What do you think?
Rate this book
The Humanist Way: An Introduction to Ethical Humanist Religion
Explains the nature of ethical and religious humanism, differentiates secular and religious humanism, and stresses the importance of preserving the freedom, dignity, and well being of all people
- GenresReligionPhilosophy
205 pages, Hardcover
First published November 27, 2013
9 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 1, 2017
I read this book on the recommendation of a leader at the Washington Ethical Society as a kind of introduction into Ethical Culture or religious Humanism. The book does a good job of outlining the history and major characteristics of the two movements in America--Ethical Culture and religious Humanism both arose in the 19th century as an outgrowth of freethinking and religious liberalism in the Christian and Jewish traditions in the United States during that period. The book goes into some of the founding folks of the tradition, including Felix Adler, the founder of the Ethical Culture movement, public philosopher and educator John Dewey, and others. It traces the roots of Humanism in philosophy and religious traditions and gives an overview of the structure of Ethical Culture societies in the United States and Europe as they existed at the time of writing (sometime in the 1970's I think?)
I largely enjoyed the book and found its arguments relatively easy to follow, though I thought it could have been organized a bit more clearly. The author goes out of his way to present the major figures of Ethical Culture in a positive if realistic light--for example, he points out that Felix Adler's views on gender and the role of women in leadership would not be supported by most Humanists or members of Ethical Societies today. At the same time, I felt like it was maybe a bit more rah-rah about religious Humanism than necessary, though maybe that felt like necessary marketing when he wrote the book.
What was more interesting to me was the author's obvious defensiveness against the attacks of conservative Christians on "secular Humanism", which he went out of his way to refute at several points throughout the book. I found this part of the book fascinating as someone who grew up in conservative Christian schools--I can clearly remember the section of my "comparative religions" class in high school on secular Humanism, and the arguments the author fights against are ones that I remember hearing from the other side in school.
Clearly Humanism is perceived by many Christians (and I would assume many believers of other faiths) as a threat, in that it rejects the idea of revealed truth as a source of knowledge and identifies human decisions, interactions and potentialities as the proper focus of "religious" attention. The author goes out of his way to assert that Humanism need not be limited to atheists or agnostics, but that many Ethical Culture members are theists of some kind--they just choose to focus not on the creeds of one faith or another but on the role of human beings in creating a good or bad world for us to live in here and now.
I have to say that this "deed before creed" focus is something that appeals to me greatly. As someone who in my life has done my share of fixation on beliefs--whose are correct, why I believe X vs. Y, poking logical holes in the positions of others while shoring up the defenses around my own theological castle--I find the relationship of Ethical Culture to issues of faith a reasonable one: everyone's welcome, regardless of personal beliefs; the focus is not on what we believe about God/gods, the afterlife, sin, etc., but on how we can live good and meaningful lives given the things that we can know and agree on. Maybe it's a humbler, more constrained set of issues to focus on, but it strikes me as manageable.
In general then, I wouldn't call this book gospel, but it's a worthwhile introduction into Ethical Culture and religious Humanism from what I've seen of it so far, for anyone who might be interested in learning more about where these ideas and organizations came from and what they do.
I largely enjoyed the book and found its arguments relatively easy to follow, though I thought it could have been organized a bit more clearly. The author goes out of his way to present the major figures of Ethical Culture in a positive if realistic light--for example, he points out that Felix Adler's views on gender and the role of women in leadership would not be supported by most Humanists or members of Ethical Societies today. At the same time, I felt like it was maybe a bit more rah-rah about religious Humanism than necessary, though maybe that felt like necessary marketing when he wrote the book.
What was more interesting to me was the author's obvious defensiveness against the attacks of conservative Christians on "secular Humanism", which he went out of his way to refute at several points throughout the book. I found this part of the book fascinating as someone who grew up in conservative Christian schools--I can clearly remember the section of my "comparative religions" class in high school on secular Humanism, and the arguments the author fights against are ones that I remember hearing from the other side in school.
