The Urantia Book

 

The Urantia Book is a religious–cosmological text first published in 1955, written between approximately 1924 and 1935, and regarded by its followers as a divine revelation transmitted by celestial beings to humanity. It forms the doctrinal foundation of the Urantia movement, commonly classified as a new religious movement. The name Urantia refers to Earth, which the book presents as the planet’s cosmic designation.

The work is officially anonymous. Its origins are associated with the American psychiatrist William S. Sadler, who became involved in a series of alleged channeling episodes beginning in the early 20th century. According to the movement, the book’s contents were communicated through non-human intelligences rather than authored by Sadler or other human participants. The Urantia Foundation, established in Chicago in 1950, published the first edition and continues to oversee its distribution.

Comprising 2,097 pages and 196 chapters, the book is divided into four parts: an account of God, the universe, and spiritual hierarchies; a description of the local universe that includes Earth; a speculative history of humanity and earlier divine interventions; and an expanded narrative of the life and teachings of Jesus, presented as a unique Creator Son governing the local universe of Nebadon. Doctrinally, the text describes a vast, populated cosmos ruled by a triune deity and teaches the progressive spiritual ascent of human souls after death. The Urantia Book functions as both scripture and cosmological system for its adherents, offering a comprehensive reinterpretation of religious history and human destiny.