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UBIQUITY. See OMNIPRESENCE.

UNCLEAN. See IMPURITY.

UNDERHILL, EVELYN (1875–1941).
A British poet and scholar whose work
on mysticism caused a revival of interest
in mysticism throughout the West, espe-
cially in the English-speaking world.
Her short book, Practical Mysticism (first
published in 1911), was hugely popular,
and her extensive study, Mysticism (also
published in 1911), was and is regarded as
a masterpiece.

UNITARIANISM. The name of an anti-
Trinitarian movement with elements
going back to the sixteenth century. For
much of its history, the movement recog-
nized Jesus as the Messiah, but not as
the second member of the trinity. Today,
the religious body of Unitarianism is
more comprehensive and not committed
to Jesus as Messiah or Redeemer.

UNITY OF SPACE. The thesis that all

spatial objects are some distance from

any (and thus every) spatial object. Some

believe that there may be objects (dreams)

or realms (heaven) that are spatial but not

some distance from the spatial objects in

our cosmos.

UNIVERSALISM. Universalism is the

doctrine that eventually all persons will

be reconciled to God and finally saved.

Although this view has been largely

rejected in the Christian tradition, if not

considered a heresy, it was defended by a

few Church Fathers, most notably Origen.

Most Christian theologians and biblical

scholars have held that the Bible clearly

rules out universalism, teaching that

some persons will be eternally lost. More

recently, universalism has been defended

as at least a possibility, if not a probability,

by some noted theologians and philoso-

phers. A few have taken a stronger view

and have argued that universalism is

the only view that is compatible with

God’s perfect power and goodness, and is