Clearly Humanism is perceived by many Christians (and I would assume many believers of other faiths) as a threat, in that it rejects the idea of revealed truth as a source of knowledge and identifies human decisions, interactions and potentialities as the proper focus of "religious" attention. The author goes out of his way to assert that Humanism need not be limited to atheists or agnostics, but that many Ethical Culture members are theists of some kind--they just choose to focus not on the creeds of one faith or another but on the role of human beings in creating a good or bad world for us to live in here and now.
I have to say that this "deed before creed" focus is something that appeals to me greatly. As someone who in my life has done my share of fixation on beliefs--whose are correct, why I believe X vs. Y, poking logical holes in the positions of others while shoring up the defenses around my own theological castle--I find the relationship of Ethical Culture to issues of faith a reasonable one: everyone's welcome, regardless of personal beliefs; the focus is not on what we believe about God/gods, the afterlife, sin, etc., but on how we can live good and meaningful lives given the things that we can know and agree on. Maybe it's a humbler, more constrained set of issues to focus on, but it strikes me as manageable.
In general then, I wouldn't call this book gospel, but it's a worthwhile introduction into Ethical Culture and religious Humanism from what I've seen of it so far, for anyone who might be interested in learning more about where these ideas and organizations came from and what they do.
May 31, 2024
AN OVERVIEW OF THE HUMANIST MOVEMENT BY AN ETHICAL UNION LEADER
Author Edward Ericson wrote in the ‘Introductory Note’ of this 1988 book, “This study is offered primarily as an introduction to Ethical humanism as that religious philosophy exists in the Ethical Culture societies (the American Ethical Union). But I have also kept in view those who belong to other historically related liberal religious and Humanist movements, or who individually subscribe to similar beliefs. Throughout, I have tried to show how these groups have influenced each other for more than a century… In this overview of the Humanist movement, we are concerned primarily with basic principles and long-term developments.” (Pg. xii-xiii)
He adds, “this study is inevitably a personal interpretation. I have tried to be representative and balanced in my account, but some other member of the Ethical movement might just as truly speak from a different personal perspective. I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve as an Ethical leader… for twenty-eight years, and also for the experience of having served as president of … the American Ethical Union… To a limited extent, therefore, this book is a comparative overview of ethical and religious Humanism in North America.” (Pg. xv-xvi)
He explains, “Humanism, in the context of this study, affirms the freedom, dignity, and well-being of human beings as the supreme object of moral life, without belief in any supernatural power or being. It is committed to the pursuit of the human good as the ultimate value of this life---which Humanists believe is the only life we have reason to expect… The sole disagreement between religious Humanists and most secular Humanists is whether or not a purely non-theistic belief… can properly be considered a religion. Religious Humanists affirm that it can, pointing out that the only universal characteristic of religion, common to all traditions, is a sense of the sacred, which … involves moral and spiritual commitment.” (Pg. xi-xii)
He continues, “The religious philosophy known as Ethical humanism (also called Ethical Culture) is a moral faith based on respect for the dignity and worth of human life. It is a practical, working religion devoted to ethical living, without imposing ritual obligations or prescribing beliefs about the supernatural. Thus it is purely a religion ‘of this world… for the Ethical Humanist, life itself is inherently religious in quality… [this] is simply to believe that human existence in this world is intrinsically worthy of reverence, that the world of ordinary experience is capable of inspiring profound feelings of spiritual devotion. Commitment to the supreme worth (or sanctity) of human life is the core of the Ethical Humanist faith. This recognition of a spiritual obligation to treat human life as SACRED persuades Humanists that their belief can, with justification, be considered as a religious faith… Ethical Humanists contend that the dignity and moral worth of human personality should always be represented as the supreme end in view, the summum bonum, the supreme good to be observed. The affirmation of human worth is the starting point of Humanist religion.” (Pg. 1-2)
