Flaming chalice

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A flaming chalice is the most widely used symbol of Unitarianism and Unitarian Universalism and the official logo of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and other Unitarian and UU churches and societies.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Interpretation 3 Usage 3.1 Ceremonial lighting 3.2 U.S. Veterans Association 4 References

[edit] Origins

The symbol had its origins in a logo designed by Austrian refugee Hans Deutsch for the Unitarian Service Committee (USC) (now the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee) during World War II. According to USC director Charles Joy, Deutsch took his inspiration from the chalices of oil burned on ancient Greek and Roman altars. It became an underground symbol in occupied Europe during World War II for assistance to help Unitarians, Jews, and other people escape Nazi persecution.^[1]

"Living in Paris during the 1930's Deutsch drew critical cartoons of Adolf Hitler. When the Nazis invaded Paris in 1940, he abandoned all he had and fled to the South of France, then to Spain, and finally, with an altered passport, into Portugal. There, he met the Reverend Charles Joy, executive director of the Unitarian Service Committee (USC). The Service Committee was new, founded in Boston to assist Eastern Europeans, among them Unitarians as well as Jews, who needed to escape Nazi persecution. From his Lisbon headquarters, Joy oversaw a secret network of couriers and agents."^[2]

After 1941, the flaming chalice symbol spread throughout Unitarianism, and, following the consolidation with Universalism, the new Unitarian Universalism. The symbol gradually become more than a printed logo. By the 1960's, people like Fred Weidman of Dearborn, Michigan, were making flaming chalice jewelry. Some congregations began displaying the symbol in their worship spaces. At some point, three-dimensional chalices were made to be lit during worship services, but the origin(s) of this usage remains obscure.

[edit] Interpretation

The chalice symbol is often shown surrounded by two linked rings (see illustration).

The two linked rings were used as an early symbol for the Unitarian Universalist Association, signifying the joining of Unitarianism and Universalism. In August 1962, the newsletter of the Midwestern Unitarian Universalist Association began using a chalice symbol drawn inside the two interlocking rings, as drawn by Betty King.

There is no orthodox interpretation of the flaming chalice symbol. In one interpretation, the chalice is a symbol of religious freedom from the impositions of doctrine by a hierarchy and open to participation by all; the flame is interpreted as a memorial to those throughout history who sacrificed their lives for the cause of religious liberty. In another interpretation, the flaming chalice resembles a cross, symbolic of the Christian roots of Unitarian Universalism.^[3]

Later, associations were made between this symbol and the Hussites religious sect. Czech reformer Jan Hus (1369-1415) began reading the Bible to his congregations in their native language, while the Catholic Church demanded that the Bible only be read in Latin. Also, during communion, the chalice was reserved for the clergy; the laity only received bread. When a church council condemned the practice of priests who were giving the chalice to their congregants, Hus refused to support the condemnation. After his execution by burning in 1415, followers of Hus adopted the "lay chalice" as an important symbol of their movement.

Today, some depictions of the chalice incorporate a pink triangle and/or rainbow to symbolize Unitarian Universalists' support of the LGBT community.

[edit] Usage

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[edit] Ceremonial lighting

Many Unitarian Universalist congregations feature flaming chalice symbolism on their signs, logos, and in their meeting places. Some congregations light a chalice while saying opening words at the beginning of weekly worship services. The texts used during these "chalice lightings" vary.

Here is one example: We light this chalice to remind ourselves to treat all people kindly because they are our brothers and sisters to take good care of the earth, because it is our home and to try to live lives, filled with goodness and love because that is how we will become, the best men and women we can be.

Here is another example: We light this chalice to celebrate Unitarian Universalism. We are the church of the open mind, the loving hearts, and the helping hands. We care for the earth, and work for peace and justice in our time.

• An example from the Unitarian Universalist Church in Concord, Massachusetts.

O creative flame,

Quicken our spirits when we fear,

and warm us where pain resides,

as we celebrate the new, and the eternal,

Chalice of our faith,

Challenging, and healing.

• An example from the First Unitarian Church of Orlando in Orlando, Florida.

The chalice is lit at the start of worship service with

"In the light of truth

and in the warmth of love

we gather to seek,

to sustain,

and to share."

The chalice is later extinguished at the end of worship service with

"We extinguish this flame,

but not the light of truth,

the warmth of community,

or the fire of commitment.

These we keep in our hearts

until we are together again."

Outside weekly worship services, many small gatherings of Unitarian Universalists incorporate a lit chalice, often accompanied by readings, as a reminder of the religious nature of the gathering. Unitarian Universalists might also display a flaming chalice on clothing, jewelry, their cars, or in their homes as a symbol of their faith, much as Christians display a cross, and Jews, a Star of David.

In keeping with Unitarian Universalism's traditional religious pluralism and individualism, there is no requirement, doctrinal or otherwise, that congregations or adherents use or acknowledge the flaming chalice as a religious symbol.

[edit] U.S. Veterans Association

The flaming chalice has been approved by the U.S. Veterans Association for use as the cemetery marker for fallen veterans who identify themselves with the Unitarian Universalist faith tradition.

[edit] References