Westminster , which codified the statute mile as comprising 5,280 feet. The differences among the various physical standard yards around the world, revealed by increasingly powerful microscopes , eventually led to the 1959 adoption of the international foot defined in terms of the meter. The international yard and pound agreement of July 1959 defined the length of
6840-672: The Errors of the Trinity and Christianismi Restitutio caused much uproar. Servetus was eventually arrested, convicted of heresy, and burned at the stake in Geneva in 1553. The term "Unitarian" entered the English language via Henry Hedworth , who applied it to the teachings of Laelio Sozzini and the Polish Socinians . Unitarian churches were formally established in Transylvania and Poland (by
6954-428: The Greeks and the Romans subdivided the foot into 16 digits , but in later years, the Romans also subdivided the foot into 12 unciae (from which both the English words "inch" and " ounce " are derived). After the fall of the Roman Empire, some Roman traditions were continued but others fell into disuse. In AD 790 Charlemagne attempted to reform the units of measure in his domains. His units of length were based on
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#17328445049627068-409: The Humiliati movement in the 1950s, a group of reformist, liturgically minded clergy seeking to revive Universalism). Other symbols include a pair of open hands releasing a dove . Religious services are usually held on Sundays and most closely resemble the form and format of Protestant worship in the Reformed tradition. Services at a vast majority of congregations follow a structure that focuses on
7182-399: The Larkin. To minimize noise from the street, Wright omitted street-level windows in the temple. Instead, natural light filters in through stained glass windows in the roof and clerestories along the upper walls. As parishioners wouldn't have outside views, Unity Temple's stained glass was crafted with green, yellow, and brown tones to evoke the colors of nature. The main floor of the temple
7296-417: The NSRS where it is used now and in the past [emphasis added]. In other words, to minimize disruption in the use of U.S. survey foot for existing NSRS coordinate systems, the change will apply only to the modernized NSRS. State legislation is also important for determining the conversion factor to be used for everyday land surveying and real estate transactions, although the difference (two parts per million )
7410-429: The Philippines, where Unitarian Universalism is much more theistically oriented , member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines affirm the seven principles, but with the addition to their own first principle: "There is God. God is love." Unitarian Universalism believes that actions taken to make the world a better place are more important than what a person actually believes, as espoused by
7524-529: The Socinians) in the second half of the 16th century. There, the first doctrines of religious freedom in Europe were established (in the course of several diets between 1557 and 1568, see Edict of Torda ) under the jurisdiction of John Sigismund , King of Hungary and Prince of Transylvania, the only Unitarian monarch. The early Unitarian church not only rejected the Trinity, but also the pre-existence of Christ as well as, in many cases, predestination and original sin as put forward by Augustine of Hippo , and
7638-413: The Sunday following the registration—April 17, 1774—the first true Unitarian congregation discreetly convened in the provisional Essex Street Chapel. In attendance were Lee, Joseph Priestley and the agent of the Massachusetts Colony, Benjamin Franklin . Priestley also founded a reform congregation, but, after his home was burned down in the Priestley Riots , fled with his wife to America, where he became
7752-404: The U.S. Impacts related to the change to international feet will be minimized if a transition occurs concurrently with others [ sic ] changes in the NSRS. ... The difference in timelines will have no effect on users of the existing NSRS (National Spatial Reference System), because NGS ( NOAA 's National Geodetic Survey) will continue to support the U.S. survey foot for components of
7866-407: The UU General Assembly voted to replace the 7 principles in Article II of the UUA bylaws with a new covenant of 6 values, centered on Love. In Canada, members of the Canadian Unitarian Council affirm the seven principles along with an eighth principle: "Individual and communal action that accountably dismantles racism and systemic barriers to full inclusion in ourselves and our institutions." In
7980-429: The United Church of Christ cooperate jointly on social justice initiatives such as the Sexuality Education Advocacy Training project. In 1961 the American Unitarian Association (AUA) was consolidated with the Universalist Church of America (UCA), thus forming the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). In the same year, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) formed. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
