By Chris Highland
Chris is a teacher, writer, and humanist celebrant living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. In this article he proposes that humanists can foster collaboration with progressive faith communities by exploring inclusive and innovative terminology. This collaboration aims to build stronger relationships and mutual understanding between secular and religious groups, thereby enhancing community well-being and addressing shared challenges. He proposes terms like ‘inter-path’ and ‘inter-face’ to represent a new model of cooperation that transcends traditional ‘interfaith’ dialogue.
It seems to me that humanists are ‘hyphen people’ – we often stand in the gap, the pause, the between. Between what or whom, we don’t always know for sure. A hyphen is a symbol that serves to join together words or ideas that may not appear to be connected. In the case of humans, we may not seek to be connected, or choose to be inter-connected. Here again, connected to what, to whom?
A fellow humanist was disturbed by collaborative religious organisations inviting him to join. He didn’t want to participate in these since ‘Humanism isn’t a faith’. Having worked with interfaith non-profits for many years, I sympathised with this response. Those of us who take the decisive step to emerge and exit from faith traditions no longer wish to identify with any religious group, though we may wish to remain in some form of relationship with some form of group. The troubled humanist suggested a more interesting, inclusive term: inter-path. In the book, Humanist Meditations, I respond with the hope that ‘some religious cooperatives would use [the term inter-path], and practice that intentional inclusion’. It seems to me that we humanists can help progressive faith communities explore new terminology to be more inviting and welcoming to secular neighbours who share similar values for the common good.
In another humanist setting, I heard someone refer to the term inter-face as an alternative to using words based in religion. The ‘between-ness’ of these innovative concepts in connectional community – inter-path, inter-face – present both an exciting new model for collaboration and a direct challenge to secular freethinkers. Are we willing to make the effort and take the time to build relationships within those religious circles who seem ready and willing to move forward alongside the nonreligious? Can we re-prioritise our commitments to building rather than burning bridges that may still be possible between the faithful and freethinkers? Are we open to working with people of faith to re-imagine and re-form the historic interfaith model to better re-present contemporary vision?
My years as an active member of interfaith organisations showed me how effective open and inclusive agencies and programmes can be. First, as an acting chaplain and instructor at a private school, then as a chaplain in a county jail system and in a street chaplaincy, I saw how meaningful this inter-relational approach can be. My wife Carol, who retained her ordination as a Protestant minister even as I renounced mine, directed an interfaith council for years. Though I left faith while still serving as a chaplain, both of us held to our commitment to inclusion for the greater purpose. We agree that interfaith or inter-religious no longer work as descriptions of ‘the way forward’. And that ‘way’ must be a path, a trail that humanists can co-walk as well as co-lead.
As hyphen-humanists, we might choose to refer to cooperative efforts simply as inter. ‘Come join us, we’re the Inters!’ If what we really want to emphasise and build upon is where people meet – the inter-sections of human cohesion – perhaps The Inters highlights our inter-dependence?
Labels aren’t always helpful, and neither are identities, at least in some settings. Placing ourselves apart from others by self-labelling as different has its place of course. But when it comes to stronger relationships where a corporate identity is more important than personal statements or individual identities, it may be useful to prioritise the unum (singularity or unity) while presenting the gift of diversity – pluribus – as the foundational strength. Unity, at least a truly humanistic unity, can’t happen without that plastic-plurality, the mouldable bond of diversity that raises up difference at the same time commonalities and similarities are raised ever higher. This is not to say that ‘celebration of diversity’ should be set aside or downplayed – only slightly held aside for the ‘greater purpose’ of unified hyphenating inters. A delicate balance indeed!
No one is saying this would be quick and easy. Like any pragmatic and effective coalition of human beings, this can take time. Here again though, there is a track record with both ecumenical and interfaith groups, drawing together members with often widely divergent beliefs. Intent matters; focus matters. When the intended focus is on issues of faith, especially supernatural versions of faith, there is little room for progress. If a group keeps its ‘eyes on the prize’ of a specific community need, calling for a concerted effort that can benefit everyone in a broken-hyphen world, healthy progress is possible.
Serving on a curriculum committee for the Religion and Philosophy department of a lifelong learning programme on a university campus, we’re privileged to bring in faculty to teach from diverse perspectives. As a teacher myself, I’m encouraged by yet another example of good-hearted good thinking, alongside others working toward a more inter-esting, hyphenated future.
Further information about the author
Since 2016, Chris Highland has written a weekly ‘Highland Views’ column for the Asheville Citizen-Times (in the USA Today network). As a former Presbyterian minister, interfaith chaplain, shelter director and senior housing manager, he draws from a deep well of experience in human service and progressive ministry. His first book, Meditations of John Muir (2001), was followed by a series of books including A Freethinker’s Gospel, Intersections, Eye to Eye, Beyond the Boundaries of Belief, Humanist Meditations and other collections of essays. He teaches courses on Freethought, Humanism and Christian Nationalism at the Reuter Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Chris and his wife, Rev. Carol Hovis, a teacher and counsellor, moved to Asheville from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2016. His website is ‘Friendly Freethinker’ (www.chighland.com).
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