November 9-12, 2026
We convene at a critical juncture in the nation’s history, a moment when democratic aspirations are embattled by the rising tide of authoritarianism, to critically examine, learn from, and celebrate our inheritance of universalist theologies. Can a re-articulation of Universalist Theologies offer the sustenance our communities need to resist and inspire during these times? Universalist traditions—whether formally codified or emerging from grassroots interfaith dialogues—affirm the ultimate reconciliation and inherent dignity of all humanity, offering powerful responses to religious exclusivism and division. We invite one another, in our studies, as paper writers and respondents, to investigate historical developments, doctrinal distinctives, and offer contemporary articulations of Universalist theologies and practice. Let us pay particular attention to issues of justice, pluralism, trauma, and global context, exploring both the promises and challenges of Universalist frameworks, to move the tradition forward.
An issue we note is that UUs haven’t deepened our theo-ethical understanding of Universalism since 1960. Yet in 2023, we adopted new Values language defining Love at the Center of our tradition, an implicit invocation of our Universalist theological inheritance. This is an opportunity to engage more deeply in theological writing and to grapple with our contemporary Universalist theology. Through the various Sessions and Aesthetics, let us imagine the plurality and promise of a vital Universalist tradition. Overall, we hope to explore together what Universalism means today.
Session #1: Social Implications of Universalism
● What does Love mean when we speak of Love at the center of our tradition?
● What are social imperatives for our work in the world that flow from this theological foundation?
● What does Universal Salvation, or learning about it, mean to our contemporary audience?
● What promises and challenges does it offer?
Session #2: Call to Love: God’s Universal Grace and Covenantal Living
● Beyond the behavioral understandings and discipline of covenant, what is a theology of covenant implicit in Universal Salvation (God’s universal grace)?
● How does a theology with Love at the Center inform our practices of Covenant in congregations and collegial spaces?
● Within UU communities, what [aspirational] practices of Covenant can help us move towards healing, reconciliation, and repair when faced with cruelty, hurt, and harm?
● How does Universalism shape our understanding and practice of reconciliation and healing when repair is not possible?
Session # 3: Reckoning with Evil; Ending Harm: Universalist Theology in a time of dehumanization and cruelty.
● In the midst of human cruelty and the capacity to inflict harm, how does Universalism provide a framework for accountability and repair without retribution?
● What does this theology offer us when witnessing and resisting cruelty?
● Will evil doers be saved? If the Universalist answer is yes, how do we grapple with or explain evil and evil-doers as Universalists? What is the message(s) to those harmed if the answer is yes?
Session #4: Universalism Across Religion(s): What can we learn from universalism within other religious traditions and across traditions?
● How does our tradition address religious pluralism and differences within universalist frameworks?
● Are there tensions between universalist visions and local/particular/diverse beliefs within our tradition and our members? (Note: consider those who hold multiple religious identities and belongings)
● How might universalist theologies foster collaboration across religious and secular boundaries?
Main Resources
Unitarian Universalism
● Buehrens, John A., & Rebecca Ann Parker, A House of Hope: The Promise of Progressive Religion, Beacon Press, 2011.
● Ballou, Hosea. A Treatise on Atonement
● UUA-Common Read: Love at the Center: Unitarian Universalist Theologies, ed. Rev. Dr. Sofia Betacourt, https://www.uua.org/lifespan/curricula/read
Christian Universalism
● Congdon, D. W., Parry, R. A., Ludlow, M., & Greggs, T. Varieties of Christian Universalism: Exploring Four Views (2023)
Universalism in Comparative and Interfaith Thought
● Sacks, Jonathan. The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations. Continuum, 2002.
● Thich Nhat Hanh. Living Buddha, Living Christ. Riverhead Books, 1997.
Historical and Philosophical Surveys
● Dewey, John. A Common Faith (1934)
● Boehm, Omri, Radical Universalism: Beyond Identity, 2025
● Vicchio, Stephen, Ivan & Adolf: The Last Man in Hell, 2011
Additional Resources
Unitarian Universalism
● Robinson, David. The Unitarians and the Universalists. Scarecrow Press, 1989.
● Harris, Mark W. Historical Dictionary of Unitarian Universalism. Scarecrow Press, 2004.
● Unitarian Universalist Association. Principles and Sources (denominational website & curriculum).
● Muir, Fred. Maglipay Universalist: A History of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines
● Greenwood, Andrea & D. Wayne. An Introduction to the Unitarian and Universalist Traditions. Cambridge University Press, 2011 (with selected bibliography).
Christian Universalism
● Gregory of Nyssa. Classical texts on Universal Reconciliation.
● Origen of Alexandria. De Principiis (On First Principles).
● Ramelli, Ilaria. The Christian Doctrine of Apokatastasis: A Critical Assessment from the New Testament to Eriugena. Brill, 2013.
● Hanson, John Wesley. Universalism, the Prevailing Doctrine of the Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years. 1899.
● Talbott, Thomas. The Inescapable Love of God. Cascade Books, 2014.
● Allin, Thomas. Christ Triumphant: Or Universalism Asserted as the Hope of Christianity. 1885.
● Jersak, Brad. Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell, and the New Jerusalem. Wipf and Stock, 2009.
● Fristad, Kalen. Destined For Salvation: God’s Promise to Save Everyone. Morris Publishing, 2003.
● Burnfield, David. Patristic Universalism: An Alternative to the Traditional View of Divine Judgment. 2016.
● Parry, Robin A. The Evangelical Universalist. SPCK, 2006.
Comparative and Interfaith
● Hick, John. God and the Universe of Faiths. Oneworld, 1973.
● Goodman, Lenn E. Religious Pluralism and Values in the Jewish Tradition. Oxford University Press, 2008.
● Ikeda, Daisaku. Buddhism and the Cosmos: The Lotus Sutra and the Universal Law. Middleway Press, 1996.
● Irwin, Lee. The Dream Seekers: Native American Visionary Traditions (1994).
● Patton, Ken. https://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/biographies/kenneth-leo-patton/
Universalism in Other Traditions
● Sachedina, Abdulaziz. The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. Oxford University Press, 2001.
● Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. The Garden of Truth: The Vision and Promise of Sufism. HarperOne, 2007.
● Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions (universal chapters). HarperOne, 1991.
Secular/Humanist
● Unitarian Universalist Association. Humanist Manifestos and Sources
● Mackey, James P. Religionless Christianity and Universalism (2007).
Historical and Philosophical Surveys
● Alger, William R. A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life. 1864 (abbreviated bibliography by Ezra Abbot).
● McClymond, Michael J. The Devil’s Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism. Baker Academic, 2018.
Selected Articles and Essays
● Rea, Michael. “Hopeful Universalism.” (Philosophical essay summarized in Eclectic Orthodoxy).
● Carey, Jeremiah. “Universal Salvation and Free Will: A Response to Fr James Dominic Rooney.” (Journal essay).
● Chenoweth, Mark. “St Maximus the Universalist?” (Theological essay)
Prairie Group 