What is Abolition?
Abolition is a holistic approach to systemic social change that includes, but is not limited to: the abolition of slavery; replacing systems and cultures of violence, coercion and control with transformative justice and relational practices; and dismantling the prison-industrial complex as we now know it. It requires the transformation of our society and the replacement of our current public theologies of retributive justice and violence.
A commitment to the practices and ideals of abolition would ask our congregations to make connections among many threads of our social justice work. It is grounded in at least 200 years of Unitarian Universalist history and theology.
The CLF comes to the issue of abolition based on our accountability to the almost 2,000 incarcerated Unitarian Universalists who call our congregation their spiritual home as part of the CLF Worthy Now Prison Ministry. We believe that engaging the study-action process on this topic will be transformative for our members, our congregations, and our communities.
Events
Invitation for Support
Whether you’re an individual, congregation, or organization, your support is essential in bringing the Abolition, Transformation, and Faith Formation CSAI to life. Join us in this faithful and liberatory work by spreading the word, engaging in study and reflection, and sharing your resources. Together, we can live more fully into our UU values of love and collective liberation.
How can I help as a(n)...
- Learn about and become familiar with abolition enough to understand why we should study it.
- Invite a congregation to share the plate with Church of the Larger Fellowship to help us in our work to bring an understanding of Abolition, Transformation, and Faith Formation to Unitarian Universalism. Explore our Share the Plate resources.
- Start conversations about why we should study abolition with your fellow congregants, ministers, religious educators
- Ask your congregation to do the things on the congregation list
- Watch the VUU – Voices of Unitarian Universalism – a weekly UU talk show rooted in antiracism – either live or previous recordings.
Engage with the Congregational Study Issue
Start Here
Next Steps
Past Event Recordings
What is a CSAI and why is it important?
The congregational study-action process is the process by which the UUA takes permanent positions on important social justice issues. This process begins by selecting a Congregational Study-Action Issue (CSAI) at a General Assembly. The chosen CSAI then becomes a topic of congregational study for four years, aided by an in-depth study guide that will be created once the issue is chosen. From the congregational study, a Statement of Conscience (SOC) is drafted and sent to the General Assembly for amendment and passage. If the GA passes an SOC, it becomes the policy of the UUA, and is used to guide program, staffing, and legislative priorities. Whether or not an SOC ultimately passes the General Assembly, we believe that the process of studying this topic will be transformative for our congregations and our faith.
Show your CLF spirit and support the CSAI — with some bold new swag!
Grab your CLF shirts, hoodies and tote bags today and wear it loud and proud! There are various colors and designs available. Every purchase supports this important work and ministry of the CLF. Let’s show up, together!
