The Urantia Book

Frequently Asked Questions

The information on this page represents the educated opinions of those who compiled this resource. The answers are not official -- they are intended only to assist you in drawing your own conclusions.

Welcome --
This is a compilation of frequently asked questions about The Urantia Book. Links into the Urantia Papers and other materials are provided to expand upon some of the answers given here.

What is it?
The Urantia Book is a 2,097 page volume comprised of 196 distinct chapters (papers) that describe God, the universe, various orders of personalities that inhabit and administer creation, the history of our own world (called Urantia) including some of the colossal problems that have beset it, various historical figures and the life, teachings, and mission of Jesus of Nazareth. The Urantia Book was typeset and made ready for printing in the early 1940s and was published in 1955 by the Urantia Foundation.

Who wrote it?
The authors of the individual papers, celestial beings of various orders, are identified within the text of the book. These self-identified authors describe a mandate requiring them to make use of extant human sources whenever possible, resorting to "pure revelation" only when these sources were clearly inadequate.

See the following Revelation mandates [use your browser Back arrow to return here]: Pg 1, Pg 16, Pg 354, Pg 865, Pg 1109, Pg 1208, and Pg 1258. Pg 1341,

Dr. William S. Sadler (1875-1969), a practicing psychiatrist, lecturer in comparative religion, and author of numerous scientific books facilitated the process under which the material for the book was received.

Revelation?
The Urantia Book describes itself as the Fifth Epochal Revelation of spiritual truth to our world. There is a distinction between "autorevelation" and "epochal revelation." According to The Urantia Book each of us is indwelt by a fragment of the living God -- the "Thought Adjuster." Throughout our life the Adjuster attempts to guide us toward spiritual truth and, to the extent that it is successful, we experience autorevelation.
Pg 24, Pg 1118, Pg 1119, Adjuster Paper

Sometimes, however, truth is revealed by celestial beings. Rarely is it revealed on a grand scale; such revelations are called "epochal" and The Urantia Book is the fifth such "epochal" revelation. The preceding four are also described in detail in the book.


What does it have to do with Jesus?
The Urantia Book describes the matchless personality of the man, Jesus, and explains his divine status. It offers a detailed chronicle of his mortal life and a fuller representation of his teaching than has previously been available. In doing so, it expands and corrects the present conception of Jesus and his work. The 700 pages of Part IV deal with the incomparable life and teachings of Jesus.


Do people believe it?
Many who study The Urantia Book find that it resonates with their own sense of truth, and clarifies truths that they had previously only partially grasped. Those who attempt to put these truths to work in their lives often find their belief strengthened.


Is this book a religion?
The Urantia Book is not a religion. However, for thousands of believing readers, The Urantia Book is the source of their personal religious convictions and the inspiration for their personal religious growth. Most definitely, it is not about getting readers to join a church. Believers in The Urantia Book include persons of many different religious traditions and groups.


Is it a cult?
When considering the broad definition of the word "cult", maybe -- but certainly not in the sense that most people think of when they envision the word cult. Even so, by definition, all religions are cults. Regardless, there is no central person or central group around whom readers flock -- all readers have equal status in Urantia circles. What The Urantia Book says about cults: Pg 965.


Where can I get one?
Try libraries, bookstores or order online via the Internet. (i.e., outlets such as like Amazon.com are carrying the UB at the time this FAQ was assembled)


How can I contact other readers?
There are many study groups world wide. Some of them are affiliated with the Urantia Foundation by means of an organization called the International Urantia Association (IUA); some are affiliated with The Fellowship for Readers of The Urantia Book, others are independent. The website of the Urantia Foundation -- Urantia.org -- is a good place to start looking. Their contact information is:

Urantia Foundation
533 Diversey Parkway
Chicago, IL 60614 USA
US & Canada Toll Free Telephone: 1-888-URANTIA
Outside US & Canada Telephone: +1-773-525-3319
urantia@urantia.org


Text links concerning...

the Nature, Origin, and Organization of The Urantia Book...

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