Appling Science to Theology

...is the theme running through the upcoming Spring 2013 issue of the Journal of Religious Humanism.  Papers delivered by Mark Belletini on Carl Sagan’s “Cosmic Theology,” and by Dawn Cooley on “Astrobiology” were delivered at last fall's Ohio River Group, a study gathering for UU Ministers.  Responses by their colleagues Lisa Friedman and Lisa Doege are included.

Mark Edmiston-Lange explores the extent to which evolution forms and teaches us about modern belief and religious life, and we reprise Sarah Voss’ “Matheology” - and evocation of “Cantorian Religion,” from an issue of RH about a decade ago.  Finally, since there are only two kinds of poetry that I like - the kind that rhymes and the kind that doesn’t, I included Roger Rochester’s thoughtful piece of doggerel on placing the human story in a larger context.

Volume 43, #2 will be mailed to members in July, and will be available for distribution at the General Assembly in Louisville, KY, June 19-22. Read more about "Religious Humanism" Journal – Next Issue »

Becoming More Fully Human as eBook

Bill Murry’s book Becoming More Fully Human: Religious Humanism as a Way of Life, published in 2011, is building an ever wider following and is now available in digital form by arrangement with the Humanist Press (American Humanist Association).  The web site is www.humanistpress.com.

Upcoming Volumnes

Our next volume, Mike Werner’s Regaining Balance: The Evolution of the UUA, is currently in preparation for the press, and we expect to have copies for display at our exhibit booth at the coming General Assembly.  It’s the first in a projected series entitled “Voices of Diversity,” intended to call forth much-needed conversations about issues too often ignored, or possibly even thought by some to be too controversial for open discussion.  Read more about Notes on the Religious Humanism Press »

Chris Stedman's book "Faitheist" is subtitled "How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious". For the purpose of this post, let's define religion as the belief in God or the supernatural; in other words, theism. (There is a lot of disagreement about defining religion in this way, particularly amongst "religious humanists", but since this is the way Stedman defines it in his book, let's stick with that.) The book is a personal narrative, a memoir by a twenty-something (strange as that may sound), about starting without religion, finding religion and then losing religion. Along the way Stedman finds a "calling" of sorts to encourage more service work among the non-religious and to bring atheists into the interfaith movement.

Unlike many who lose their religion, Stedman didn't replace belief with sneering disdain. While he went from religious to atheist, he never went the extra step to antireligious. Why? Read more about "Faitheist", by Chris Stedman -- Unitarian Universalism Is an Interfaith Case in Point »

Attendees at the UU Minister's Association biennial institute in January each received a copy of the latest issue - titled "Humanism and Ministry." Many UU clergy, especially those whose training and experience come in part from other religious traditions, have little knowlege of humanism as practiced in the congregations of the UUA, and little in the way of a track record ministering to humanists.  With roughly half of the 160,000 adult UUs identifying with or sympathizing with humanism, it's important to offer them exposure to the wide range of values, inclinations and needs of such a significant portion of their congregants. Read more about Latest Journal of Religious Humanism »