8094-674: The absence of shared beliefs, Unitarian Universalists often see their religion as a covenantal (as opposed to a creedal ) one. Unitarian Universalists see covenants as the promises that bind congregations, communities, and individuals together in community. In Unitarian Universalism, covenants are mutual promises among individuals and communities about how they will behave and engage with each other. Covenants help create trust and care among Unitarian Universalists and in their congregations. Rather than creating things people have to do, covenants in Unitarian Universalist communities create freedom by helping members know what to expect from each other. In
8208-684: The almost complete failure of the Universalist movement in Canada had caused the formation of the Council to prompt a plan to merge with the UUA. Opposition to Liberal religious freedom relaxed, so that by 2002 it was agreed to increase autonomy and funding. The amalgamation proved troublesome for the Canadians, a small minority largely ignored, with only 45 congregations and 5,200 members—the Americans were insensitive to cultural differences. Unitarian Universalism
8322-462: The breaking of Ramadan fast for Muslims), and Christmas Eve/ Winter Solstice services. Children's and youth's religious education classes teach about the divinity of the world and the sanctity of world religions. One of its more popular curricula, Neighboring Faiths (formerly Church Across the Street), takes middle and high school participants to visit the places of worship of many faith traditions including
8436-495: The building's 16 separate flat roofs. The restoration also addressed decorative and environmental improvements to the building. Unity Temple closed to the public in June 2015. Restoration work was completed in June 2017 and the building reopened for tours as of July 1, 2017. The building is closed to tours on Sundays, when the Unitarian Universalist church that calls the building home has its day of worship, but offers tours on other days of
8550-469: The church's building committee and was a key figure in seeing that Wright's vision for the church became a reality. For Roberts, Wright also remodeled Roberts' home and the Charles E. Roberts Stable . To meet the congregation's needs, Wright divided the community space from the temple space with a low, central loggia accessible from either side. This layout efficiently utilized space and minimized noise between
8664-542: The defining doctrine of Universalism ( universal salvation ). This core doctrine asserts that through Christ every single human soul shall be saved, leading to the "restitution of all things" ( apocatastasis ). In 1793, Universalism emerged as a distinct denomination of Christianity in the United States, eventually called the Universalist Church of America . Early American advocates of universal salvation such as Elhanan Winchester , Hosea Ballou and John Murray taught that all souls would achieve salvation, sometimes after
8778-640: The doctrine of the Trinity , as affirmed by the mainstream Christianity : a consensus of Christian bishops at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Nontrinitarianism was especially prevalent during the theological turmoils of the Protestant Reformation . A Spanish physician, Michael Servetus , studied the Bible and concluded that the concept of the Trinity, as traditionally conceived, was not biblical. His books On
8892-465: The door of a church on a Sunday and bid 16 men to stop, tall ones and small ones, as they happen to pass out when the service is finished; then make them put their left feet one behind the other, and the length thus obtained shall be a right and lawful rood to measure and survey the land with, and the 16th part of it shall be the right and lawful foot. The Neolithic long foot , first proposed by archeologists Mike Parker Pearson and Andrew Chamberlain,
9006-407: The existence and nature of the divine through its encouragement towards reason. Fifteen of the thirty-four signers of Humanist Manifesto I were Unitarians and one was a Universalist. Unitarian Universalists were also a significant presence among the signers of Humanist Manifestos II and III . Today, the majority of Unitarian Universalists in North America identify as Humanist. Although Humanism
9120-514: The foot is defined as equal to exactly 0.3048 meters. Historically, the "foot" was a part of many local systems of units, including the Greek , Roman , Chinese , French , and English systems. It varied in length from country to country, from city to city, and sometimes from trade to trade. Its length was usually between 250 mm and 335 mm and was generally, but not always, subdivided into 12 inches or 16 digits . The United States
9234-425: The former was close to the size of the Roman foot. The standard Roman foot ( pes ) was normally about 295.7 mm (11.6 in) (97% of today's measurement), but in some provinces, particularly Germania Inferior , the so-called pes Drusianus (foot of Nero Claudius Drusus ) was sometimes used, with a length of about 334 mm (13.1 in). (In reality, this foot predated Drusus.) Originally both
