Customer Reviews

CHOSEN FAITH CL

5 star:		(17)
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3 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have been attending a Unitarian Universalist church for about a year. I was drawn to the church because of its openness. Unfortunately, the Unitarians are so fearful of evangelism that they almost refrain from giving newcomers any information about their faith in great detail. This book scratched the surface and then some. "A Chosen Faith" explains that two religious movements joined to created what is now the Unitarian Universalist movement. Now that I've read the book, I understand why Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Pagans, Atheists and Agnostics all come together in UU fellowships. But more than that, the book attempts to explain what kind of theology can support such diversity under one tent. UUs have, I believe, a lot to say about how religious pluralism can be healthy and positive for our culture.

This book is what its title says it is: an introduction to Unitarian Universalism. It combines a brief history of the denomination (which, in one respect, goes back centuries, but in another goes back to the 1961 merger of the Unitarian and Universalist denominations, whereupon the Unitarian Universalist Association ceased to be a "liberal Christian" denomination and became the "non-creedal religion" it is today) with an overview of UU principles, mixed with the author's personal reminiscences.

Unitarian Universalism is a tough religion to categorize or summarize. For those used to faiths where you are given a creed to follow and answers to life's deep questions, it can be difficult to understand the appeal of a religion that gives you questions rather than answers. There are no "authoritative" answers within the church regarding the existence of God or the nature of souls and the afterlife or why good people suffer, so the author of this book can only give his personal opinion without presuming to speak for Unitarian Universalism in general.

If you want to know more about Unitarian Universalism in general, this is a good book to start with. If you are wondering whether Unitarian Universalism might be the "right" religion for you, then you won't find the answer to that in this or any book. You need to attend a UU church and talk to the members of the congregation and see if it's a good "fit" for you. And be aware that no two UU congregations are the same -- some are heavily theistic, with a lot of spiritual/religious overtones (though none explicitly endorse or require members to believe in a deity), while others are much more "humanist." Some UU congregations are even explicitly pagan/"Earth-centered" in nature, though these are rare. The point is, if one congregation doesn't feel right to you, you might find another one does. You will find some UU members who are very comfortable with "religious language" while others recoil at any mention of God. Some regard this as a positive thing about Unitarian Universalism, the fact that it is so personal and unique to each individual's experience, others find the lack of uniformity or consensus frustrating.

I think it is this tension between "theists" and "humanists" within the UUA that prompted a previous reviewer's negative review of this book. As an atheist UU myself, I disagree with his assessment that this book is "hostile" to humanists/atheists. The thing is, the author is more theistic himself and so he has a more benevolent view of Unitarian Universalism's theistic (Christian, in fact) heritage. He doesn't explicitly say "There is a God," and admits he's unsure, but one gets the impression that he believes in some sort of higher power or at least would like to, and so he has a kindly attitude towards fellow believers. This may grate on determinedly atheistic UUs who would prefer that there be no mention at all of deities or spirituality in UU services. Personally, I don't find such religious references offensive as long as I am not being asked to subscribe personally to a belief in any gods or made to feel excluded because I don't. But as far as theology goes, this book only offers the author's PERSONAL theology; it cannot lay out a theological foundation for all UUs, because every UU approaches theology differently.

I am a fifteen year old UU, and this book has really helped me to understand my religion. Often when my friends ask about my religion, I have to give an inadequate answer because UU is so hard to explain in a short amount of time. I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped me a lot, even though I've been going to a UU church all my life.

For about ten years now I have struggled to find my spiritual niche. I was brought up Methodist Christian and never felt comfortable about my faith, that is until I read this book. The beliefs and practices of the Unitarian Church completely coincide with mine and many other family members and friends of mine. After reading this book I am now very optimistic about having a spiritually fulfilling life.

This book clearly explains what Unitarian Universalism is. At the same time, it is an incredibly enjoyable read. I find it inspirational and insightful. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an open-minded faith that emphasizes service and the search for Truth instead of dogma.

Revs. Buehrens and Church unquestionably have the institutional credentials to write an introduction to Unitarian Universalism. Nonetheless, I think this book is a travesty. To my eyes, it is full to overflowing with unfair and offensive attacks (which are in fact heavily contrary to the message of Unitarian Universalism) upon atheists, humanists and other skeptics whose belief systems do not toe the theological line drawn by the authors. There is nary a kind word about atheists in this book.

Five years ago, as a non-believer interested in Unitarian Universalism, "A Chosen Faith" was my first written introduction to the religion. The book taught me, among many other things, that my religious perspective was actually a "demonic pseudoreligion"; that UUs agreed with C.S. Lewis that "the opposite of belief in God is not a belief in nothing; it is a belief in anything"; that I was a spiritual "vacuum"; and that raising children without religion means ushering them into fundamentalist cults. In short, the book taught me that Unitarian Universalists would find me and my (non-) beliefs disgusting. This is the message secular people of many stripes will take away from "A Chosen Faith"--but it is far, far from the truth about UUism.

I am now a Unitarian Universalist, very much despite having read this book. My journey into the religion has consisted in large part of understanding (because I've been convinced by wonderful UUs, many of them Christians, pagans, theists, deists...) that Buehrens and Church are flat wrong about the place of atheism, humanism and skepticism within Unitarian Universalism.

We Unitarian Universalists covenant, in our statement of principles, "to affirm and promote the free and responsible search for truth and meaning." I believe "A Chosen Faith" repeatedly violates this covenant. As such, I think it is an extremely poor choice to serve as an introduction to Unitarian Universalism. If you are a UU, please do not inflict this book on a nonbeliever you care about. For anyone else in search of a good and fair introduction to UUism, I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. (Try uua.org, for starters.)

I had very little knowledge on UUs. Seeking information was very discouraging, as UUs dont proselytize, and dont give out much information. Between 100 Most Asked Questions ABout UUs & this book, I got a very clear description of their stances and why they believe as they do. Although I learned I am not a UU, I now have the knowledge to respect them, as they should be. They are truly a loving and unique denomination!

This book is a wonderful introduction to Unitarian Universalism. It is easy to read and explains well a religion that many people have a difficult time describing. After having read this book it is always the first book that I reccommend to persons who have have questions about Unitarian Universalism.

I grew up attending a Unitarian Universalist church, but once I reached an age to begin to understand and question the ideals of the faith, I went in search of information on this and other religions. This book was recommended to me by more than one person. I expected dry, history-filled rhetoric, but instead was treated to warm, humorous and thought-provoking sections that challenged me to evaluate my views on religion, social issues and my own value system. By the time I was finished I felt very comfortable with the ideas expressed about UUism and was intrigued to learn more.

Although this was a book about belief, it never forced any view or opinion on the reader. The writing was impeccable, and the chapter divisions were easy to understand. Most of all, it was inspiring. Living in the Bible Belt, this was a book that made me feel hopeful about the state of the world, even in the midst of so much prejudice and fanaticism. Wonderful, wonderful book! I recommend it wholeheartedly.