Epilogue. Beyond Secular Humanism

2021 ◽  
pp. 163-196
Keyword(s):  
Secular Humanism

The Politics of Humanism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph O. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Reform ◽  
Political Efficacy ◽  
Secular Humanism ◽  
History Of

While the varieties of humanist expression vary across cultural and historical contexts, all forms of humanism are necessarily related to politics by virtue of outlining ethical positions on matters of social relations. Tracing the history of humanism broadly, as well as secular humanism specifically, this chapter identifies recurring continua of conflict about the politics of humanism. There is a general, inherent tension between individualist and collectivist dimensions of humanism, which is manifest in specific disputes about orientations toward society (philosophical vs. applied humanism), religion (exclusivist vs. ecumenical humanism), ethics (scientistic vs. humanitarian humanism), and politics (libertarian vs. socialist humanism). There are also disputes within humanism that arise around the preferred strategy for managing the stigma of secularity between those who favor separatist subcultures and those who favor normalization through social reform. Ultimately a broad-based conception of humanism offers the greatest possibilities for political efficacy. In conclusion, the article outlines some of the important aspects of humanism and politics in need of further research.

Humanism in Europe

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schröder
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Ideal Types ◽  
Secular Humanism ◽  
Group Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Environments ◽  
Free Thought ◽  
Multiple Secularities ◽  
Secular Humanist

This chapter addresses secular humanism in Europe and the way it is “lived” by and within its major institutions and organizations. It examines how national and international secular humanist bodies founded after World War II took up, cultivated, and transformed free-religious, free-thought, ethical, atheist, and rationalist roots from nineteenth century Europe and adjusted them to changing social, cultural, and political environments. Giving examples from some selected national contexts, the development of a nonreligious Humanism in Europe exemplifies what Wohlrab-Sahr and Burchardt call “Multiple Secularities”: different local or national trajectories produced a variety of cultures of secularity and, thus, different understandings of secular humanism. Apart from this cultural historization, the chapter reconstructs two transnational, ideal types of secular humanism, the social practice type, and the secularist pressure group type. These types share similar worldviews and values, but have to be distinguished in terms of organizational forms, practices, and especially policy.

scholarly journals Descriptions of Culture in the Media as a Search for its True Image

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-114
Author(s):  
Paweł Maciaszek
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Secular Humanism ◽  
Holistic Development ◽  
The Media

The article confirms the thesis that culture is understood in various ways. There are people who do not know culture and those who want to know more about it. Such a desire stems from the need to solve the problem that arises from different understandings of culture and from the fact that what some people call culture, others call anti-culture. The fact that the media are used in the search for the true image of culture is presented in the article through an analysis of the messages presented in the media. If we assume that the role of the media is to help people to discover the truth by discussing issues that are relevant to people’s lives, we can say that they truly undertake such a task when it comes to culture. The media emphasize the fact that values such as truth, goodness, and beauty are present in culture. All of these values come from God and lead to him. They make mankind need and search for culture continuously. Thanks to them, we can experience holistic development and understand more deeply what the essence of true humanity is. Without these divine values, human life—marked by false anthropocentrism—will always be filled with activities that can be described as “anti-culture.” On the basis of selected texts, the article demonstrates the dependence between recognizing true culture and accepting responsibility for it. This responsibility is expressed in a constant effort to broaden one’s horizons of thought, to engage in various areas of life, and to create—through true uni­versal fraternity—various communities. This way, the proper development of not only culture, but also of humanity can take place. It is also the path which leads to an effective defense against secular humanism, which is so hostile to religion.

scholarly journals Transnationalist Spirituality of Rabindranath Tagore

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ashim Dutta
Keyword(s):  
The West ◽  
Spiritual Orientation ◽  
Rabindranath Tagore ◽  
Secular Humanism ◽  
Western Modernity ◽  
Political Crises ◽  
Alternative Vision ◽  
The Social ◽  
Eastern Cultures ◽  
Selection Of

<p>Focusing on a selection of Rabindranath Tagore’s essays, lectures, and a few of his creative works, this essay draws attention to the spiritual orientation of Tagore’s transnationalism. In his vast and multifaceted writings, Tagore offers an alternative vision of transnational union of humanity, different from and often resistant to nationalist distributions of human relationship. Through close readings of Tagore’s works, this essay complicates Orientalist notions of the East-West polarities. While strongly opposing Western imperialist ideology, Tagore was always frank about his trust in and indebtedness to the liberal humanist values of the West. On the other hand, despite upholding Indian or Eastern spirituality, he was critically aware of the social and political crises of the contemporary East. A large volume of his works betrays his scepticism about any political solution to national and international problems. What he promotes is a spiritual concord of the best in Western and Eastern cultures, connecting the liberal humanist conscience of the West with the harmonizing, all-inclusive spiritual wisdom of the East. Neither completely secular nor thoroughly religious in an institutional sense, the transnationalist spirituality of Tagore bridges the gap between the secular humanism of Western modernity and the mystic–religious spirituality of Eastern antiquity, offering nuanced perspectives on both. </p>

Reconciling Homosexuality and Spirituality in Africa as a Heresy and Survival Strategy

2020 ◽  
pp. 999-1022
Author(s):  
Floribert Patrick C. Endong
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Survival Strategy ◽  
Secular Humanism ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Third ◽  
Religious Liberalism ◽  
Lgbt People

The fight against homophobia in Africa has motivated the emergence of various advocacy initiatives including pro-gay religious forces. One of such initiatives – which have audaciously Christianized homosexuality – has been the Nigerian based, House of Rainbow (LGBT church). Using observations and a critical exploitation of secondary sources, this book chapter critically appraises this church in the light of four socio-religious theories namely, secular humanism, postmodernism, religious liberalism and African conservatism. The chapter is divided into four main parts. The first part provides a theoretical framework composed of four movements namely postmodernism, secular humanism, religious liberalism and African conservatism. The second part explores the origin, mission and structure of House of Rainbow. The third part examines House of Rainbow as postmodernist and religious humanist Christianity; while the last part examines the extent to which the gay-only church is more a survival strategy for Nigerian LGBT people than it is a heresy.

Reconciling Homosexuality and Spirituality in Africa as a Heresy and Survival Strategy

2021 ◽  
pp. 575-598
Author(s):  
Floribert Patrick C. Endong
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Survival Strategy ◽  
Secular Humanism ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Third ◽  
Religious Liberalism ◽  
Lgbt People

The fight against homophobia in Africa has motivated the emergence of various advocacy initiatives including pro-gay religious forces. One of such initiatives – which have audaciously Christianized homosexuality – has been the Nigerian based, House of Rainbow (LGBT church). Using observations and a critical exploitation of secondary sources, this book chapter critically appraises this church in the light of four socio-religious theories namely, secular humanism, postmodernism, religious liberalism and African conservatism. The chapter is divided into four main parts. The first part provides a theoretical framework composed of four movements namely postmodernism, secular humanism, religious liberalism and African conservatism. The second part explores the origin, mission and structure of House of Rainbow. The third part examines House of Rainbow as postmodernist and religious humanist Christianity; while the last part examines the extent to which the gay-only church is more a survival strategy for Nigerian LGBT people than it is a heresy.

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