The Shape of Theological Humanism
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thought without fear of forsaking their religious commitments. They antici-pated the kind of thinking required by theological humanism.engaging and transforming thought about human existence and spiritual Does the integrity of life provide a similar constellation of ideas for
longings? How might it enable one to think beyond the conflict between theology and humanism and thereby to enable a third way of human life, a way called theological humanism? We can end this chapter by trying to answer briefly these questions even while our answer anticipates later chapters of
the book.the basic, social, natural, and reflective goods of life. In this respect, the idea of integrity designates that finite human life has intrinsic worth, if incom-The integrity of life means the proper integration, the crystallization, of
plete. The various dimensions of goods indicated above (basic, social, natural, reflective) merely develop in greater detail humanist and Christian beliefs about the goodness of finite human existence. A central aim of human actions and relations should be to respect and enhance goodness in its diverse
forms. The fact that spiritual integrity is only achieved when an individual or community acts under the demands of responsibility means that integrity is also a response to the changeability, the fickleness of human personal and social existence. The imperative of responsibility as a formulation of the claim
of conscience provides a disciplined way to bring wholeness and true stead-fastness to human existence. Further, because integrity spans both the goods rooted in the dimensions of finite life and the norm for responsible moral choice, actions, and relations, it links the good and the right. It joins actions
and relations that lead to flourishing with the demand of duty or holiness. The integrity of life, so understood, is the name for that unity which is the goal or or, in the older Christian terms, happiness with holiness.telos of third-way thinking, the goal of uniting flourishing with virtue,
the goodness and changeability of human existence found in the logic of Christian humanism, even as it provides a way to conceptualize the highest good, the unity of happiness and holiness, genuine flourishing and true It seems, then, that the idea of the integrity of life articulates claims about
virtue. It does so, we believe, while also holding fast to the classical insight about the range of goods that are required for flourishing, as well as the deeply humanistic affirmation of autonomy, respect for others, and social solidarity. In fact, the idea of the integrity of life expands our consideration
of those goods and affirmations beyond the realm of the human species and thereby, we contend, provides the means to check within neohumanistic conviction the threat of overhumanization. That insight will be developed in the second part of this book.