Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Faith Like a River: A Program on Unitarian Universalist History for Adults

Activity 3: Sources of Religious Knowledge

Part of Faith like a River: Themes from Unitarian Universalist History

Activity time: 15 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Print out and review Leader Resource 3, Sources of Religious Knowledge. Prepare to present the material by reading it aloud or paraphrasing.
  • Copy of Handout 2, Sources of the Living Tradition.

Description of Activity

Present the contents of Leader Resource 3, Sources of Religious Knowledge.

Distribute Handout 2, Sources of the Living Tradition. Read the handout aloud, affirming that describes the development of Unitarian Universalism rather than state the beliefs of all Unitarian Universalists. Then, invite participants to sit in quiet reflection and consider which of the Sources listed on Handout 2 best represents their earliest experiences of spirituality or religion. Pause, and then ask which resonates most strongly with their beliefs now-at this time in their lives.

Offer a time for participants to sketch, diagram, or write about how their understanding of religious authority may have changed over time. After about five minutes, invite participants to share their reflections with a partner.