UU World Spring/Summer 2025 — “New Horizons for a Living Tradition”
© Ilene Perlman
In 2025, what does it mean when a religious denomination like Unitarian Universalism says it is a “living tradition”? The Spring/Summer edition of UU World, which reflects on the UUA’s past while also spotlighting its present and future, seeks to answer that question. “New Horizons for a Living Tradition” is now available online.
“[The] timely union of past and present prompted us to ask local congregations: What are you proclaiming about Unitarian Universalism today? Their answers will move and inspire you about the ever-evolving future of our faith tradition,” writes UU World’s Executive Editor, Kristen Cox Roby, in the edition.
Examining Past, Present, and Future
The issue looks at current UU congregations and their efforts to center love, promote shared values, create a sense of community, and solve problems in their neighborhoods. This includes highlighting how, in 2023, First Universalist Church of Camp Hill in Alabama recovered from both a natural disaster with the support of the UUA Disaster Relief Fund and a tragic mass shooting in their region. The magazine also looks at how one congregation in Boston has created a “Turn to Your Neighbor” initiative to build connection and another in Denver has initiated a safe parking lot program for unhoused individuals.
The building that houses First Unitarian Church of Baltimore, Maryland, in 2018. Rev. William Ellery Channing gave his landmark sermon on Unitarianism there on May 5, 1819.
© Benjamin C. Tankersley
In 1825, the American Unitarian Association (AUA) was established in Boston, thus becoming one of the two precursor organizations to the Unitarian Universalist Association. UU World examines that rich history, with a feature on Rev. William Ellery Channing’s 1819 sermon in Baltimore, which eventually resulted in the AUA’s founding. Additionally, the issue highlights the work of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a 19th century “author and activist [who] challenged Unitarians and other Christians to practice a form of religion that reflected ‘a stronger sense of justice and a more Christlike humanity in behalf of those … homeless, ignorant, and poor.’” And our own Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, the UUA’s Director of Communications and Public Ministry, offers a humorous spin on the AUA’s founding 200 years ago in the form of a one-act play.
Finally, the magazine looks at the UUA’s work today, with pieces on the 25th anniversary of the Our Whole Lives initiative, UU the Vote’s 2024 efforts, the growing number of BLUUHavens that offer Black UUs the opportunity to connect, and the UUA’s efforts to scale up support for trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, among other stories. Delegates to this year’s General Assembly (GA) and other interested parties can also read the statements from the candidates running for the Moderator position, which will be voted on at GA in June.
Subscribing to UU World and Wayfinder
The Spring/Summer 2025 edition is available at UUWorld.org and at newsstands across the country. You can also subscribe to the UUWorld online or subscribe to Wayfinder, the UU World’s twice-a-month email newsletter.