© 1995 Dick Bain
© 1995 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book presents one of the most complete pictures of theology and religion available to humankind. Many students of the book refer to its teachings as their religion. Other readers are uncomfortable with any reference to traditional religion. Increasingly the question arises, “Will The Urantia Book inspire the organization of new religious institutions?” Should there be a Urantia church?
The terms “church” and “religion” are often used to mean the same thing, so I will define what I mean when I use the terms. I take my cues from Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. By church, I mean socialized and organized religion with buildings and clergy. By religion. I mean a community in which the individuals share a common set of spiritual beliefs and attitudes relating to God. Early Christianity was a religion but only later became a church.
By church, Imean socialized and organized religion with buildings and clergy. By religion, I mean a community in which the individuals share a common set of spiritual beliefs and attitudes relating to God. Early Christianity was a religion but only later became a church.
If some Urantia Book readers find the idea of a Urantia religion objectionable, then they would no doubt view the idea of a Urantia church as a terrible turn of events! The distaste of many people in the Urantia movement for a church or even for a religion is understandable. Some rather despicable things have been done in the name of religion. The church has often teen a roadblock in the way of social, scientific, and even spiritual progress. Wars have been fought and people have been persecuted because of disagreements over theology. On the other hand, socialized religion as embodied in the church, synagogue or mosque has at times been a conservator of values and even of valuable knowledge. It has also provided a community of loving support for many in times of trouble. And because of its conservative nature, the church has at times been a governor on the engines of change to prevent too rapid or too radical changes. Weaknesses in one situation can sometimes be strengths in other settings.
Another objection that people have to socialized religion, especially as seen in the church, is that it isolates groups from one another; it promotes the “us vs. them” syndrome. If people begin to see the Urantia movement as just another religion or church with its own holy book, will this inhibit them from looking at The Urantia Book? Will we thereby limit the growth of Urantia Book readership? Do the advantages of a Urantia church outweigh the potential problems?
If some Urantia Book readers find the idea of a Urantia religion objectionable, then they would no doubt view the idea of a Urantia church as a terrible turn of events!
Some people will see the development of a Urantia church as a great sell-out, the beginning of bureaucracy, and the death of real religion. I would ask this question of such folks: How many practicing Gnostics do you know? The Gnostics in early Christianity were opposed to the development of a professional clergy and they were against overmuch organization. But without organization they had no power. Gnosticism wilted away as a result of the power of the organized Christian church. Humans are institution builders because institutions are the machines that carry out the great tasks of civilization. The Urantia movement will have difficulty accomplishing large, long term programs without the power of a well-organized church.
On UB 97:10.7, the authors of The Urantia Book offer an additional reason for the development of a socialized religious institution such as a church: “The Jewish religion persisted also because of its institutions. It is difficult for religion to survive as the private practice of isolated individuals.” And again on UB 98:6.1: “While it is true that the institutionalization of religion has usually detracted from its spiritual quality, it is also a fact that no religion has thus far succeeded in surviving without the aid of institutional organization of some degree, greater or lesser.” If a Urantia religion exists or is developing, then it seems it will eventually need to organize to survive.
Humans are institution builders because institutions are the machines that carry out the great tasks of civilization. The Urantia movement will have difficulty accomplishing large, long term programs without the power of a well-organized church.
But even if a Urantia church develops, many students of The Urantia Book will not rush to join it. Such a church will only be one aspect of the Urantia movement. I see three different types of Urantia Book readers. The first type is the totally independent person. Many readers have anti-institution sentiments and would have nothing to do with a Urantia church. These people will be valuable to the Urantia movement because they will be free to introduce the book to people who are independent like themselves. The second type of Urantia Book reader is one who embraces the teachings of the book, but remains a loyal member of his or her religious organization.This person is an asset to the spread of Urantia Book teachings because they are positioned to introduce the book to people of their church or other religious organization. They are missionaries of a sort. The third type of Urantia Book student is one who longs for a church that provides the sort of supportand organizational functions that the Christian church provides, but a church composed of students of the book and a church that fully embodies the teachings of The Urantia Book.
