The Humanist Movement in Modern Britain: A History of Ethicists, Rationalists and Humanists

Since the turn of the 20th century, Humanism has become a major force in British life. The Humanist Movement in Modern Britain sees Callum G. Brown, David Nash and Charlie Lynch, world-leading historians of modern Humanism, explore the ways in which Humanists rose to meet the ethical challenges facing modern Britain.

Brown, Nash and Lynch examine how Humanism grew from a small Victorian rationalist religion to a group campaigning for freedom of conscience and speech, and reduction in religious privilege, presenting a progressive social reform agenda to the nation. In recent decades Humanists have become famed for providing tens of thousands of people with the Humanist celebration of marriages, baby-namings and funerals. The book analyses the Humanist impact through contributions to human rights and equality discourse and legislation covering: freedom of speech
homosexual law reform
gay marriage
a woman's right to choose abortion
the ending of blasphemy laws
sex education
non-doctrinal religious and moral education in schools
and dignity in dying. It also looks in detail at how the British Humanist Association, known as Humanists UK since 2017, has been at the heart of this work.

Based on extensive primary research, this is the definitive history of Humanism in Britain in modern times.