Unitarianism

Unitarianism is a nontrinitarian movement of Christianity, which affirms the unitary nature of God as the singular and unique creator of the universe. Unitarian theology critiques the traditional Christian theology of the Trinity, which regards God as being one divine essence, but three distinct persons — God The Father, God The Son (i.e., Jesus Christ), and God The Spirit (i.e., the Holy Spirit). Unitarians view this understanding of God as a later theological corruption, and they embrace a view of God as a singular, unified entity; in most Unitarian theological interpretations, Jesus Christ retains highest respect as a spiritual and moral teacher of unparalleled insight and sensitivity, with his divine nature as the Son of God being subordinate to the Creator God. Many Unitarians believe that Jesus Christ was inspired by God in his moral teachings and that he is the savior of mankind, and the exalted Son of God, but he is not equal to God himself. Accordingly, Unitarians reject the Ecumenical Councils and ecumenical creeds, and sit outside traditional, mainstream Christianity. Unitarianism was established in order to restore "primitive Christianity before later corruptions set in". Likewise, Unitarian Christians generally reject the doctrine of original sin. The churchmanship of Unitarianism may include liberal denominations or Unitarian Christian denominations that are more conservative, with the latter being known as biblical Unitarians. The birth of the Unitarian faith is proximate to the Radical Reformation, beginning almost simultaneously among the Protestant Polish Brethren in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and in the Principality of Transylvania in the mid-16th century. The first Unitarian Christian denomination known to have emerged during that time was the Unitarian Church of Transylvania, founded by the Unitarian preacher and theologian Ferenc Dávid (c. 1520 – 1579). Among its adherents were a significant number of Italians who took refuge in Bohemia,...