Building Your Own Theology with Kikanza

The Adult Programs Committee is thrilled to announce the return of Building Your Own Theology, facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Kikanza Nuri-Robins!

The class will be held on eight Wednesday evenings via Zoom (final session in-person) beginning February 12th and continuing online on February 26th, March 12th, March 26th, April 9th, April 23rd, May 7th, and in-person on May 21st.

For decades, BYOT has been much-loved by UUs as a bedrock program for liberal religious exploration and personal growth. Participants have the opportunity to consider big questions and explore ideas about human nature, meaning, ultimate reality, ethics, God(s), and religious experience while also examining their own personal journeys. The course culminates with the creation of a personal credo.

BYOT has been offered numerous times over the years at UUSM, originally facilitated by the late Reverend Emeritus Ernie Pipes, and most recently occuring in 2015. Newcomers and longtime members alike have often praised it for deepening their faith/beliefs and connection to Unitarian Universalism.

The program was created and revised over successive editions by UU Minister, theologian and social justice leader Rev. Dr. Richard S. Gilbert, who wrote:

“We seem to be predominantly a movement of ‘come-outers,’ people who have left some other faith and are now ‘come-inners,’ people who have chosen to cast their lot with Unitarian Universalism. This program is designed to provide a systematic, disciplined, and communal approach to the process of building a new theology on the residue of the old. We must provide some handles, a kit of tools if you will, to help them build.

The quest for ‘spirituality,’ however differently it is defined, has become a major influence in our Unitarian Universalist World. Theology comes out of the tough and tender experiences of life: First comes the experience and then the reflection on the experience, which can lead to deeper experiences… The aspiring theologians who learn with me make the experience endlessly fascinating. I hope you will have a similar experience when you use this program.”

Course Overview

This eight-week course invites participants of various worldviews — whether theistic, humanist, or atheist — to engage in a collaborative and reflective process of building their own personal theology. Using the Principles of Unitarian Universalism as a unifying framework, participants will explore and articulate their responses to life’s most profound questions. The course encourages open dialogue, critical thinking, and respectful engagement with diverse perspectives.

Your Instructor

Kikanza Nuri-Robins was ordained by the Presbyterian Church USA and is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association. Her spiritual development and praxis is also influenced by the Baha’i Faith and Taoism. She has spent her life as a teacher in various settings: elementary school, secondary reading, and university courses in communication, public administration, and education. Rev. Kikanza has spent the bulk of her career as a writer of textbooks and academic articles, and as a facilitator of professional development for private and public sector organizations. As a spiritual director and death doula, Rev. Kikanza offers counseling, creates rituals for life passages, and leads retreats. The thread that unifies all her work is her skill in helping people connect their values to the way they walk in the world.

Contact AdultRE@uusm.org to sign up or with any questions.