My theology is shaped by liberation, womanist, postcolonial, queer, and eco-feminist theologians. I consider myself a non-theistic humanist with an appreciation for language of reverence. I am culturally Christian, having been heavily influenced by my Irish Catholic roots. I have a deep love for rituals surrounding Lent, particularly Holy Week, and the season of Advent. I appreciate reinterpreting those seasons in a way that works with my Unitarian Universalist theology.
My theology calls me into a practice of prayer, despite not praying to a specific God. I appreciate the Brazilian Ecofeminist theologian, Ivone Gebara’s, reflections on prayer, in particular when she writes, “Prayer is our personal and collective preparation for acting in solidarity and respect, for awakening feelings of tenderness and compassion for persons and for all living things.” I also appreciate what Unitarian theologian John Haynes Holmes has written about prayer,
My Unitarian and Universalist theological ancestors also have great influence on my personal theology. The Unitarian side reminds me of the oneness of the divine and Universalist side reminds me that there is enormous love available to all of us and that there is nothing salvific about punishment. I also believe that it is important for Unitarian Universalists to reckon with evil. Liberation theologians encourage all to understand sin as acts of injustice that harm the relationships between people. Queer, womanist, and postcolonial theologies encourage us to understand that evil is embodied in systems of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and colonization. Humans have a long history of perpetuating evil and my theology calls me to engage in community created responses that strive to exorcise this evil. I believe we get to experience moments of the divine when we create communities that are actively engaged at reducing the suffering of the world and creating more justice and equity.
One of the greatest strengths and beauties of Unitarian Universalism is our theological diversity. I know that this diversity can often create challenges and tension between individuals in the congregation. I believe the minister’s role is to create space for deep theological reflection and spiritual development within the church and to help individuals navigate the tension that comes up with theological diversity. However, I do believe it is important for us to find the ways that our collective Unitarian Universalist theology shapes our individual theologies. For those of us who are theists or nontheists/atheists, how does our UU theology shape our belief or disbelief in God? How does our UU theology shape our Buddhist practice, Jewish traditions, Pagan rituals, Islamic prayer, or humanist principles? It is the responsibility of the minister to hold the tensions of theological diversity with love and to call us all back into shared reflection and learning. I am not trying to convince anyone to hold the same theological beliefs that I have. I do want to ensure that everyone has access to tools to reflect on their own relationship to the divine, however they understand it. I also want to offer space for questioning, wondering, and learning together; recognizing that we are all on a shared journey searching for truths that feel meaningful and right to each of us. As a Unitarian Universalist minister I find it important to celebrate our liberal tradition of the individual’s right to their own relationship to the divine, and I also want to encourage us to challenge the hyper-individualism that has a tendency to create elitism or judgment of those who have found different truths. Theological diversity can be beautiful and we can celebrate our full selves together when we enter into relationships with respect and humility.
