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introduction to The Urantia Book)

The Urantia Book, also known as the "Fifth Epochal Revelation"  is a 2,097 page volume comprised of 196 distinct papers (chapters) organized in four parts.   This revelation describes God, the universe, various orders of supernal beings (that inhabit and administer creation), and the history of Urantia—our planet Earth—including some of the unique problems that have beset our history. 
The Urantia Book also describes a number of historical figures including (in Part IV) the life, teachings, and mission of Jesus of Nazareth.
Typeset and made ready for printing in the early 1940s, The Urantia Book was first published by The Urantia Foundation in 1955.

Who wrote it?

The authors of the individual papers identify themselves as supernal beings of various orders.  These self-identified authors speak of a mandate that requires them to make use of extant human sources to present their revelation whenever and wherever possible.  This same mandate exhorts them to resort to "pure revelation" only when extant human sources are clearly inadequate.

Is it a Revelation?

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

What role does Jesus play?

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 so doing, it expands and corrects the present conception of Jesus and his work.  There is an incomparable and sublime presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus in Part IV of the Urantia Book.

Is this book a new religion?

Yes and no.  For thousands of believing readers, The Urantia Book is the source of their religious convictions and the inspiration for their religious growth.  It is not, however, about getting readers to join a church.  Readers of The Urantia Book include persons of many different religious backgrounds and traditions.

Is it a cult?

Again, yes and no.  In the true sense of the word all religions are cults.  However, there is no central person or central group around whom readers flock.  All readers of The Urantia Book have equal status.

Last Updated: March 28, 2009