What of those who embrace the teachings of The Urantia Book but choose to remain a part of the traditional Christian church? Can anyone be intensely involved in this enlarged picture of spiritual reality and be a Christian (Moslem, Jew; etc.) as well?
What of those who embrace the teachings of The Urantia Book but choose to remain a part of the traditional Christian church? Can anyone be intensely involved in this enlarged picture of spiritual reality and be a Christian (Moslem, Jew, etc.) as well? Maybe. It depends on the brand of religion with which they are involved. The fundamentalist sects of the various religions have very little tolerance for ideas outside their theology. The few people I have spoken to whoare both students of the book and members of Christian fundamentalist churches choose to conceal their involvement with the book to avoid problems with their church. On the other hand, based on personal experience, a liberal Christian has little difficulty in this religious coexistence because the theology of the book is basically compatible with that of the liberal Christian church. This coexistence, of course, requires a sharing of time and resources.
The few people I have spoken to who are both students of the book and members of Christian fundamentalist churches choose to conceal their involvement with the book to avoid problems with their church. On the other hand, based on personal experience, a liberal Christian has little difficulty in this religious coexistence because the theology of the book is basically compatible with that of the liberal Christian church.
When a Urantia Book student is a part of an established religious organization such as the Christian church, I suspect that in most cases the organization or church gets more of the person’s money, time, and loyalty than any Urantia organization gets. Of course, there is a good reason the Christian church gets the lion’s share of everything. It has the infrastructure which the Urantia movement in general does not have. It offers worship services on Saturday or Sunday, and a professional clergy who can counsel people, perform weddings, and represent the Christian community to the rest of the world. At its best, the church offers a social/spiritual structure within which people feel they have a place and an identity. The Urantia movement struggles at a disadvantage because it lacks much of this structure; therefore it cannot command the loyalty and resources the Christian church can. Furthermore, in a culture that is so largely Christian, the Christian church has the approval and sanction of society; the fellowship of Urantia Book readers is still largely unknown. When the religion inspired by The Urantia Book does develop such an infrastructure, then it will begin to command more of the loyalty and resources of students of the book. For those who long for a church that embodies the teachings of The Urantia Book, there is an unmet need. It appears we already have a Urantia religion; I believe it is only a matter of time before some sort of Urantia church emerges from this religion.
It appears we already have a Urantia religion; I believe it is only a matter of time before some sort of Urantia church emerges from this religion.
What will be the relationship of a Urantia church to other religious organizations, especially the Christian church? It all depends on perceptions. It’s not how this Urantia church sees itself that counts; it is how the dominant culture perceives it. Because The Urantia Book readership is small and not prone to the sort of sensationalism that attracts the press, there is no general awareness of The Urantia Book at this time.This anonymity will not last forever. When groups of UrantiaBook students organize churches, they will become very visible. If this church movement remains small, it can nodoubt maintain cordial relations with all but the most conservative Christian churches, much as Unitarian Universalists do. If it grows into a real powerhouse and begins to pull in large numbers of members from Christian churches, it may be seen as a threat and perhaps some tensions will develop. If, on the other hand, this postulated Urantia church is or is perceived as a splinter Christian church, then it may blend into the Christian background so well that it’s hardly noticeable.
In addition to groups of Urantia Book students forming churches, how will The Urantia Book influence institutional religion? If we look to the example of the Christian church and Judaism, we note that the Christian church was built on the foundations of Judaism, but was far more than just a reformed Judaism. But the differences between Judaism and the emerging Christian religion were much greater than are the differences between the teachings of The Urantia Book and Christianity. The theology of the book could almost be seen as Christian theology purged of its negative aspects. Will the UrantiaBook frame of reference grow within the cocoon of the Christian church and eventually split of to form its own denomination? I feel that there is a strong possibility of a spin-off sect. Or will the Christian church-or a segment of it-evolve because of its contact with Urantia Book teachings and become a reformed and revitalized Christian Church? This is what many of us hope will happen. The authors of The Urantia Book indicate that either a new church will emerge from within the Christian church, or that the Christian church itself will be transformed from within. Possibly both of these events will take place. On page 1866 they tell us, “Thus does the so-called Christian church become the cocoon in which the kingdom of Jesus” conceptnow slumbers. The kingdom of the divine brotherhood is still alive and will eventually and certainly come forth from this long submergence, just as surely as the butterfly eventually emerges as the beautif ul unfolding of its less attractive creature of metamorphic development…" It may be what will emerge does not resemble the Christian church, but it would be hard to believe that it would not at least bear traces of its ancestry.