He points out, “if one counts the total number of Ethical Culture societies and fellowships and then adds the Unitarian Universalist churches and societies that are explicitly or predominantly Humanist in orientation and practice, plus the various congregations of the Society for Humanistic Judaism … the sum of such congregations would be in the hundreds. To that number must be added the members-at-large of the Fellowship of Religious Humanists and the considerable body of religious Humanists within the American Humanist Association… So while the religion of Humanism in North America is small when compared to other religious movements, it can hardly be dismissed as a myth created by its enemies!” (Pg. 10)
He suggests, “religion is a term we choose to claim, and to apply to Humanism’s spiritual life, believing that the function that religion serves in living remains as vital as ever. It is natural, spontaneous, and inevitable to experience ethical commitment as religious, because ethical feeling functions as religion has always functioned, guiding and uplifting our hearts and minds… Ethical faith… gives wholeness to personality and to our vision of life.” (Pg. 17)
He acknowledges, “Despite [Felix] Adler’s profound influence on the movement he had founded and led … the Ethical movement never embraced … his metaphysical conception of the Spiritual manifold… Adler himself was determined not to bind Ethical Culture to any particular metaphysical concept or system, but to keep the movement open to a variety of approaches united on a common commitment to the supremacy of ethics… The example has been followed ever since. A particular leader … cannot command adherence to a personal vison of truth.” (Pg. 50)
About the two Humanist Manifestos, he notes, “Our purpose is not to shape a final and definitive doctrine… but to understand the themes and general perspective that have shaped the movement’s character and development. It should be noted that some of the most thoughtful Humanist leaders declined to sign either document, because of their specific reservations or from opposition to any statement that might suggest a creed.” (Pg. 70)
This is a very interesting book, that will be “must reading” for anyone studying the history and development of the Ethical Culture movement, Religious Humanism, and related movements.
Author Edward Ericson wrote in the ‘Introductory Note’ of this 1988 book, “This study is offered primarily as an introduction to Ethical humanism as that religious philosophy exists in the Ethical Culture societies (the American Ethical Union). But I have also kept in view those who belong to other historically related liberal religious and Humanist movements, or who individually subscribe to similar beliefs. Throughout, I have tried to show how these groups have influenced each other for more than a century… In this overview of the Humanist movement, we are concerned primarily with basic principles and long-term developments.” (Pg. xii-xiii)
He adds, “this study is inevitably a personal interpretation. I have tried to be representative and balanced in my account, but some other member of the Ethical movement might just as truly speak from a different personal perspective. I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve as an Ethical leader… for twenty-eight years, and also for the experience of having served as president of … the American Ethical Union… To a limited extent, therefore, this book is a comparative overview of ethical and religious Humanism in North America.” (Pg. xv-xvi)
He explains, “Humanism, in the context of this study, affirms the freedom, dignity, and well-being of human beings as the supreme object of moral life, without belief in any supernatural power or being. It is committed to the pursuit of the human good as the ultimate value of this life---which Humanists believe is the only life we have reason to expect… The sole disagreement between religious Humanists and most secular Humanists is whether or not a purely non-theistic belief… can properly be considered a religion. Religious Humanists affirm that it can, pointing out that the only universal characteristic of religion, common to all traditions, is a sense of the sacred, which … involves moral and spiritual commitment.” (Pg. xi-xii)
He continues, “The religious philosophy known as Ethical humanism (also called Ethical Culture) is a moral faith based on respect for the dignity and worth of human life. It is a practical, working religion devoted to ethical living, without imposing ritual obligations or prescribing beliefs about the supernatural. Thus it is purely a religion ‘of this world… for the Ethical Humanist, life itself is inherently religious in quality… [this] is simply to believe that human existence in this world is intrinsically worthy of reverence, that the world of ordinary experience is capable of inspiring profound feelings of spiritual devotion. Commitment to the supreme worth (or sanctity) of human life is the core of the Ethical Humanist faith. This recognition of a spiritual obligation to treat human life as SACRED persuades Humanists that their belief can, with justification, be considered as a religious faith… Ethical Humanists contend that the dignity and moral worth of human personality should always be represented as the supreme end in view, the summum bonum, the supreme good to be observed. The affirmation of human worth is the starting point of Humanist religion.” (Pg. 1-2)
