John H. Dietrich

John Hassler Dietrich (1878-1957) was a Unitarian minister, born at Chambersburg, Pa., who advocated Religious Humanism. He was educated at Franklin and Marshall College and at the Reformed Theological Seminary in Lancaster, Pa. He was ordained in the ministry of the Reformed Church in 1905, but before this he held various various positions such as private secretary and manager of "Life's" Fresh Air Fund. From 1905 to 1916, he held various pastorates, becoming in the latter year pastor of the First Unitary Society in Minneapolis. He was the author of:
* "The Gain for Religion in Modern Thought" (1908)
* "The Religion of a Sceptic" (1911)
* "Substitutes for the Old Beliefs" (1914)
* "From Stardust to Soul" (1916)
* "The Religion of Evolution" (1917)
* "The Religion of Humanity" (1919)

He is considered by some to be the "Father of Religious Humanism" (Olds 1996).

ee also

*Religious humanism
*Humanist Manifesto I
*Unitarian Universalism
*Heresy in the 20th Century

External links

* [http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/dietrich.html John H. Dietrich: Religion Without God?]
* [http://www.huumanists.org/ HUUmanists]
* [http://www.croftpress.com/david/religion/sermons/2003-09-16/ The Founding of the Humanist Church and the History of Religious Humanism]

References

*cite book | last=Olds | first=Mason | title=American Religious Humanism | edition=Revised Edition | year=1996 | publisher=Fellowship of Religious Humanists | pages=p53 | chapter=Chapter 4: John H. Dietrich: The Father of Religious Humanism

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