How can we explain God? What is Oneness?

How can we explain God?  In my first Metaphysics class, I was given a clear Unity definition that I reference whenever I try to explain the BIGNESS of God: God is Omnipresence (everywhere present), Omnipotence (all Power) and Omniscience (all Knowledge). Notice the tense of these words: not Omnipotent, but Omnipotence, delineating the difference between "all powerful" and "all Power." I also look to our first Unity basic principle which states: God is Good.  Let's take a further look into what EB has to say about God in UQT.

EB claims that to "define a thing is to limit it," (p. 29-30) and I agree. There is the experience of God that goes beyond words, like the energy we feel when we come together for Sunday service, the sense of sacred space in our prayer room with the chaplains.  Can you put words to that amazing feeling?  Unity does not ask that you accept a certain definition of God, but invites you to find your own.  So, what is our history of understanding God?

In order to define God, Christian tradition looks to the words and stories of the Bible.  The Bible reflects our human understanding and relationship with God throughout the ages.  The God depicted in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) was "stern, autocratic, and sometimes cruel God, a God of vengeance who destroyed whole cities with all their inhabitants."  (p. 31)  The evolution of our understanding of God is apparent in Jesus' relationship with God as a loving Father.

In John 10:30, Jesus shares His greatest statement of Truth: "The Father and I are One."  Jesus revealed in His ministry that we can do the things that he has done and greater, and that His healings occurred through the power of God within the person healed: "Your Faith has made you whole." (Mark 5:34) Unity is "concerned more with finding the consciousness of oneness with God, and then seeking to express God in thought, word, and act." (UQT p. 33) Let's take a closer look at the concept of Oneness.

In Charles Fillmore's (Unity's co-founder) quest for spiritual unfoldment, he stated: “In this babble I will go to headquarters. If I am Spirit and this God they talk about so much is Spirit, we can somehow communicate, or the whole thing is a fraud.”  He set aside an hour each evening to be still and commune with God.  He eventually did, and the Unity teachings focus on our ability to commune with God in prayer and meditation, thus experiencing our Oneness with Spirit.  EB states that "Unity is probably the most difficult religious discipline in the world -- simply because you are face-to-face with God and with yourself." (p. 41)  I also find that this discipline is truly rewarding.

While EB claims the Bible as Unity's primary text, I have found that it is important to include other Unity books as primary texts in our Truth studies to understand the message of Unity.  I read many Unity books before my studies brought me back to the Bible, and I found they have allowed me to evolve in my spiritual understanding so that I was open to see the message of the Bible with fresh eyes and find its message for me in the present moment.

What Unity books have most inspired you? I would say that Charles Fillmore's The Twelve Powers and the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary would be considered primary texts.  Please comment on what others you might add to this list.

Release the Imprisoned Splendor! Unity: A Quest for Truth

 

In the Introduction to Unity: A Quest for Truth (UQT), Eric Butterworth (EB) invites us to "take a look in a mirror and ask what your life would be like if you released your 'imprisoned splendor.'"  Let's take a look into UQT, and see what imprisoned splendor it holds.

UQT introduces Unity's message with an approach that answers the question: "What makes Unity unique?" from the perspective of a Unity minister who was asked the same questions so many times that the demand for this information in printed form became clear.  Those of us in Unity often find ourselves faced with the question, "What is Unity?," knowing that there is no simple answer.  A good look at EB's main themes should give us a solid basis so that we can be conversant with people of all faiths on what we believe.

EB emphasizes that Unity teaches a firsthand experience of God.  According to EB, "God is not only the God of history ... God is also the God of today."  (p. 4) In the Introduction, he states his theme that revelation is ongoing.  Because Truth is ever unfolding, we need a faith that focuses on what God is revealing to us today.  God is Life, Love, Substance, Mind, and you are an expression of God, a child of God. (p. 34)

Since we are teaching of a present-day God, our religion must reflect modern thought in order to be influential.  (While I am aware of few religions that have done this, Unity continues to evolve as evidenced by the recent publication of Heart-Centered Metaphysics by Paul Hasselbeck which introduces the language of Oneness, reflecting our current interpretation of traditional languaging with the understanding that there is no separation between us and the presence of God.)

EB's ecclesiology, or his view of the church's role in an individual's life and the individual's role in the church, is another primary theme in UQT.  EB states that movements such as Unity have formed in reaction to the failure of traditional Christian churches to realize that "Christianity is yet to be discovered." (p. 14)  Unity has been called "a return to first-century Christianity" because its focus is on Practical Christianity, which implies that Jesus intended us to practice his teachings.  Unity is unique from other organizations in the New Thought movement because its teachings are centered on the interpretation and articulation of Jesus' teachings.  Unity places Jesus as its true authority, and calls itself a Christian movement.

