'This Moment Is The Scripture,' Wayshowers, Jesus, and The Gospel of Thomas; An Introduction Unity's Christianity, A Conversation With Reverend Mary Masters

Issued From The Archives, September 2009, this episode of Unraveling Religion, Joel David Lesses speaks with Reverend Mary Masters, then the minister of Unity Church in Buffalo, New York.

The conversation examines Unity as a transdenominational spiritual movement and considers its relationship to Christianity, comparative religion, personal spiritual development, interfaith cooperation, and the cultivation of inner wisdom. Within this context, the conversation with Masters considers Unity's effort to move beyond denominational distinctions while maintaining a Christian foundation. Masters describes Unity as a spiritual movement centered on the belief that there is one God and multiple paths toward knowing God. Unity emphasizes the divinity within each person and seeks common principles among diverse religious traditions rather than emphasizing theological division.

Masters discusses the history of Unity and the work of its founders, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore. She describes Myrtle Fillmore's experience of illness and subsequent spiritual transformation as formative to Unity's understanding of healing, prayer, forgiveness, and the relationship between consciousness and human experience. The discussion subsequently considers the role of education as more than the transmission of information. Education is presented as a process through which individuals may discover and develop wisdom already present within themselves.

Prayer, meditation, intuition, and contemplation become central subjects as Lesses and Masters examine how individuals might develop greater awareness of their internal experience. Their discussion of thought and perception considers the possibility that human beings cannot control every circumstance but can influence their responses to circumstances. This perspective is connected to Unity's emphasis on constructive thought, personal responsibility, cooperation, and the possibility of seeking outcomes that serve the well-being of all.

The conversation also examines Jesus as a teacher and way shower. Masters situates Jesus within a broader history of spiritual teachers that includes Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Muhammd. The discussion of biblical parables considers how religious stories may contain multiple levels of meaning and may disclose different insights as individuals develop spiritually. Masters also discusses the Gospel of Thomas and its emphasis on bringing forth what is within, connecting this teaching to creativity, vocation, personal expression, and the consequences of suppressing one's inner capacities.

A significant portion of the conversation addresses interfaith cooperation. Masters describes her involvement with the Network of Religious Communities and its work bringing together people from different religious traditions around education, social service, community welfare, and peace. The discussion presents interfaith engagement as a practical form of religious cooperation rather than merely theological dialogue.

The episode concludes by examining religious conflict and the importance of listening as a foundation for reconciliation. Masters discusses compassionate and nonviolent communication as methods for approaching interpersonal and intergroup conflict. The conversation ultimately returns to the importance of inward and outward listening, suggesting that greater understanding may begin when individuals become willing to encounter perspectives different from their own.

The episode closes with Masters offering Unity's Prayer for Protection, bringing together the conversation's central themes of divine presence, spiritual awareness, compassion, and the possibility of human transformation.