A Short Glossary of Unity Terms and Concepts
Metaphysics --The systematic study of the science of Being; that which transcends the physical. By pure metaphysics is meant a clear understanding of the realm of ideas and their legitimate expression.
Truth --The Absolute; that which accords with God as divine principle; that which is, has been, and ever will be; that which eternally is. The Truth of God is reality: "the same yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever." The verities of being are eternal and have always existed. Truth abides in fullness at the very core of one's being. As our consciousness (awareness) expands, we touch the everlasting Truth. What seems new is but the unveiling of that which always has been. The basic principle of Truth is that the mind of each individual may be consciously unified with Divine Mind through the indwelling Christ. By affirming at-one-ment with God-Mind, we eventually realize that perfect mind which was in Christ Jesus.
God --The almighty presence; the Creative force; the Infinite; the Eternal. God is not person but Principle. God is the underlying, unchangeable Truth "with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning" (James 1:17). God as principle is absolute good expressed in all creation.
Presence of God --The awareness of Spirit within one's own being. It manifests as increased life, peace, love, and a deep sense of spiritual joy.
Divine Mind--God-Mind; ever-present, all-knowing Mind; the Absolute, the unlimited. Omnipresent, all-wise, all-loving, all-powerful Spirit. There is but one Mind, and that Mind cannot be separated or divided, because, like the principle of mathematics, it is indivisible.
Oneness—There is one Spirit; one principle of life, love, intelligence, and goodness in, through, and expressing as all-God. There is one Mind and each individual is but a state of consciousness in the one Mind. There is one presence and one power – God. There is no opposing negative or evil power, only a belief in separation from God. God is the one Spirit, Mind, Presence and Power.
Duality--Contemplation of a world both good and evil; mental acceptance of a principle of evil as well as of good. This constitutes a denial of God as omnipresent good.
Jesus--The Man of Nazareth, son of Mary; Metaphysically He is the I AM (the Divine Nature) in man, the self, the directive power, raised to divine understanding and power--the I AM identity. Jesus is the Way-Shower; He came to awaken humanity to the possibilities of it’s own nature.
Jesus Christ--Christ is the perfect idea of God for humanity. Jesus is the perfect expression of the divine idea “Human”. Jesus Christ is a union of the two, the idea and the expression, or in other words, He is the perfect human demonstrated.
Christ Jesus-- The perfect mind demonstrated by Jesus.
Consciousness--The composite of all ideas, thoughts, emotions, sensation, and knowledge that makes up the conscious (awake mind), subconscious (unconscious mind), and super-conscious (God mind) phases of mind.
Christ Consciousness--Consciousness built in accordance with the Christ ideal, or in absolute relationship to God. The perfect mind that was in Christ Jesus.
Abiding Presence--Christ, the presence of light, peace, joy, love, life, and substance that is ever within, about, before, and beside life.
Prosperity--The consciousness of God as the abundant, everywhere present resource, unfailing, ready for all who open themselves to it through faith. "They that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing" (Psalms 34:10).
The difference between spiritual prosperity and material prosperity is that spiritual prosperity is founded on understanding of the inexhaustible, omnipresent substance of Spirit as the source of supply; the material belief is that the possession of things constitutes prosperity. Giving in the right mental attitude creates prosperity. Giving with the fear of lack leads to poverty. Giving with the thought of a large resource opens the way for a large income. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over" (Luke 6:38).
Trinity--The religious terms for the trinity are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The metaphysical terms are mind, idea, and expression. Father is the source, origin, essence, root, creator of all, in essence, God. God is the name of the all-encompassing Mind. Son is that which proceeds from, is begotten of God, like God in nature, and essentially all that God is. Christ is the name of the all-loving Mind. Holy Spirit is God's word in movement: the working, moving, breathing, movement of Spirit, made known to humanity through revelation, inspiration, and guidance. Holy Spirit is the all-active manifestation. These three are one fundamental Mind in its three creative aspects.
These terms and concepts were taken from the Unity publication
The Revealing Word: A Dictionary of Metaphysical Terms from the Charles Fillmore Reference Library.
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