The Oxford Handbook of Humanism

by Anthony B. Pinn

Overview

While humanist sensibilities have played a formative role in the advancement of our species, critical attention to humanism as a field of study is a more recent development. As a system of thought that values human needs and experiences over supernatural concerns, humanism has gained greater attention amid the rapidly shifting demographics of religious communities, especially in Europe and North America. This outlook on the world has taken on global dimensions as well, with activists, artists, and thinkers forming a humanistic response not only to traditional religion, but to the pressing social and political issues of the 21st century. With in-depth, scholarly chapters, The Oxford Handbook of Humanism aims to cover the subject by analyzing its history, its philosophical development, its influence on culture, and its engagement with social and political issues. In order to expand the field beyond more Western-focused works, the Handook discusses humanism as a worldwide phenomenon, with regional surveys that explore how the concept has developed in particular contexts. The Handbook also approaches humanism as both an opponent to traditional religion as well as a philosophy that some religions have explicitly adopted. By both synthesizing the field, and discussing how it continues to grow and develop, the Handbook promises to be a landmark volume, relevant to both humanism and the rapidly changing religious landscape.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190921569
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/27/2021
Series:	Oxford Handbooks
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	900
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Anthony B. Pinn is Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religion at Rice University, where he is also the inaugural director of the Center for African and African American Studies as well as founding director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning. His books include, Embodiment and the New Shape of Black Theological Thought (2010); The End of God-Talk: An African American Humanist Theology (2012); (co-edited with Katie Cannon) The Oxford Handbook of African American Theology (2014); Humanism: Essays in Race, Religion, and Cultural Production (2015); and the novel The New Disciples (2015). Pinn is also director of Research for the Institute for Humanist Studies. His awards include the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association Humanist of the Year (2017), and the Harvard University Humanist Chaplaincy 'Humanist of the Year' (2006).

Table of Contents

Introduction Anthony B. Pinn PART I: Geographies 1. Humanism in East Asia Chun-chieh Huang 2. Humanism in Africa D. A. Masolo 3. Humanism in the Middle East Khurram Hussain 4. Humanism in the Americas Carol Wayne White 5. Humanism in Europe Stefan Schröder Part II: Intellectual Histories 6. Humanism in the Medieval World John R. Shook 7. Humanism and the Renaissance John Monfasani 8. Humanism and the Enlightenment J. Brent Crosson 9. Humanism and the Modern Age Corey D. B. Walker Part III: Organization 10. Humanism Against Religion David Kline 11. Humanism as a Religious Orientation? William Hart 12. Humanism and Its Critics Slavica Jakelić Part IV: Cultural Production 13. Humanism and Literature Miriam Strube 14. Humanism and Film Sheila J. Nayar 15. Humanism and Music Christopher M. Driscoll 16. Humanism and Humor David Feltmate 17. Humanism and the Visual Arts J. Sage Elwell 18. Humanism and Sport Eric Bain-Selbo Part V: The Public Arena 19. The Politics of Humanism Joseph O. Baker 20. Humanism and Political Identity Juhem Navarro-Rivera 21. Humanism and Higher Education Jeffrey J. Kripal Part VI: Social Issues 22. Humanism and the Human Joseph Winters 23. Humanism and Environmentalism Dan McKanan 24. Humanism and Gender Monica R. Miller 25. Humanism and Race Christopher Cameron 26. Humanism, Sex, and Sexuality Abby Hafer 27. Humanism and Class Sikivu Hutchinson Part VII: Private Life 28. The Practice of Humanism James Croft 29. Humanism and the Conceptualization of Value and Well-Being Philip Butler 30. Humanism and Aging Peter Derkx and Hanne Laceulle Part VIII: Future Prospects 31. The Changing Demographics of Humanism Yazmin A. Garcia Trejo 32. Humanism and Technology Cor van der Weele and Henk van den Belt 33. Can Humanism be the Social Norm? Sharon D. Welch

Editorial Reviews

"The authors of the Oxford Handbook of Humanism manage not only to make a contribution that is relevant for the world of science, but also to invite the reader to engage in introspection and analysis in a highly complex and productive way." — Iuliu-Marius Morariu, Recensiones

From the Publisher