9348-399: The historical designation "Unitarian" or "Universalist" (e.g. " First Unitarian Church "). A few congregations use neither (e.g. Unity Temple ). For some congregations, the name can be a clue to their theological orientation. For others, avoidance of the word "church" indicates a desire to distance itself from traditional Christian theology. Sometimes the use of another term may simply indicate
9462-515: The international foot. The United Kingdom was unaffected by this problem, as the retriangulation of Great Britain (1936–62) had been done in meters. In the United States, the foot was defined as 12 inches, with the inch being defined by the Mendenhall Order of 1893 via 39.37 inches = 1 m (making a US foot exactly 1200 / 3937 meters, approximately 0.304 800 61 m ). On December 31, 2022,
9576-501: The international yard for all purposes through the Weights and Measures Act 1963 , effective January 1, 1964. When the international foot was defined in 1959, a great deal of survey data was already available based on the former definitions, especially in the United States and in India . The small difference between the survey foot and the international foot would not be detectable on a survey of
9690-509: The international yard in the United States and countries of the Commonwealth of Nations as exactly 0.9144 meters . Consequently, since a foot is one third of a yard, the international foot is defined to be equal to exactly 0.3048 meters. This was 2 ppm shorter than the previous US definition and 1.7 ppm longer than the previous British definition. The 1959 agreement concluded a series of step-by-step events, set off in particular by
9804-462: The meter became the official unit of length in France . This was not fully enforced, and in 1812 Napoleon introduced the system of mesures usuelles which restored the traditional French measurements in the retail trade, but redefined them in terms of metric units. The foot, or pied métrique , was defined as one third of a meter. This unit continued in use until 1837. In southwestern Germany in 1806,
9918-531: The modernization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) by NOAA 's National Geodetic Survey (NGS). The reason for associating the deprecation of the U.S. survey foot with the modernization of the NSRS is that the biggest impact of the uniform adoption of the international foot will be for users of the NSRS, due to very large coordinate values currently given in U.S. survey feet in many areas of
10032-407: The most out of the space he had, Wright also found the concept of "Unity" was very prominent mainly because of how he managed to fuse together space, experience and the material world. This was key to Unity Temple which has both a common meeting area and the congregation of church-goers. The sanctuary space gives the best example of this according to practicing architect Robert McCarter. The building
10146-589: The nature of the Christian God , modern Unitarian Universalists hold a variety of views about the nature and existence of deity. Most Unitarian Universalist congregations take no formal stance on whether or not a god or gods exist but leave it up to individual members to decide for themselves what they believe. Unitarian Universalists may be atheists , agnostics , and theists . Among those Unitarian Universalists who use language of divinity, both monotheism and polytheism are common, and Unitarian Universalists hold
10260-620: The past, the people of Egypt , India , and Mesopotamia preferred the cubit , while the people of Rome , Greece , and China preferred the foot. Under the Harappan linear measures, Indus cities during the Bronze Age used a foot of 13.2 inches (335 mm) and a cubit of 20.8 inches (528 mm). The Egyptian equivalent of the foot—a measure of four palms or 16 digits—was known as the djeser and has been reconstructed as about 30 cm (11.8 in). The Greek foot ( πούς , pous ) had
10374-430: The religion. Here are examples of the speeches submitted: In Unitarian Universalist congregations, we gather in community to support our individual spiritual journeys. We trust that openness to one another's experiences will enhance our understanding of our own links with the divine, with our history, and with one another. Most Unitarian Universalists believe that nobody has a monopoly on all truth, or ultimate proof of
10488-563: The roof fell inside the structure, and water eroded other parts of the exterior, as well. The original Universalist (now Unitarian Universalist) congregation still uses Unity Temple, although a separate and secular organization, the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation is in charge of the building's multimillion-dollar restoration effort. The foundation and church developed a restoration plan over many years, beginning in 2000. In April 2009, Unity Temple, due to water seepage,
10602-426: The same degree. There is a wide variety in how congregations conceive of themselves, calling themselves "churches", "societies", "fellowships", "congregations", or eschew the use of any particular descriptor. Many use the name "Unitarian Universalist", (and a few "Universalist Unitarian"), having gradually adopted this formulation since consolidation in 1961. Others use names that reflect their historic roots by keeping
