Urantia Text
The Urantia Text refers to what is more commonly known as The Urantia Book, but since the announcement of the Second Revelatory Commission, is understood to include any such writing as may ensue from this more recent initiative as well. Nevertheless, The Urantia Book, first published by Urantia Foundation in 1955, claims to have been presented by celestial beings as the fifth in a series of epochal revelations to our planet, Urantia. It outlines the genesis, history, and destiny of humanity and its relationship with God while presenting a unique portrait of the life and teachings of Jesus. Additionally, The Urantia Book offers an integral view of the functions of science, philosophy, and religion.
What is The Urantia Book?
The Urantia Book presents an extensive cosmology, history, and philosophy comprised of expressions from over 1,000 individuals whose writing in the fields of science, philosophy, religion, history, sociology and theology was published and widely available at the time of c.1934 when these Papers were 'written'.
What's In It?
Part I: The Universe of Universes - How the cosmos is structured and managed: A universe, evolving in time and space toward a transcendent destiny is described. This creation includes millions of inhabited worlds in various stages of biological, intellectual, social and spiritual evolution. The nature of God and his relationship to the evolving creation is explored in great detail.
Part II: The Local Universe- The evolutionary plan for fostering the evolving social structures of the universes is detailed. Personality survival is determined by our free will decisions related to our personal relationship with God. Most important are the values which we choose to organize and conduct our personal lives. Growth toward perfection is our finite orientation. This growth is evolutionary, cumulative, and virtually endless. It is achieved through the love of God and unselfish service to our fellow beings.
Part III: The History of Urantia -- A geophysical and cultural history of our planet. An overview of the development of civilization, culture, government, religion, the family, and other social institutions is described from the viewpoint of superhuman observers. The meanings and values contained within human religious civilization are revitalized, strengthening the foundations upon which further cultural development may take place. A description of human destiny is provided including a description of the worlds we will inhabit immediately following mortal death.
Part IV: The Life and Teachings of Jesus -- Seven hundred pages devoted to the life of Jesus make up the most spiritually compelling biography of Jesus anywhere in print. The Urantia Book relates over 16 times as much information about Jesus' life and teachings than does the Bible. The literary depth of The Urantia Book clearly reveals and touchingly portrays his combined humanity and divinity.
Who Wrote It?
The Urantia Book is an anthology of 196 "papers" written mostly between 1928 and 1935 by celestial personalities whose titles but generally not their personal names are appended to the essays.
The humans with whom these celestial beings worked to write this document are now deceased, and the means by which the papers were written is not understood even by the few persons working directly with the "subject through whom these communications were transmitted"[1]. Nonetheless, current research is beginning to identify the apparent human sources used in this undertaking.
