UU Institute

A course on liberal religious theology in public life, asking how religious communities can contribute to democratic and secular public debate without abandoning either theological depth or respect for pluralism. It explores the relationship between faith, public witness, justice, and civic responsibility, and invites participants to think about what a distinctly liberal religious voice can offer beyond purely private belief.

An introduction to process theology as a framework for thinking seriously about religious plurality. Rather than reducing diverse spiritual traditions to a single common denominator, the course explores how process thought can provide a liberal theological language for difference, relationship, change, and the continuing emergence of meaning across distinct religious perspectives.

An exploration of theological diversity within Unitarian Universalism and of the practical question of how people with very different religious and non-religious outlooks can share one liberal religious community. The course looks at patterns of belief and identity within UU congregations and offers ways to understand, discuss, and work constructively with that plurality without forcing it into a single theological mould.

A historical introduction to the theological roots of Unitarian Universalist social engagement. The course follows how liberal religious ideas have interacted with movements including abolition, democracy, women's rights, civil rights, and anti-racism, helping learners see justice work not simply as activism added onto religion but as something shaped by changing theological convictions and communities.

A five-part course examining how Unitarian and Universalist communities have participated in colonial and international power structures, and how those histories continue to shape relationships today. Developed from international UU conversations, it considers mission, partnership, cultural dominance, accountability, and the possibility of more mutual and decolonial forms of religious relationship.

A six-module introduction to Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist history led by the Rev. Dr. Susan Ritchie. Beginning with European origins, it follows the emergence of American Unitarianism and Universalism, major questions of religious identity, and their eventual consolidation, using history as a lens for understanding contemporary Unitarian Universalist identity and mission.