Does Humanism need Christianity?

The popular view is that humanism and religion are separate, even antagonistic, belief systems: if you hold one, you can't, by definition, hold the other.

Yet, the recent Theos essay, The Case for Christian Humanism, argued that not only can humanists be Christians - the two movements are perfectly compatible - but they should be. Humanism needs Christian commitments to support some its most precious beliefs about human value, human reason, and morality. The claim has proved controversial, to many Christians and humanists alike.

This public debate puts leading Christian and humanist thinkers together to debate whether humanism does indeed need Christianity, or whether the two movements belong apart.

Participants:

Julian Baggini, philosopher and writer, author of Freedom Regained: The Possibility of Free Will

Angus Ritchie, Executive Director, The Centre for Theology and Community, and co-author of The Case for Christian Humanism

Alison Milbank, Associate Professor, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Nottingham

Richard Norman, Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Kent, and founder-member of the Humanist Philosophers' Group

Chair:

Clare Carlisle, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Theology, Kings College, London

Location:

King's College Chapel, King's College London, Strand Campus | Strand | London | WC2R 2LS

Date and Time:

Tuesday 13 October, 7pm-8.30pm

Free admission

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