10716-463: The search for truth, and the Universalist belief that God embraces all people equally has led to the current Unitarian Universalist belief that truth and spiritual meaning can be found in all faiths. This is reflected in the wide array of spiritual practices found among Unitarian Universalists today. Many Unitarian Universalist congregations include Buddhist-style meditation groups, Jewish Seder , Yom Kippur and Passover dinners, iftaar meals (marking
10830-550: The select few, the Elect , who were supposed to be saved from eternal damnation by a just God. Instead Universalists asserted that all people will eventually be reconciled with God. Universalists rejected the hellfire and damnation of the evangelical preachers, who tried to revive the fundamentalist Christianity of the early Pilgrim fathers. Universalists claim a long history, beginning with several Church Fathers, though some modern scholars question whether these church fathers taught
10944-511: The site and in the diameter of the "southern circle" at nearby Durrington Walls . Evidence that this unit was in widespread use across southern Britain is available from the Folkton Drums from Yorkshire ( neolithic artifacts, made from chalk, with circumferences that exactly divide as integers into ten long feet) and a similar object, the Lavant drum , excavated at Lavant , Sussex, again with
11058-413: The statute foot was a different measure, exactly 10 / 11 of the old (Belgic) foot. The barleycorn , inch , ell , and yard were likewise shrunk, while rods and furlongs remained the same. The ambiguity over the state of the mile was resolved by the 1593 Act against Converting of Great Houses into Several Tenements and for Restraint of Inmates and Inclosures in and near about
11172-461: The truth of everything in any one belief. Therefore, one's own truth is unprovable, as is that of others. Consequently, we should respect the beliefs of others, as well as their right to hold those beliefs. Conversely, we expect that others should respect our right to our own beliefs. Several UU's then, would likely hold as many different beliefs. Other beliefs they may hold in common are a respect for others, for nature, and for common decency, leading to
11286-401: The two primary gathering areas: attendees of religious services were separated by the loggia from those attending community events. Wright's design plan harkens back to the bipartite design of his own studio , constructed several blocks away in 1898, featuring two sections of the building with similar compositions separated by a lower passageway, with one section larger than the other (similar to
11400-408: The various feet in this list ceased to be used when the countries adopted the metric system. The Netherlands and modern Belgium adopted the metric system in 1817, having used the mesures usuelles under Napoleon and the newly formed German Empire adopted the metric system in 1871. The palm (typically 200–280 mm, ie. 7 7 / 8 to 11 1 / 32 inches)
11514-598: The various units of measure were given in many European reference works including: Many of these standards were peculiar to a particular city, especially in Germany (which, before German unification in 1871, consisted of many kingdoms, principalities, free cities and so on). In many cases the length of the unit was not uniquely fixed: for example, the English foot was stated as 11 pouces 2.6 lignes ( French inches and lines ) by Picard , 11 pouces 3.11 lignes by Maskelyne , and 11 pouces 3 lignes by D'Alembert . Most of
11628-572: The week. The Unity Temple Restoration Foundation offers a full calendar of artistic and educational programming. In 2018, the restoration of the temple received an award for excellence by the American Institute of Architects , Chicago chapter, and in 2019 was awarded the Urban Land Institute - Chicago Vision Award for historic restoration. Unitarian Universalism Unitarian Universalism (otherwise referred to as UUism or UU )
11742-406: The words of Unitarian Universalist minister Alice Blair Wesley: "...authentic human freedom is of necessity, lawful freedom, and because we receive the possibility of freedom as a gift of the way things are, an authentic covenant is: a glad promise to live freely together, insofar as we are able, in accordance with the laws of reality that make our freedom possible. This is true whether the agreement
11856-512: The world's religions as well as the words and deeds of prophetic people as inspiration for their spiritual journeys. Although members are cautioned to be aware of possible cultural appropriation of traditions that do not belong to them, Unitarian Universalists are encouraged to find wisdom in a diverse spectrum of religions, customs, and cultures from around the world. Although the predecessors of Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism and Universalism , find their origin in unorthodox beliefs about
11970-795: The world. The roots of Unitarian Universalism can be traced back to Protestantism and liberal Christianity ; more specifically, it can be traced to Unitarianism and Christian Universalism . Unitarian Universalists state that from these traditions comes a deep regard for intellectual freedom and inclusive love. Congregations and members seek inspiration and derive insight from all major world religions . The beliefs of individual Unitarian Universalists range widely; they can include, but are not limited to, religious humanism , Judaism , Christianity , Islam , Hinduism , Sikhism , Buddhism , Taoism , syncretism , neopaganism , atheism , agnosticism , New Age , omnism , pantheism , panentheism , pandeism , deism , and teachings of