…will the Christian church-or a segment of itevolve because of its contact with Urantia Book teachings and become a reformed and revitalized Christian Church? This is what many of us hope will happen. The authors of The Urantia Book indicate that either a new church will emerge from within the Christian church, or that the Christian church itself will be transformed from within.
It seems that rites and rituals are a necessary part of most religions, and I am sure a Urantia church will be no exception. The rites and rituals that are a part of the Christian religion have a long history and a strong identity and might be appropriated by an emergent church structured by Urantia Book teachings. Unfortunately, some of the rituals, such as communion, have traditional atonement meanings that are not in harmony with Urantia Book theology, but they could be redefined so they reflect the more positive teachings of the book. Even if a Urantia church develops totally outside of the Christian church, I suspect that the re will be many similarities between the Urantia church and the Christian church. It is much easier, faster, and generally the natural human tendency to adapt existing rites and rituals rather than start from scratch. Symbols may be more of a problem.
On UB 87:7.6, the authors inform us that “…even the restatement of the religion of Jesus must develop a new and appropriate symbolism.” What then becomes of the primary symbol of traditional Christianity, the cross? It certainly has quite a different meaning for those who are students of The Urantia Book. Can this venerable Christian symbol be purged of its atonement connection and rehabilitated to symbolize the real meaning of Jesus’ life and death? The problem is that the cross is primarily a symbol of Jesus’ death, not his life. Perhaps a shepherd’s crook would be a more appropriate symbol. Another symbol that will surely be appropriated by a Urantia church is that of the three concentric blue circles, the banner of Christ Michael and the symbol of the Paradise Trinity. I suspect that a Urantia church will long use wellknown symbols before developing a unique symbolism.
The proliferation of churches reflecting the teachings of The Urantia Book may be a long way in the future. It will of necessity be preceded by the widespread social awareness of the teachings of The Urantia Book. I feel that the Urantia movement already is a religion whether or not Urantia Book students recognize themselves as such. The early Christians probably did not perceive themselves as a new religion; they didn’t even name themselves, someone else did. When there comes to be a widespread consciousness of the Urantia community, perhaps it will also be named by outsiders.
A case could be made that a Urantia church of sorts already exists. Consider: Church-goers meet periodically for fellow ship and worship. Students of The UrantiaBook gather periodically for fellowship and occasional worship at conferences. They do not have permanent buildings for these functions, or a priesthood, but there are those talented teachers and leaders who organize conferences, lead workshops and worship. And there is an underground church of sorts in the study groups who meet in people’s homes. These groups are generally educational and social, but they certainly have spiritual overtones. There was a so-called “house church” movement in the US a few decades ago. The proponents were trying to move the church away from the conventional church buildings and into the home to pray and worship as the eariy Christians did. Those Urantia study groups which have a more spiritual focus certainly have the flavor of a house church. When a Urantia church emerges, even if it originates from within the Christian church, the real source could be from the seeds of the more spiritual study groups. We may conjecture about where or how a new religious organization will emerge as a result of the Fifth Epochal Revelation, but the authors of The Urantia Book make it clear that something will emergenot if, but when!
“The great hope of Urantia lies in the possibility of a new revelation of Jesus with a new and enlarged presentation of his saving message which would spiritually mite in loving service the numerous families of his present-day professed followers.” (UB 195:10.16)
Dick Bain is an electrical engineer and an editor of Innerface International. He is a long time sudent of the The Urantia Book.