History of Religious Humanism / Unitarian Universalism - Are We Humanist?

What is Humanism? What is Religious vs. Secular Humanism? Discuss History Humanism is an American movement - but has roots in Europe in 16th century

Deep roots in our history - the early Unitarians of the Socinians (remember - Rakovian Cate- chism) - late 16th/early 17th centuries - Polish Humanists (dissenters fleeing the Catholic Church) escaping persecution, Reac- tion to council of Trent - counter-reformation opposed to depravity of human kind - Influenced John Relly and in turn John Murray

Developments in US 1913 - Dietrich in Unitarian Church of Spokane - first time the term "humanism" is used in religion in America - discovered Reese offering same message but Reese called his "religion of democracy" - started debating and talking publicly about theological ideas through journals and let- ters back and forth - open debate and dialogue

1916 - Curtis Reese and John Dietrich begin preaching Humanism to their Unitarian congrega- tions

1920s - Post World War 1, and Social Gospel - sets the context 1920 - Summer Series at Harvard - Reese started to gel ideas of Humanism

Curtis Reese - on Humanism 1926 http://img.uua.org/mfc/Reese_Humanism.pdf 1. The absolute uniqueness of each person's philosophy 2. Life is in the making, and we are participants in the process 3. The intelligent control of materials, process and ideals for human ends 4. The authority of evidence 5. The supremacy of intelligence 6. The validity of freedom 7. The leadership of the competent 8. The commonwealth of man [sic] Humanize Religion, Humanize Liberalism

John Dietrich - Unitarianism and Humanism 1927 http://uuaimg- archive.s3.amazonaws.com/mfc/Dietrich_Humanism_Unitarianism.pdf "Unitarianism is the fertile soil for Humanism to grow" 1. Does not deny possibility of believing in God, just focuses attention on duties towards hu- mans rather than God - focus is on human life, this life 2. There is only natural law - no such thing as something that operates outside of the natural - no such thing as super natural 3. The high regard of Unitarianism toward human nature especially as manifest in Channing is where you can trace the natural alignment of Unitarianism and Humanism 4. Lifts up the dignity of all human life - man is an ends and not a means; human life is of supreme worth 5. Faith in the possibility of improving life 6. Essential unity of humankind, and need to bring people to feel this unity and act as a result of it 7. The power lies in humanity, not somewhere else - we are responsible, and capable of making necessary change

The Humanist Manifesto (1st version) 1933 - intentionally a religious document The Manifesto is a product of many minds. It was designed to represent a developing point of view, not a new creed. The individuals whose signatures appear would, had they been writing individual statements, have stated the propositions in differing terms. The importance of the document is that more than thirty men have come to general agreement on matters of final concern and that these men are undoubtedly representative of a large number who are forging a new philosophy out of the materials of the modern world. — Raymond B. Bragg (1933) Bill Schulz: "The Manifesto was consciously designed to encapsulate a religious faith, not just a philosophy of life, and for all its religious failings, it represented a heartfelt attempt to amalgamate intellectual integrity with religious expression."

Read the 15 points - what does this mean to you?

Reception: Not good Critique: Fails to address human capacity for evil - World War 2 forced another look

American Humanist Association - 1941 Intent for stand-alone organization - instead cross over into Unitarian Universalist Association

Version 2 - 1973 and Version 3 - 2003 - These were secular documents, not religious

Unitarian Universalism and Humanism 1937- Post Manifesto - strong relationship between theists and humanists - President of the AUA Frederick May Eliot had been able to get people to talk to each other because everyone felt their perspective was respected - for 20 years, non issue by way of dialogue and partnership Represented in partnership around hymnal

1958 - AUA President Dana Greeley didn't do as much to foster dialogue Rise of Fellowship movement - chose field workers who were secular humanists Anti-church tensions of humanist and theists return

1961 - Consolidation of UU - Orientation to Secular Humanism

By early 21st century Humanists - and the Christians are all feeling like outsiders - why? - Loss of core theological precepts (look ahead to 5 Jagged Rocks and Nancy Bowen) - Loss of concept of covenant (cf Alice Blair Wesley) - Loss of mission (cf Robert Latham) - Lost our way in the consolidation...

Contemporary Voices Jerome Stone - The Minimalist Vision of Transcendence - 1992 Influence for William Murry, full definition of Religious Naturalism

William Murry - Reason and Reverence 2006 - Translates to Religious naturalism "A new humanism is emerging among Unitarian Universalists, a religious humanism informed by cultural developments and recent discoveries in the natural and human sciences and grounded in the larger context of religious naturalism, a religious humanism that offers depth, meaning, and purpose without sacrificing intellectual honesty or the spiritual dimension." 1. Human beings are an integral part of nature. We are not separate and distinct from the rest of the natural world; we are part and parcel of it. 2. We are not dominant over nature, as we once believed; we are its stewards and trustees. A religion of the future will affirm humankind’s responsibility to preserve and sustain the natural world. 3. Based in an evolving understanding of scientific discoveries - "Any viable future religion must take seriously the implications for religion of the remarkable discoveries of the modern natural and human sciences." 4. Spirituality is a part of new humanism - "Such a religion will recognize the importance of both reason and reverence. The human ability to think critically and constructively has made possible our many artistic achievements and medical and technological advances, but it is only reverence, understood as feelings of respect and awe, that can save us from the hubris that would destroy all the good we have accomplished." 5. Looks beyond own interests based in both intellect and emotion - "Humanistic religious naturalism promotes an ethical life in which one thinks and acts from a larger perspective than one’s own egoistic interests, a life that affirms the worth and dignity of each person, a life filled with wonder and reverence for the extraordinary magnificence of the natural world and human creations. It includes gratitude for the gift of life itself and the capacity to enjoy it. Also, to be fully human is to develop and use our minds but not neglect our emotions and intuitions. A fully human person has both an open mind and a warm heart as well as a social conscience."

Kendyl Gibbons - Major Humanist UU Minister First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis All Souls Kansas City

Anthony Pinn - Black Humanism Humanism: Essays on Race, Religion and Popular Culture - 2015

Are We Humanist? Video of Barbara Prose Good without God at All Souls Tulsa - starting at 21:00 - 26 https://youtu.be/KD8edQ-Zcog?list=PLT8wFooVCyvt8MFpVXWrojoghkNR5OcoG

Questions and Conversation How do you see Humanism playing out in our congregation? How does Humanism influence your faith?