Hi Friends,
Faith Density is a term that floats around seminaries and denominational organizations. In this post, I want to define it and explain why we need to bring it into our discussion of Unity's identity. I also want to introduce something I am starting in September as a first step in fixing the faith density problem. Next week I will introduce a second method.
What is Faith Density? Churches are typically called “communities of faith.” People gather to learn about a faith tradition, to apply it in their lives, and to share their faith experiences with one another. When that happens, one can refer to the church having a substantial “faith density.”
Faith density provides several essential things. First, it "indoctrinates" new people into the faith so they have something to practice and commit to. It also provides children and youth with a set of guides to navigating life. But, most importantly, faith density lets visitors see how the community is distinguished from other nearby churches. If we are concerned about how visitors perceive us, how people commit, and how children navigate life, we will pay attention to faith density.
Do We Have a Problem with Faith Density? Maybe. We have many Unity churches with strong faith density. But Unity, like nearly all other mainstream churches, has experienced a hollowing out of its faith density. So we are not alone in having this problem. Regardless, like all churches, we need to recognize the symptoms and take measures to fix the problem. Here are the symptoms:
Inside our movement, too many churches have shifted from a “center of practice” to a “platform for ideas.” Inside our movement, too many ministers have shifted from “preaching spiritual principle” to “pastoring a needy flock.” And, most tragically, what was once a substantially distinct “proclamation of Truth” has all too often become rhetoric—”a reservoir of powerful and evocative language ready to be deployed in arbitrary ways in the service of all manner of interests and projects.”1
Outside our movement, we see the problem much more clearly. After nearly a decade of traumatic adjustments, Unity World Headquarters could not convince the academic credentialing organizations to grant Unity Institute credentialing. And after dozens of emails and inquiries in the past two years, Unity Worldwide Ministries could not convince the National Council of Churches to talk to us about becoming a member church.
What our church visitors, the academic credentialing organizations, and the National Council of Churches see is a movement with unorthodox beliefs, like those of Christian Science and the Latter Day Saints. But they also see, unlike Christian Science and LDS, a movement whose internal wholeness is so hollowed out that it can no longer state who it is or what it believes. They see a once thriving faith community no longer has sufficient faith density for meaningful denominational engagement. We have isolated ourselves from mainstream religion. That is a problem. And it is not healthy.
Who Has the Right to Assert Unity's Doctrines? I want to ask, as others are asking, who should shape UWM's new curriculum when no consensus exists about what Unity is? Let's remember that Unity World Headquarters dumped the educational program and has now asserted its right to declare what it believes Unity to be. I find that disingenuous. It is much easier to make proclamations than it is to teach. I believe, by letting go the educational program, UWH has lost its standing in this regard.
Most denominations look to their seminaries and theological institutions for doctrinal clarity. Academic institutions are where inconsistent ideas can be challenged. Let's do the same. But not yet. I will not list them here, but Unity Education has a sordid reputation for favoritism. We have a long way to go before our educational programs can rise to the level where they are entrusted with defining our faith doctrines.
We do have, however, something that can help us get there. That is a core curriculum for faith training that served Unity from 1910 through the mid-1970s. I am not proposing that this curriculum be the doctrinal authority for Unity. However I am asserting that any curriculum that is not built upon this curriculum will never garner enough support to restore the hollowing out of Unity's faith density. The curriculum I am talking about is the Unity Correspondence School Course.
What is the Unity Correspondence School Course? The UCS course was Unity's SEE program for nearly 70 years. Charles Fillmore wrote the first lesson and preached from all 18 lessons for the remainder of his life. It is the program that Eric Butterworth, Johnnie Colemon, Catherine Ponder and Ed Rabel took to enter into ministry training.
I once asked Greg Neteler where I should go to get a first-class education in Metaphysics. He thought for a moment and said "Go to the Library. Tucked away downstairs in the back is the Correspondence School Course. Get it and learn it well." I did as he suggested, scanning the materials for three weeks in the library. You can get all the lessons here.
I think it is fair to claim that the 18 lessons in the Unity Correspondence School program best represent what Charles Fillmore and his students considered authentic Unity teaching. Also, it is precisely the material Charles Fillmore demanded his students learn if they wanted to become Unity ministers. We need to start with the course if we are to discuss what authentic Fillmore teaching represents.
What is the Fillmore Wings Study Program? Right now, the Fillmore Wings Study Program is a discussion about the Correspondence School Course. Nothing more. I am proposing that a collaboration of people who work through an independent study based on Unity’s 70-year correspondence course will have much to say about Unity's Educational Program. That is the step forward I believe can get us back to a healthy level of faith density.
The study method is not yet formalized, but it is a nudge for people to dust off the 18 lessons, find the underlying gems, and present them in an easy way for others to assimilate. When we are finished, we may claim the distinction Greg Tamblyn calls the “NCW”: no credentials whatsoever!
That's right, no credentialing. But if you join us you will be able to claim that you have worked through the same materials that all Unity ministers and teachers studied from 1910 through the mid-1970s. You will have got what I’m calling “Fillmore Wings.” Just, maybe, that attitude will get us our of our internal struggles.
We meet by Zoom on Tuesdays from 11:30-12:30 Eastern (New York) time. It's not there right now, but soon the link for the class will be found on the Events page of TruthUnity. We will start on September 3. Our focus will be discussing the annotations for one lesson each month. Scroll down to see our two-year plan. You are welcome to join us at any time.
Eventually there will be a more formal class or course of some sort. But for now we need to get familiar with the lessons and work through their relevance for today’s world. We have a Licensed Unity Teacher who is prepping to lead and administrate what will eventually be a mentored study group. I am preparing pocket-sized study books.
What is the Vision for the Fillmore Wings Study Program? the Fillmore Wings Study Program is a series of lessons that cover Series One and Series Two of the Unity Correspondence Course over a two-year period. Here is the direct link to the Fillmore Wings Study Program on TruthUnity.
The original Unity Society Correspondence School consisted of two courses, Series 1 (also known as the “Beginner’s Course” having six lessons) and Series 2 (known as the “Advanced Course” having twelve lessons). Each lesson consisted of a manuscript and twenty annotations. Combined, there were eighteen lessons with approximately 20 annotations each, giving a total number of 230 annotations.
The Fillmore Wings Study Program is designed so that the eighteen lessons are covered in six three-month sessions over a two-year period. Each three-month session will cover three lessons, one per month. The Annotations for each lesson are covered at approximately five annotations per week, allowing for a typical lesson of 20 annotations to be addressed in one month.
Here is a schedule of the first set of sessions. Additional sessions will be added as needed to accommodate new cohorts of students.
| Session | Materials | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Sept, Oct, Nov | Series 1, Lessons 1-3 | Prayer, Healing, Prosperity |
| Jan, Feb, Mar | Series 1, Lessons 4-6 | Body of Christ, Overcoming, Demonstration |
| May, June, July | Series 2, Lessons 1-3 | God, Christ, Man |
| Sept, Oct, Nov | Series 2, Lessons 4-6 | Thoughts, Affirmations, The Word |
| Jan, Feb, Mar | Series 2, Lessons 7-9 | Prayer, Faith, Imagination |
| May, June, July | Series 2, Lessons 10-12 | Will & Understanding, Judgment, Love |
August 18, 2024
- Yeago, David S. “The Ecclesial Context of Ecumenical Reception: A Case Study”