He points out, “if one counts the total number of Ethical Culture societies and fellowships and then adds the Unitarian Universalist churches and societies that are explicitly or predominantly Humanist in orientation and practice, plus the various congregations of the Society for Humanistic Judaism … the sum of such congregations would be in the hundreds. To that number must be added the members-at-large of the Fellowship of Religious Humanists and the considerable body of religious Humanists within the American Humanist Association… So while the religion of Humanism in North America is small when compared to other religious movements, it can hardly be dismissed as a myth created by its enemies!” (Pg. 10)
He suggests, “religion is a term we choose to claim, and to apply to Humanism’s spiritual life, believing that the function that religion serves in living remains as vital as ever. It is natural, spontaneous, and inevitable to experience ethical commitment as religious, because ethical feeling functions as religion has always functioned, guiding and uplifting our hearts and minds… Ethical faith… gives wholeness to personality and to our vision of life.” (Pg. 17)
He acknowledges, “Despite [Felix] Adler’s profound influence on the movement he had founded and led … the Ethical movement never embraced … his metaphysical conception of the Spiritual manifold… Adler himself was determined not to bind Ethical Culture to any particular metaphysical concept or system, but to keep the movement open to a variety of approaches united on a common commitment to the supremacy of ethics… The example has been followed ever since. A particular leader … cannot command adherence to a personal vison of truth.” (Pg. 50)
About the two Humanist Manifestos, he notes, “Our purpose is not to shape a final and definitive doctrine… but to understand the themes and general perspective that have shaped the movement’s character and development. It should be noted that some of the most thoughtful Humanist leaders declined to sign either document, because of their specific reservations or from opposition to any statement that might suggest a creed.” (Pg. 70)
This is a very interesting book, that will be “must reading” for anyone studying the history and development of the Ethical Culture movement, Religious Humanism, and related movements.
June 16, 2010
It was good to learn about the history of the Ethical Culture movement, but some of the middle chapters that explained the connection to religion didn't work for me. They seemed to assume a sense of personal spirituality that doesn't reflect my experience.
June 27, 2023
First read – 6 July 2008 - ***. I read this book over two months, and finished during the MUUSA (Midwestern Unitarian Universalist Summer Assembly) held this year near Potosi, Missouri.
The book is intended as a survey introduction to Ethical Humanism, a very small non-theistic religious movement existing primarily on the East Coast of the US, but with one prominent Society in St. Louis and another Society in Chicago. I first encountered the AEU in St. Louis.
The early chapters are a good introduction to the background of religious naturalism, evolving out of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Free Religious Association, the Western Unitarian Conference, and through the earlier Humanist Manifestos. After that, unfortunately, the book descends into a litany of minor players whose impact was essentially limited to the American Ethical Union itself. To me as a midwestern Unitarian Universalist, I was surprised at the extent to which this religious movement is indistinguishable from the religious humanism existing as a popular faith path within all of the UU congregations I know. The most important difference to me being, of course, that AEU societies do not exist in my home Wisconsin, while UU congregations do.
The book is intended as a survey introduction to Ethical Humanism, a very small non-theistic religious movement existing primarily on the East Coast of the US, but with one prominent Society in St. Louis and another Society in Chicago. I first encountered the AEU in St. Louis.
The early chapters are a good introduction to the background of religious naturalism, evolving out of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Free Religious Association, the Western Unitarian Conference, and through the earlier Humanist Manifestos. After that, unfortunately, the book descends into a litany of minor players whose impact was essentially limited to the American Ethical Union itself. To me as a midwestern Unitarian Universalist, I was surprised at the extent to which this religious movement is indistinguishable from the religious humanism existing as a popular faith path within all of the UU congregations I know. The most important difference to me being, of course, that AEU societies do not exist in my home Wisconsin, while UU congregations do.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews