This is a moderate essay, similar to the contentious literature in that it seeks receptive common points but not shying away from mentioning important distinctions and conflicts. The Essential Faith, one of three essays Harriet Martineau produced for a contest in 1830, lays out the fundamentals of Unitarian Christianity at the time in reference to modern Roman Catholicism. Whether one or both similarities endure is a subject for current readers to consider, something Martineau himself advised his readers to do. It makes the case that religious forms vary throughout time and that everyone must wrestle with their conscience and knowledge. Martineau welcomed Catholics to investigate Unitarianism, therefore he sought to embrace rather than alienate. Martineau's articles provide a window into British Unitarian ideology in 1830 for historians since they were not only the work of the pen, but also earned awards granted by British Unitarians.