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Reason and Reverence: Religious Humanism for the 21st Century |
Author: William R. Murry
Published: 2006-11-06 |
List price: $16.00
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As of: January 08th, 2009 02:53:44 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Emboldening a new old vision
REASON AND REVERENCE by the Rev. William R. Murry was written with the express intent of revitalizing humanism within Unitarian Universalism by grounding it in religious naturalism. The book is getting mixed reviews among 'old-school' humanists, apparently, as I've read comments to the effect that there's nothing that needs revitalizing, that Murry is succumbing to the rage for spirituality by diluting classical humanism with a touchy-feely naturalism, and so on. I've also read comments by theists chiding Murry for his unabashed nontheism.
Murry feels that classical humanism, the humanism of 1933 Manifesto, was overly optimistic about social progress and unmindful of the human capacity for evil. Additionally, he feels that its anthropocentrism and disregard for the intrinsic value of nature have been complicit in nature's despoliation. Further, he feels that by neglecting the affective component of human religiosity, particularly its capacity for awe and reverence, humanism has become dessicated and unresponsive.
Murry insists that not only does humanism need religious naturalism, naturalism needs religious humanism to add an ethical dimension not immediately derivable from amoral nature. He feels that peace, justice, and particularly reverence for life are properly humanistic values which, when added to a religious response to nature, complete a stance he calls humanistic religious naturalism.
I have not done justice to the book in these paragraphs. I would hope people in addition to UUs would read it. In my very humble opinion this book is a milestone in nontheistic liberal religion and I heartily recommend it.
 a little trite, but all true
This is a fine statement of the principles of religious humanism. If you wonder what religious humanism is, the answer is here. There is a history of humanism, a discussion of "the epic of evolution," and several chapters essentially on ethics and well-being.
Nothing especially revolutionary or inspiring here, just the solid truth, simply stated.
Here're an excerpt, sort of the thesis statement of the book, to give you an example of the writing style:
"To be religious does not require that one accept the existence of a supernatural being. To be religious is a matter of one's attitude toward all of life. The religious aspect of humanism consists of an appreciation of the dignity and worth of every person; reverence and wonder at the world of nature, at human creativity, and at life itself; a sense of the unity of all things; joy in human community; and a commitment to a cause that transcends the self (p. 11)."
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