looking Ahead

Religious Naturalism attempts to integrate all human knowledge into one coherent rational belief. Most religion don’t do this but use only one mystic source for their faith. An astute religion will embrace the factual knowledge and conclusions of the universe that science provides. A compassionate science will appreciate and promote the human need for spiritual nourishment. Religious Naturalism does both. It also relies on truth as best determined by evidence where most religions rely on ancient writings.

Will Religious Naturalism become a major world belief? Will theistic beliefs become more like Religious Naturalism and adopt scientific thinking to their outlook? Can a global ethos evolve to address mounting problems? Is it possible to state rightfulness in a way that all can embrace? Can people be more accepting of diversity and  tolerance?  Can humanity sustain a healthy environment? Is human wellbeing a worthy goal? Does humanity even have a destiny? Is evolution a truer story for creation? Can reason and reverence be housed within the same tent?

These are mighty big questions. They are very important ones that Religious Naturalism can address better than old paradigms. Religious Naturalism is growing and emerging. It's stepping out now. The following recent works demonstrate the accelerating interest in it.

These eminent scholars provide more in depth understandings of Religious Naturalism. Most have Wikipedia bio articles about them. Several are world famous which shows the respect that this belief has earned.

Gordon Kaufman starts with In the beginning...Creativity

Jerry Stone records the history in Religious Naturalism Today

Ursula Goodenough explains the The Sacred Depths of Nature.

Donald Crosby gives us A Religion of Nature.

Loyal Rue says Religion is not about God .

Chet Raymo suggests When God Is Gone, Everything Is Holy

Michael Dowd says Thank God for Evolution

Michael S. Hogue touts The Promise of Religious Naturalism

Andre Comte-Sponville provides The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality.

Karl Peters embellishes with Dancing with the Sacred

Stuart Kauffman is Reinventing the Sacred

Willem B. Drees  unites Religion, Science and Naturalism

Edward O. Wilson supplies the method of Consilience

Paul Tillich providesThe Courage to Be.

Do you have the courage to accept a modern, reasonable, and reverent way of accepting reality? Michael Cavanaugh in a forth coming book will suggest where Religious Naturalism is going in the next hundred years.Jerry Robertson  is working to give it structure, exposure, pizzazz and a crusading zeal. Michael Dowd  across the country daily in various congregations peaches Religious Naturalism’s evolutionary epic. Ursula Goodenough routinely gives talks on it. At Sacred River Ash Bowie  is developing a naturalistic, progressive approach to spirituality. The IRAS 2011 conference  will bring Religious Naturalists together in community.  More at http://religiousnaturalism.info/index.html