In brief
Our faith is a combination of religious liberty, free inquiry and respect for the Unitarian & Free Christian tradition in which our chapel stands. We are a Christian congregation, in the sense that we try to follow the teaching and example of Jesus to the best of our ability and understanding. Our worship is Christian and reflects our Unitarian & Free Christian tradition, but there is no creed or statement of beliefs that our members have to sign up to.
Our founders were people who believed that the church had lost its way and introduced a lot of ideas that were not part of Jesus’s original teaching. They weren’t afraid to make use of new learning and discoveries to better understand the Bible with the aim of following a rational and free faith. We may not have exactly the same beliefs as our spiritual ancestors but we share the same attitude towards Christian faith. Like them, we want to be free, faithful, and rational believers.
Over the last several decades many Unitarian & Christian Congregations have moved away from their Christian roots, becoming post-Christian, or even fully non religious. We are among the minority of Unitarian & Free Christian congregations that continue to identify as a Christian congregation while preserving the right of each individual to believe as their conscience and judgement dictates.
A simple faith.
Our Minister Francis Elliot-Wright writes:
“Jesus said that faith came down to just two commandments, love God and love your neighbour. This is what we read in Matthew’s gospel:
‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’
In the gospel of Luke he talks about the same two ‘greatest’ commandments’, but goes on to tell the story of the Good Samaritan to make clear that ‘our neighbour’ must never be limited by any sort of ethnic, national or tribal distinction.
And notice that Jesus said to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is something that we sometimes miss. It means that faith isn’t just an emotional and spiritual thing (though it definitely is both those things). It’s also supposed to be rational.
That’s why we place such high value on free inquiry and free conscience. The Unitarian & Free Christian tradition is about combining faith with an openness to new learning and new ideas. In short, faith with freedom, reason and tolerance.
Jesus taught a simple faith: love God and love people. That’s why I’m so inspired by the Unitarian and Free Christian tradition, because it’s about trying to recover the simple and rational faith that Jesus taught.
Of course, there’s much more to be said about faith, theology and scripture. Life can be complex and mysterious and faith needs to wrestle with some big questions and tough dilemmas. But we should always remind ourselves of what Jesus taught us, that when it comes down to it, faith is simple, emotional, spiritual and rational.
Love God and love people. Faith with freedom, reason and tolerance. That’s it. A simple faith. “