Christian Humanism and Christianity-Inspired Atheistic Humanism

Abstract

The aim of this study is to focus on two forms of humanism: atheistic humanism (or humanistic atheism) and Christian humanism. The first type is represented by Czech philosopher Otakar A. Funda, while the second type is represented by two Christian thinkers – Jolana Poláková and Richard Schaeffler. By examining humanistic atheism, we can understand the distinctiveness and uniqueness of Christian humanism. In particular, I will highlight two aspects of Christian humanism: the concept of heteronomy and the concept of hope. I believe that one of the important roles of religion, especially Christianity, today is to contribute to the development of a humanism that emphasizes hope and the liberating heteronomy of God. Additionally, we can question whether, in a time of potential threats or even the possibility of the extinction of the human species, the “earthly” reasons for “why keep on giving life?” are sufficiently convincing and valid, or if they require a deeper foundation.

Keywords

• humanism
• Atheism
• Philosophy of Religion
• Otakar A. Funda
• Jolana Poláková
• Richard Schaeffler