Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism

by Kendyl L. R. Gibbons (Editor), William R. Murry (Editor)

In this highly anticipated collection, Unitarian Universalist Humanists present their faith perspectives in 23 engaging and thought-provoking essays. The contributors, both lay and ordained, demonstrate why Humanism has been one of the bedrock theologies of Unitarian Universalism for the last hundred years. They reflect on what it means to be a religious Humanist today and how they see the movement evolving in the twenty-first century. They explore Humanist history, beliefs, approach to life, social justice, community, and religious education. Together, these voices proclaim a passionate affirmation of a rich and dynamic tradition within Unitarian Universalism.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

222 pages, Paperback

Published December 15, 2016

Reviews

[Louise Smith-Erb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book brought me a lot of joy and a lot of frustrations! I’m grateful for the depth of introduction to humanism in a UU context and learned a lot. Shout out to the essays by Poppei, Bumbaugh, Hamsa, and Anderson in particular. Unfortunately, many of the essays contained a lot of unpacked elitism and big generalizations about a variety of religious traditions. I also think that there is some deep value in de-centering humans when we think about the world but that’s probably where I differ from some aspects of humanism rather than a criticism of this book itself.

[Hal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book by and about UU Humanists. It consists of a series of essays by UU ministers and others describing how and why they came to be humanists. Along the way it describes what those folk believe humanism is.

Essays are collected under several topics:
History and Core Beliefs
What Humanists Stand For
Humanism is About How We Live
Humanism and Unitarian Universalist Diversity
Humanism and Social Activism
Humanism and Religious Education
The Importance of Community

Anyone who has doubts about theism and god, or who is a humanist at heart but would like to know what other humanists believe, would find value in this book.

[Pablo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning...

As a Secular Humanist, some of my common comments were how bad we are organizing and how much we love discussions and how little we do. Both are reflected in the experiences of the essays in the book.

I joined the UUA a few years back, and as a UU Humanist (I prefer this label, Congregational works too), I see a big difference. Being within a community that accepts Atheists as one of many, with a strong sense of social justice and action over beliefs, has been a great experience.

It was fascinating to learn that UUs were in the authors of the Humanist Manifestos I, II and III, and founders of the American Humanist Association.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some good essays in this collection -- I recommend those by Poppei, Bumbaugh, Muder and Hamsa. I liked Muder's analysis of the commandment from Jesus --- Love God, and Love your Neighbor. Per Muder --- just go right to step two.

[Sue Ballenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a major hit with my humanist book group. The essays provide a great overview of this philosophy and inspired the group's discussions.