A Look Back At History

In the mid-17th century, thousands of Puritans escaped religious persecution by the Anglican Church in Europe, and sought to build their own community where they could worship God as they chose in America.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony, first governed by Gov. John Winthrop and Deputy Gov. Thomas Dudley, strove to become a religious example to the world. “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us,” Winthrop famously said in a sermon.

To achieve that, Boston, as a Puritan community, upheld the importance of religious uniformity within a society. Life was therefore heavily influenced by the Bible, with churches built right in the middle of town. Many New England colonies, in fact, were called “Bible Commonwealths” because they looked to the scriptures for regulating all aspects of life, including criminal and civil laws and procedures.

However, these religious notions allowed for discrimination and suppression of non-Puritans. Heretics and unbelievers were often banned from society, or even persecuted.

Today, Boston’s religious climate has since changed, but its religious roots can still be felt. According to a Religious Landscape Study conducted by the Pew Research Center, Massachusetts’s population is still predominantly made up of Christians, with Catholic and “Religious Nones” following close behind.

Data from the Pew Forum

But, another survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2017 found that about 27 percent of U.S. adults consider themselves as spiritual but not religious. The survey noted that this was a growing trend: an eight-percent rise in five years.

*For the sake of the data's accuracy, it may be important to note that some Catholics and Roman Catholics identify as "Christian." Some understand Christianity as divided into three branches: Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant.

According to the Pew Forum, there is a growing trend of U.S. adults who seldom attend religious services from 2007 to 2014. This lines up with data from the Pew Research Center which states that most people are increasingly becoming "spiritual, but not religious."

To account for a change in religious demographics, the church too has had to adapt. Many of the churches in Boston today bear the same outward appearance of bricks and steeples, but the worship that takes place inside has little resemblance to the ones that happened during the colonial times. With a growing population of “spiritual, but not religious,” churches are opening up their buildings to more liberal practices.

In the early 1800s, the transcendentalist movement spearheaded by Ralph Waldo Emerson spurred a split in the church. The movement emphasized the importance of experience, which was appealing to many people who were looking for spiritual satisfaction but did not want to be tied down to a set of doctrine.

“The real importance of Christianity is not rooted in old doctrines, it's not even necessarily rooted in the text of scripture, but it's rooted in your own experience: how an individual perceives God or spirit working out in their lives,” Professor of History of Christianity and Methodist Studies Christopher Evans said.

The Puritan church back then played a central role in society. To be a part of the church, was to be a part of society.

“People were willing to be a part of the religious regulations because that was also how they got involved in the town community,” Emerson College Protestant Chaplain Brian Indrelie said.

Today, in the Unitarian Universalists (UU) church, people can be a part of a community without having to unanimously agree on one single doctrine or scripture. A notion carried over from the Transcendentalist movement.

According to their website, the UUs accept “people of all ages… many backgrounds, and… many beliefs,” and “create spirituality and community beyond boundaries…” With “no shared creed,” the UU congregation instead affirms seven principles which serve more as a “moral guide” rather than “dogma or doctrine.”

The 7 Principles of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

5. The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Indrelie said this allows for a semblance of a church community without the limitations of strict religious uniformity and regulations.

For the number of people who identify as “spiritual but not religious,” a UU church may seem appealing.

They are not tied down to any singular belief, but together are still able to explore questions of a higher power and engage in spiritual practices and worship. Furthermore, the UU places a heavy emphasis on social justice. This imitates the role the Puritan church played in society by still being heavily involved in town affairs.

Grounded in the belief of putting their faith in action, the UU church strives to “break down divisions, heal isolation, and honor the interconnectedness of all life and all justice issues.” They partner with groups and communities locally and nationwide to fight against injustice.

According to Evans, Unitarian churches “basically held to the premise that people are good. That they're not meant to sin but they're meant to make the world a better place.”

Bright LGBTQIA+ pride flags and bold “Black Lives Matter” flags often hang visibly outside churches in Boston who have become a part of the UU congregation. They are a testament to the religious history in the city, but also to the changing spiritual climate.