12084-502: The yard being realized as a physical standard (separate from the standard meter). The yard standards of the different Commonwealth countries were periodically compared with one another. The value of the United Kingdom primary standard of the yard was determined in terms of the meter by the National Physical Laboratory in 1964 to be 0.914 3969 m , implying a pre-1959 UK foot of 0.304 7990 m . The UK adopted
12198-463: Was added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 most endangered historic places. Chicago restoration architect Gunny Harboe was in charge of the restoration with CTLGroup providing the engineering and materials technology expertise. In April 2015, a $ 25 million interior and exterior restoration began. The restoration focused on structural improvements such as replacing the majority of
12312-613: Was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1905, a lightning strike started a fire which destroyed the wood-framed Oak Park Unity Church, architect Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the many architects who vied for the commission, and was ultimately selected to design a new structure for the Universalist congregation of Oak Park, Illinois. The result was the Unity Temple. Wright was not only living in Oak Park but also came from
12426-572: Was completed in 1908 and officially dedicated on September 26, 1909. The building has been a United States National Historic Landmark since December 30, 1970 and was chosen in a 1991 poll in the magazine , Architectural Record as one of the 100 most significant buildings in the United States of the previous 100 years (Unity Temple was #14). Additionally, Unity Temple was chosen by the American Institute of Architects as one of 17 buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright that should be retained as his architectural contribution to American culture . In 2008,
12540-595: Was given corporate status in May 1961 under special acts of legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New York . In 1998 the Canadian Unitarian Council and Unitarian Universalist Association dissolved their financial accord, although they continue to cooperate. The CUC had come into being at Meadville Lombard Theological School in 1961. However the continual decline of denominational churches and
12654-483: Was intrinsically an evangelical Protestant. In some agnostic historiographies the flaming chalice displayed a vague resemblance to a cross in some stylized representations, relying on the sepulchral traditions of the Hospitallers. Many Unitarian Universalist congregations light a chalice at the beginning of worship services. Other symbols include an off-center cross within a circle (a Universalist symbol associated with
12768-424: Was the first formal declaration of the principles of church order and governance in colonial North America. Today, many Unitarian Universalist congregations create their own covenants, often called covenants of right relations, to formally lay out the principles of their congregations. In the United States, members of the Unitarian Universalist Association covenanted together via the seven Principles and Purposes,
12882-1381: Was used in many Mediterranean cities instead of the foot. Horace Doursther, whose reference was published in Belgium which had the smallest foot measurements, grouped both units together, while J. F. G. Palaiseau devoted three chapters to units of length: one for linear measures (palms and feet); one for cloth measures (ells); and one for distances traveled (miles and leagues). In Belgium, the words pied (French) and voet (Dutch) would have been used interchangeably. International Standards Organisation (ISO)-defined intermodal containers for efficient global freight/cargo shipping, were defined using feet rather than meters for their leading outside (corner) dimensions. All ISO-standard containers to this day are eight feet wide, and their outer heights and lengths are also primarily defined in, or derived from feet. Quantities of global shipping containers are still primarily counted in Twenty-foot Equivalent Units , or TEUs. Everyday global (civilian) air traffic / aviation continues to be controlled in flight levels (flying altitudes) separated by thousands of feet (although typically read out in hundreds – e.g. flight level 330 actually means 33,000 feet, or about 10 kilometres in altitude). The length of
12996-461: Was used; when it was rebuilt in the 10th century, a foot of about 320 mm (12.6 in) was used. At the same time, monastic buildings used the Carolingian foot of 340 mm (13.4 in). The procedure for verification of the foot as described in the 16th century posthumously published work by Jacob Köbel in his book Geometrei. Von künstlichem Feldmessen und absehen is: Stand at
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