John H. Dietrich
Encyclopedia
John Hassler Dietrich 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 Unitarian Society
in Minneapolis
. He was the author of:
He is considered by some to be the "Father of Religious Humanism" (Olds 1996).
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
, Pa.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, who advocated Religious Humanism
Religious humanism
Religious humanism is an integration of humanist ethical philosophy with religious rituals and beliefs that center on human needs, interests, and abilities.-Origins:...
. He was educated at Franklin and Marshall College and at the Reformed Theological Seminary
Reformed Theological Seminary
Reformed Theological Seminary is a non-denominational, evangelical Protestant seminary. RTS's first campus remains in Jackson, Mississippi, United States though the school has expanded to include several additional campuses.-Founding:...
in Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, 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
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
Fresh Air Fund. From 1905 to 1916, he held various pastorates, becoming in the latter year pastor of the First Unitarian Society
First Unitarian Society
First Unitarian Society of Madison is a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Shorewood Hills, a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin. Its meeting house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built by Marshall Erdman, and it is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. With over 2000 adults and children, it is...
in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. 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 StardustCosmic dustCosmic dust is a type of dust composed of particles in space which are a few molecules to 0.1 µm in size. Cosmic dust can be further distinguished by its astronomical location; for example: intergalactic dust, interstellar dust, interplanetary dust and circumplanetary dust .In our own Solar...
to Soul (1916) - The Religion of EvolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
(1917) - The Religion of Humanity (1919)
He is considered by some to be the "Father of Religious Humanism" (Olds 1996).
See also
- Religious humanismReligious humanismReligious humanism is an integration of humanist ethical philosophy with religious rituals and beliefs that center on human needs, interests, and abilities.-Origins:...
- Humanist Manifesto IHumanist Manifesto IA Humanist Manifesto, also known as Humanist Manifesto I to distinguish it from later Humanist Manifestos in the series, was written in 1933 primarily by Raymond Bragg and published with 34 signers. Unlike the later manifestos, this first talks of a new religion and refers to humanism as a...
- Unitarian UniversalismUnitarian UniversalismUnitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
- Heresy in the 20th CenturyHeresy in the 20th centuryAlthough less common than in the medieval period, formal charges of heresy within Christian churches still occur. Key issues in the Protestant churches have included modern biblical criticism, the nature of God, and the acceptability of gay clergy...