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What Is Secular Humanism?: Why Humanism Became Secular and How It Is Changing Our World
What is Secular Humanism?: Why Humanism Became Secular and How It is Changing Our World (Servant Publications), Trade paperback
- GenresPhilosophy
158 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1982
45 people want to read
About the author
James Hitchcock
34 books17 followersJames Hitchcock, Ph.D., is a longtime professor of history at St. Louis University, which he attended as an undergraduate. He received his masters and doctorate degrees from Princeton University and has authored several books, including The Supreme Court and Religion in American Life; The Recovery of the Sacred; What Is Secular Humanism; and Catholicism and Modernity: Confrontation or Capitulation?
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 24, 2024
A CATHOLIC HISTORIAN AFFIRMS "HUMANISM," BUT STRONGLY REJECTS ITS "SECULAR" VERSION
Catholic professor and historian James Hitchcock has also written books such as' History of the Catholic Church: From the Apostolic Age to the Third Millennium,' 'The Decline and Fall of Radical Catholicism,' 'Catholicism and Modernity,' 'The Recovery of the Sacred,' etc.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1982 book, "There is nothing at all pejorative in calling someone a humanist. Indeed there have been many outstanding Christian humanists, such as the late C.S. Lewis... There is a God-given natural dignity to man which even the best of the pagans have recognized, and which Christians must affirm... To call someone a humanist is usually a term of honor. It is when the adjective 'secular' is added that the trouble begins... [Secular] Humanism is hardly the benign, tolerant force it pretends to be. Indeed, it is highly intolerant. It has a keen sense of being locked into a continuous philosophical and social struggle. with religious belief, in which the ultimate stakes are nothing less than the moral foundations of society."
He points out, "Renaissance Humanists were believing Christians, mainly Catholics. Some of them were extremely devout. For example, Pico della Mirandola... seriously considered becoming a monk just prior to his untimely death." (Pg. 25)
He suggests, "The essence of the media's secularism is self-worship. Implicitly denying the existence of God or an objective moral order, they reduce life to an endless quest for personal fulfillment." (Pg. 87-88) He adds, "In the past, whatever youth culture existed---literature for young people, for example, or Walt Disney films---aimed to integrate youth into the values of the adult world. There was no contradiction between the content of the youth media and the beliefs of parents. Now, however, the youth culture is explicitly opposed to parental values, sets itself up as a rival authority, and seeks to prolong adolescent attitudes throughout life." (Pg. 93)
He argues, "Some liberals hit upon a strategy of saying that Christian moral teachings (as in the Sermon on the Mount) are the highest and most profound expressions ever made of natural human morality. This morality is rooted in man's very nature and not dependent on religious authority. The moral Babel of the later twentieth century has cast into severe doubt the idea that there even is such an ethics. It has also been a strategy which leads to the progressive emptying of Christian morality of all content. Liberals simply stick the Christian label on any moral position they happen to fine persuasive at a given time." (Pg. 124)
He adds, "Strange though it may seem, there is a good deal fo Secular Humanism...among professed Christians. Even among active church members. Even among the clergy. Liberal Christianity now inexorably gives rise to attitudes which are basically secularist in nature." (Pg. 134)
Christians (particularly Catholics, of the more conservative or traditional sort) will enjoy this critique of modern secularism.
Catholic professor and historian James Hitchcock has also written books such as' History of the Catholic Church: From the Apostolic Age to the Third Millennium,' 'The Decline and Fall of Radical Catholicism,' 'Catholicism and Modernity,' 'The Recovery of the Sacred,' etc.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1982 book, "There is nothing at all pejorative in calling someone a humanist. Indeed there have been many outstanding Christian humanists, such as the late C.S. Lewis... There is a God-given natural dignity to man which even the best of the pagans have recognized, and which Christians must affirm... To call someone a humanist is usually a term of honor. It is when the adjective 'secular' is added that the trouble begins... [Secular] Humanism is hardly the benign, tolerant force it pretends to be. Indeed, it is highly intolerant. It has a keen sense of being locked into a continuous philosophical and social struggle. with religious belief, in which the ultimate stakes are nothing less than the moral foundations of society."
He points out, "Renaissance Humanists were believing Christians, mainly Catholics. Some of them were extremely devout. For example, Pico della Mirandola... seriously considered becoming a monk just prior to his untimely death." (Pg. 25)
He suggests, "The essence of the media's secularism is self-worship. Implicitly denying the existence of God or an objective moral order, they reduce life to an endless quest for personal fulfillment." (Pg. 87-88) He adds, "In the past, whatever youth culture existed---literature for young people, for example, or Walt Disney films---aimed to integrate youth into the values of the adult world. There was no contradiction between the content of the youth media and the beliefs of parents. Now, however, the youth culture is explicitly opposed to parental values, sets itself up as a rival authority, and seeks to prolong adolescent attitudes throughout life." (Pg. 93)
He argues, "Some liberals hit upon a strategy of saying that Christian moral teachings (as in the Sermon on the Mount) are the highest and most profound expressions ever made of natural human morality. This morality is rooted in man's very nature and not dependent on religious authority. The moral Babel of the later twentieth century has cast into severe doubt the idea that there even is such an ethics. It has also been a strategy which leads to the progressive emptying of Christian morality of all content. Liberals simply stick the Christian label on any moral position they happen to fine persuasive at a given time." (Pg. 124)
He adds, "Strange though it may seem, there is a good deal fo Secular Humanism...among professed Christians. Even among active church members. Even among the clergy. Liberal Christianity now inexorably gives rise to attitudes which are basically secularist in nature." (Pg. 134)
Christians (particularly Catholics, of the more conservative or traditional sort) will enjoy this critique of modern secularism.
November 7, 2016
This was probably my third read through of this book. I got it in the late 1980s or earl 90s when I was in the Conservative Book Club. Author is an RC and writes from that perspective, but not in a heavy handed way. Fantastic thesis on the subject and my original introduction into it.
February 1, 2008
One point in this book's favor is that my brother did the cover artwork.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews