What Is Unity?

Unity emphasizes the divine potential within all of us and teaches that through a practical understanding and application of what Jesus taught, every person can realize and express his/her divine potential for a happier, fuller, and more successful life.

Unity is a worldwide Christian organization with a positive approach to life, seeking to accept the good in people and in all life. God is seen as having many attributes, but the most important is love. Unity stresses that God is not a physical man in the sky, for that limits our understanding. God is Spirit, everywhere present, the one and only Spirit behind, in, and through all things, visible and invisible.

Unity denies the existence of any power or presence opposed to God. It sees that there are evil appearances and suffering in the world, but attributes these to human ignorance and erroneous use of God's law in life.

Unity proclaims the divinity of Jesus, but goes further and assures that you, too, are divine in nature. Jesus expressed his divine potential and sought to show us how to express ours, as well. Salvation is then the expanding of one's understanding of his/her innate divinity and perfectibility through living the life demonstrated by Jesus.

Unity explains that the mind is our connecting link with God, or Divine Mind, and shows how the action of our mind affects our body and circumstances. Much emphasis is placed on the effective power that thoughts, feelings, words, and acts have upon our life.

Prayer is not seen as a technique for changing God, but for expanding and transforming our minds, and thus changing us.

Unity does break from tradition in that it has no creed requirements, dogma, rituals, or ecclesiastical garb. Unity chooses to believe that there is good in every religion. Different religions are like spokes on a wheel with the hub being God. They may be set apart by variances of beliefs and approaches, but they are all seeking Divinity as the hub of all life. Consequently, Unity does not deny anyone the right to have his/her own beliefs.

Unity celebrates the Divine in humankind in positive, joyous ways. It seeks not to emphasize one's sins of the past, but instead gives attention to the good that exists in every person and what can be done with the now to transform one's self and life.

Unity's main concern is not so much with a future life but with teaching people how to live fully in the present, seeing the good in all things. Unity also believes in eternal life and views the present moment as part of eternal life.

Unity does not impose any financial burdens or pressure on its adherents. It believes the desire for giving should be initiated from within the giver to reap the joys of sharing. Consequently, all support is by free-will offerings.

Unity is interdenominational and welcomes in dignity and love all people.

Millions of people have been introduced to Unity through its periodicals: The Daily Word, Unity Magazine, and the formerly published children's periodical Wee Wisdom, all published at Unity World Headquarters in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Millions of others are familiar with Unity through its prayer ministry, Silent Unity.

Due to their similar names, Unity is occasionally confused with Unitarianism or the Unification Church. However, there is no connection between Unity and these other organizations.