First principle
We begin within a reality that precedes us and exceeds any one account of it.
Before us and beyond us
The world existed before our individual lives and will continue beyond them. Its physical history can be studied through the sciences; its meaning remains a subject of philosophical and spiritual interpretation.
Inquiry across disciplines
The Nation makes room for scientific, theological, cultural and philosophical inquiry without collapsing their methods into one another. A belief about ultimate purpose is not the same type of claim as an astronomical measurement.
The consequence
An encounter with existence should encourage humility, curiosity and responsibility — not the claim that one person or priesthood possesses complete understanding.
