The Shape of Theological Humanism
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every humanist aims to respect and enhance human existence within and not against other realms of life on this planet. This commitment to human well-being or flourishing carries with it other commitments: the authority Despite profound differences in history and also contemporary thought,
of evidence and argument against dogmatic authoritarianism; the impor-tance of intelligence and reason in guiding human life; the truth and good-ness of freedom; tolerance and education; and the social nature of human life and the human good so that all human beings – not just me or my
kin – are due respect and esteem. Tzvetan Todorov has recently streamlined the list of humanistic convictions and noted that humanists hold that “free-dom exists and that it is precious, but at the same time they appreciate the benefit of shared values, life with others, and a self that is held responsible
for its actions.”and history insofar as these are media in which human distinctiveness is manifest, freedom exercised, and happiness won or lost. Rather than seek-Humanists have always been interested in the study of language, culture,^10
ing the principles of human action or the definition of human “nature” in some metaphysical realm of pure essence, humanists typically explore the messiness of human interactions, modes of expression, and also the histo-rical careers of persons and people in order to discern what contributes
to human flourishing and what thwarts aspiration. This also means that humanism admits the fallibility of human beings and so insists on humility about the certainty of one’s ideas, beliefs, and values. Humility about human foibles brings with it a deep and abiding commitment to the criticism of
things human, including self-criticism. “Humanism,” Edward Said writes, “is not about withdrawal and exclusion. Quite the inverse: its purpose is to make more things available to critical scrutiny as the product of human labor, human energies for emancipation and enlightenment, and, just as
importantly, human misreadings and misinterpretations of the collective past and present.”there is a deeper claim about human existence important to classical human-Beyond freedom, shared life, responsible action, and intelligent criticism, 11
istic thinkers. Recall from the previous chapter Laszlo Versényi’s summation of Socratic humanism, “[Man] is a movement, a transcendence, a ‘thing in between’ (belief that we are mixed beings are obvious enough; we have all had them. metaxu).” (^12) What does that mean? The experiences behind the
Human beings seek happiness but hardly ever completely achieve it. We are fallible creatures duped by our own illusions, but also truth-seeking beings. Mortal beings are condemned to die and also strive for more and more life. As incomplete beings, humans struggle for some wholeness to existence no