North American Unitarian Association

The Transcendentalist critique of historical Christianity created a rift in the Unitarian church between traditional-minded Unitarian Christians and more radical Free Religionists who felt that the church should embrace a more universal form of religion. Although the National Conference of Unitarian Churches was founded in 1865, it took nearly 30 years for the conference participants to reach consensus on a statement that defined what it meant to be a Unitarian. Since we are living through another period where there is a lack of consensus on what Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism are all about, we will revisit this earlier conflict to see what lessons it holds for us today.

Speaker: A lifelong UU, Kevin McCulloch holds a Master’s of Theological Studies from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where he studied American religious history. He most recently taught Unitarian Universalist history as a member of the adult religious education committee at All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington, DC.click grey box to left to add image, then replace this

• June 9, 2026 – Can Cycles of History Explain our Troubled Times?
   Can Cycles of History Explain our Troubled Times? George Friedman (a geopolitical forecaster, founder of Geopolitical Futures and NYT bestselling author of “The Next 100 Years”) published “The Storm Before… Read more: June 9, 2026 – Can Cycles of History Explain our Troubled Times?
• 3rd Saturday Worship Service: “Summer Solstice”
  The Summer Solstice, arriving this year on June 20, marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. For thousands of years, people around the world have celebrated… Read more: 3rd Saturday Worship Service: “Summer Solstice”
• May 16, 2026 – NAUA Service: That Sudden Insight – How Epiphanies Can Change Us by Rev. Alex Holt
  What is an “epiphany” – sometimes referred to as a peak moment or an ah-ha instant? What can we do to respond to such unexpected moments of insight? How might… Read more: May 16, 2026 – NAUA Service: That Sudden Insight – How Epiphanies Can Change Us by Rev. Alex Holt
• June NAUA Academy: “Two Views: Can Cycles of History Explain our Troubled Times?”
  Institutional and Socioeconomic Cycles in the US June NAUA Academy Session “Can Cycles of History Explain our Troubled Times? Two Views”with Joyce Francis & Mark Reimers Tuesday, June 9th4:30 PM… Read more: June NAUA Academy: “Two Views: Can Cycles of History Explain our Troubled Times?”
• May 12, 2026 – What have Mystics been trying to tell us?
  A session with Ken Ing In 1945, Aldus Huxley published “The Perennial Philosophy”. He had observed that most major religions had a mystical “tradition”. The core doctrines of these religions… Read more: May 12, 2026 – What have Mystics been trying to tell us?