Unitarianism & the Birth of Humanism (Todd Ekloff June 2025)

Rev. Todd Eklof’s talk traces the deep historical roots of humanism and argues that it has always been intertwined with Unitarianism. He begins with early 20th‑century religious humanism and figures like John Dietrich, noting that Dietrich’s shift toward humanism took shape during his ministry in Spokane, where the congregation’s 1888 bylaws affirmed “reason” and “scientific” inquiry as the basis of religious belief. Eklof highlights how Dietrich and Curtis Reese sparked the early Humanist Debate within Unitarianism, and he challenges the modern assumption that humanism is a recent add‑on to the tradition. As he puts it, humanism is grounded in “the betterment of humanity,” a theme he traces through Jewish monotheism, the teachings of Jesus, Renaissance humanism, and Enlightenment rationalism.From there, Eklof broadens the lens, showing how humanistic values—human dignity, agency, welfare, and the use of reason—have persisted across every era in which Unitarianism has existed. He contrasts this long lineage with what he sees as today’s drift toward anti‑rationalism within Unitarian Universalism. Drawing on examples from the transcript such as the Edict of Torda, which he describes as “the first religious toleration law in human history,” he argues that Unitarianism’s survival depends on reclaiming its historic North Star: a commitment to truth, freedom, and the flourishing of all people.