EB’s Christology (his view of Jesus Christ) presents a differentiation between Jesus Christ and the Christ consciousness.  In Unity, we see Jesus as our Way-Shower.  Jesus taught that “the kingdom of God is within you,” and he placed the emphasis on you, your unfoldment.  “Christ is the perfect idea of God for us,” (p. 29) and Jesus Christ was the perfect human demonstration of that idea.  

The Bible is Unity’s primary textbook: "essentially a record of human experiences in the quest for God and for Truth."  (p. 39)  EB’s most frequent reference source is the Bible, and his metaphysical interpretations of the Bible give authority to his concepts.   

Unity presents "a new science of prayer." (p. 5)  The possible overriding theme of EB’s theology is “you can change your life by altering your thoughts.” (p. 1) Prayer is our tool for altering our thoughts to get into alignment with the creative energy of the Universe.  Prayer is used to change ourselves, not God.  We do not stop thinking, we experience “high-level, creative thinking.” Unity uses affirmative prayer, “claiming and accepting” (p. 51) our good through the power of the I AM (i.e. I AM strong.) It requires disciplined effort to practice the presence of God, and we are “saved” when we choose to think positively and pray constantly.  EB’s soteriology (study of salvation) is expressed in his belief that we are saved by the power within. Most wisdom lies locked in the depths of our mental potential. "We are incurably religious" by nature and are "born to inquire after Truth." (p. 10)

Sickness is never God’s will, but is the result of an idea of limitation held in consciousness. Unity recognizes the value of medical science, but teaches that true health comes from within.  

We may believe we are limited to our physical existence, but EB shares that “we are spiritual beings living in a spiritual world governed by spiritual law.” (p. 71) EB introduces Unity’s theory of reincarnation as our answer to the question of how we can fully demonstrate the Christ life, but it is not the object of our study.

Unity teaches the prosperity law, that God is our Source,  and “within you is the “unborn possibility of opulence and fulfillment.” (p. 62)  

One theme of EB’s that I have questioned is his concept of the forgiveness of God.  He says that in reincarnation, we are given a second chance “through the forgiveness of God.” (p. 74)  To me, this statement implies that if we do not achieve perfection in this lifetime, we have sinned or done something that requires forgiveness.  He also gives a prayer treatment on pages 80-81 for accepting the forgiveness of God.  I will be interested to see if this concept of forgiveness continues in the same manner in his other works.

I also question his statement that “the entire Unity teaching might well be summed up under the headings of ‘prayer’ and ‘right thinking.’” (p. 52)  I believe what is missing here is expression, or action.  

While this book is small, it is densely populated with the main tenets of Unity.  When I first read this book, I was awed by its many revelations, and believe it continues to hold much of the splendor that is Unity.  I will be using the themes I have presented in this posting as the basis for evaluating how EB develops these ideas in his subsequent books.      

Welcome to my Eric Butterworth Blog!

As those of you who know me know, I am a big fan of social media. You can often find me posting on Facebook and Twitter, and I get so much joy connecting with my family and friends in this way.  I am currently in my first semester of online classes in Unity Institute's Master of Divinity graduate program, and one of my courses is the Theology of Eric Butterworth. 

As an alternative to a term paper (a rather lengthy one, at that!), I chose the option of creating an interactive blog to explore the elements of best-selling Unity author and minister Eric Butterworth's theology.  I will most likely be writing much more than the paper required, however, in this format we can explore the ideas presented in his books together, which is much more fun, right?  I invite you to share your comments as I delve a little further into Eric Butterworth's (EB's) writings in this interactive environment.

In this blog, I am proposing that EB's first book, Unity: A Quest for Truth (which I will refer to as UQT), can be used as a basic outline for the themes presented in EB's library.  I will begin with an analysis of UQT, determining what ideas EB is introducing to us about the Unity movement and its principles.  I will follow this with subsequent posts discussing each EB book which we are focusing on in the course, what themes it presents, where these themes may (or may not) be found in UQT, and how his theology had evolved since UQT. 

Since this is my first time approaching these books from an analytical perspective, we are on this Quest together!  It is apropos that we are beginning with UQT, since this was also my first Unity book.  I will be posting soon on UQT, so I invite you to follow this blog and share your insights. 

Thank you for joining me on this Quest!