The Flaming Chalice

A flame within a chalice (a cup with a stem and foot), represents the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and is a symbol of the Unitarian Universalist faith.

“At the opening of Unitarian Universalist worship services, many congregations light a flame inside a chalice. This flaming chalice has become a well-known symbol of our denomination. It unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work.”
—Dan Hotchkiss

Hans Deutsch, an Austrian artist, first brought together the chalice and the flame as a Unitarian symbol during his work with the Unitarian Service Committee during World War II. To Deutsch, the image had connotations of sacrifice and love. Unitarian Universalists today have many different interpretations of the image. To learn more about the history of our Unitarian Universalist symbol, please read the pamphlet, “The Flaming Chalice.”

The flaming chalice image has changed many times over the past 65 years. Modern chalice designs often incorporate two overlapping circles which, for many people, represent our Unitarian and Universalist heritages.

World Religion Symbols

We use a variety of symbols representing ideals from different life paths.

Our Social Justice Symbols

We, as a UU congregation, also support the Standing on the Side of Love campaign, which seeks to advocate for social justice and a more peaceable, equitable world through our activities.