Unitarian Universalist
History
The Unitarians: 0 c.e. – 1638 c.e.
Rise of Christianity
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1st thru 3rd Century
Constant fighting
Small Christian sects
with differing views
Persecution
Rise of Christianity
Roman Empire in 325c.e.
Constantine the Great – 272-337c.e.
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Rules from 306 to 337c.e.
Born and lives a Pagan
Issues “Edict of Milan” – 311
and 313c.e.
Issues Nicene Creed – 325c.e.
Dies a Christian
Nicene Creed – 325c.e.
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First Council of Nicaea
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Purpose – to standardize Christianity
Arius vs. Athanasius
318 out of 1,800 bishops come
Nicene Creed issued after nearly a month of
debate!
Exile, banishment, and excommunication
Arius - 256–336c.e.
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Alexandria, Egypt
Believed Christian theology was
being too freely mixed with Greek
pagan philosophy
Son =/= Father (God)
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John 14:28: "the Father is greater than
I". And also Colossians 1:15: "the
firstborn of all creation."
True first-born son
Excommunicated (Palestine)
Poisoned
The Middle Ages – 5th-15th Centuries
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Collapse of
Western Roman
Empire – 476c.e.
The Crusades –
1095c.e.
Black Death –
1347 and 1350c.e.
Joan of Arc –
1412-1431c.e.
Europe – 1300c.e.
A Tradition of Heresy
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Heretic comes from the Greek word
“hairesis”
Translation: “to personally select or choose”
George Wishart (1513–1546), St Andrews, Scotland
Rogers' execution at Smithfield, 1555
John Rogers († 1555), London, England
Canterbury Martyrs († 1555), England
Laurence Saunders, (1519–1555), England
Rowland Taylor († 1555), England
John Hooper († 1555), England
Robert Ferrar († 1555), Carmarthen, Wales
Patrick Pakingham († 1555), Uxbridge, England
Hugh Latimer (1485–1555), relapsed heretic, England
Nicholas Ridley (1500–1555), England
Bartolomeo Hector († 1555)
Paolo Rappi († 1555)
Vernon Giovanni († 1555)
Labori Antonio († 1555)
John Bradford († 1555), London, England
Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556), relapsed heretic, England
Stratford Martyrs († 1556), 11 men and 2 women, London, England
Joan Waste (d. 1556), Derby, England
Pomponio Angerio († 1556)
Nicola Sartonio († 1557)
Thomas von Imbroich († 1558) (beheaded)
Fra Goffredo Varaglia († 1558)
Gisberto di Milanuccio († 1558)
Francesco Cartone († 1558)
Katarzyna Weiglowa – 1460-1539
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Bona Sforza presided
over the burning –
ushered in a new era of
tolerance
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Married to a Polish statesman
Converted from Roman
Catholicism
Refused to recant – imprisoned
for 10 years
Burned at the stake as a heretic
Unitarian and Jewish martyr
Miguel Serveto – 1510 - 1553
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A true “renaissance man”
Many books and readings on
anatomy, physics, biology,
theology, poetry, etc.
University of Paris
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Jehan Chauvin – no debate
On the Errors of the Trinity –
1531, and The Restitution of
Christianity – 1553
Michael Servetus
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Condemned by Catholics and Protestants
Changes name: Michel de Villeneuve
Correspondence with John Calvin
Inquisition – talks them out of it
Inquisition – Escape!
1553 – Geneva for a debate?
Burned at the stake as a heretic
“To kill a man is not to defend a doctrine, but to kill a man”
King John Sigismund – 1540-1571
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Father died when he was a baby
Ruled from 1559-1571
Edict of Torda – 1568
Francis David argued for the
Unitarians, and won
His beliefs were that “faith is the
gift of God” and cannot be forced
by power or fear
Religious freedom for everyone
Francis David – 1510-1579
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Successfully argued Unitarian stance in
Torda
Helped to found Unitarian Church of
Transylvania
When King John Sigismund died in 1571,
succeeded by a Catholic king
Francis David tried as an ‘innovator’ in
1572
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Failure to invoke Jesus Christ during prayer
Non-virgin birth
Defended by Sozzini
Died in prison in 1579
Fausto Paolo Sozzini – 1539-1604
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Family of Antitrinitarians
Views held:
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Christ not pre-extant
no original sin
rejects proprietary view of atonement
predestination in question
1598c.e. Sozzini begins publishing in
his own name
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Mob destroys his home
Beats him severely
The Polish Brethren
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Minor Reformed Church of Poland (Raców) –
1565-1658
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The Racovian Academy – 1602-1638
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Non-trinitarian Protestant church
Based on teachings of Arius and Sozzini
At least 1,000 students
Approx. 1 in 5 Polish intellectuals Arian
After expulsion from Poland, self-identified as
Unitarians
The Polish Brethren – post-exile
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The Brethren were exiled in three directions,
finding asylum in:
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Duchy of Prussia - founded new congregations there
The Netherlands
Transylvania - Unitarian Church of Transylvania and
Unitarian College in Cluj.
Other Heretics
Jan Hus – 1369-1415
John Wycliffe – 1320-1384
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Heretic comes from
the Greek word
“hairesis”
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Translation: “to
personally select or
choose”