North American Unitarian Association

A Home for Liberal Religion with Freedom, Reason, and Tolerance

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The NAUA Academy provides courses to Members of the NAUA and others interested in Unitarianism, Unitarian Universalism and Liberal Religion. Academy sessions deal with the history and development of Unitarianism and Liberal Religion, as well as with issues of concern in contemporary society – all from a liberal religious perspective.

Participation in session is virtual, using Zoom. There is no charge for attending Academy sessions, though some sessions require registration. Sessions consist of a presentation followed by small group discussions.

Next Academy Presentation

Academy Session
Details to be announced
Oct 13, 2026 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

  • 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 the Calm,” predicting in 2020 the reshaping of foreign policy, economics and culture that we are currently experiencing. He explains this upheaval as a unique…

  • 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 PDT / 7:30 PM EDT Zoom link for session: https::/tinyurl.com/nauaacademy George Friedman (a geopolitical forecaster, founder of Geopolitical Futures and NYT bestselling author of “The…

  • 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 did not overlap very much, but the mystics associated with these religions had a lot of overlap in how they described their mystical experiences. Huxley…

  • April 14, 2026 – Social & Spiritual Impacts of AI Chatbots

    NAUA Academy Session:“Social & Spiritual Impacts of AI Chatbots” Mark Reimers discusses the potential impacts of generative AI on our society over the next few years. What changes may we expect in how we work, in human relationships, and in our states of mind? Recent Posts Archives

  • Feb. 10, 2026 – How Will We Feed the World?

    This is a one of the best Academy Sessions yet!!  In this presentation, Dr. Felicia Wu, Distinguished Professor of Food Safety, Toxicology and Risk Assessment at Michigan State University, will discuss the history of US government agencies in Food, Safety and Nutrition. A detailed analysis is done of the 2026 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans…

  • Dec 12, 2025. Rise of the Nones: Challenge for our Society or Opportunity for Unitarians?

    This December 2025 NAUA Academy session features a presentation and a lively discussion on the opportunities and challenges from the Arising of the Nones. Joyce Francis leads the discussion, presents efforts of the New Salish Sea Congregation and our own stories of finding Unitarian alternatives. Does the same programs and activities of Unitarians still work for the…

Archive of Recorded Academy Sessions