Our Beliefs 

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion that draws wisdom and inspiration from many sources.  Unitarian Universalists include people who identify themselves as Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, GLBT, along with other religious or philosophical traditions. Unitarian Universalism dictates no creed, dogma, or doctrine.  We support and encourage the discovery of personal spiritual beliefs.  

Sources of Unitarian Universalist Faith

The Living Tradition we share draws from many sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life;

• Words and deeds of prophetic people that challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

• Wisdom from the world’s religions, which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;

• Jewish and Christian teachings that call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;

• Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions that celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Grateful for the religious pluralism that enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision.  As free congregations, we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism

For some within Unitarian Universalism, there are seven Principles which reflect deeply-held values and serve as a moral guide. The wisdom and spirituality of these Principles are drawn from sources as diverse as science, poetry, scripture, and personal experience.

The Shared Values of Unitarian Universalism

At General Assembly in 2024, after several years of reviewing Article II (which has housed the 7 Principles), the UUA voted and affirmed a new set of Unitarian Universalist Shared Values.  BSUU is spending the next year or so discussing these new Shared Values and finding ways to fold them into our spiritual lives.

The Five Jagged Rocks

The Five Jagged Rocks were created by Rev. Nancy Bowen, Rev. Mike Morran, and others within the Mountain Desert District of the Unitarian Universalist Association. They are a specifically UU understanding and expansion of what James Luther Adams called “the five smooth stones of liberal religious tradition.” Adams created the smooth stones with inspiration from the biblical story of David and Goliath.

The Five Jagged Rocks is a re-interpretation through the lens of Unitarian Universalism (UU). While David used five smooth stones to defeat Goliath, modern UU theology uses the metaphor of “Five Jagged Rocks” to represent the faith’s core values—an evolution from James Luther Adams’s “Five Smooth Stones” of liberal religion.

You can read more about the Five Jagged Rocks at https://www.uua.org/worship/words/sermon/five-jagged-rocks-unitarian-universalism.