Resources for chaplains serving clients who are humanists, atheists, agnostics, and all non-theistic worldviews (HAA+).
This list of resources will be continuously evolving. We are currently working on finding more francophone resources.
Disclaimer: The resources in this list do not necessarily reflect or fully represent the views of Humanist Canada.
Exploring Humanism for Beginners
| Target Audience | Resource | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Chaplains Specifically | “Non-Religious Pastoral Care: A Practical Guide” by David Savage – This ground-breaking book is a guide to non-religious pastoral care practices in healthcare, prisons, education, and the armed forces. | Where books are sold |
| Adults | Exploring our Humanist Canada website. | Link |
| Try online quiz: “How humanist are you?” by Humanist UK. | Link | |
| “Good without God” by Greg Epstein – Gets to the heart of humanism and its positive belief in tolerance, community, morality, and good without having to rely on the guidance of a higher being. | Where books are sold | |
| “The Little Book of Humanism” by Andrew Copson & Alice Roberts – Explore thousands of years of humanist wisdom through an uplifting collection of stories, quotes and meditations on how to live an ethical and fulfilling life, grounded in reason and humanity. | Where books are sold | |
| “Le petit livre de l’humanisme” par Andrew Copson & Alice Roberts – Dans ce livre, retrouvez plus de deux mille ans de sagesse humaniste à travers un recueil inspirant de récits, de citations et de méditations sur la façon de vivre une vie éthique et épanouissante, fondée sur la raison et l’humanité. | où se vendent les livres | |
| “The Good Book, A Humanist Bible” by A.C. Grayling – The Good Book consciously takes its design and presentation from the Bible, to offer to the non-religious seeker all the wisdom, insight, solace, inspiration, and perspective of secular humanist traditions. | Where books are sold | |
| Course: “Introduction to Humanism” by Humanist UK | Link | |
| Teenagers | “Good without God” – The youth section of the Italian Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics (UAAR) published this illustrated guide to humanism for teenagers. | Link |
| Children | “What is Humanism? How do you live without a god? And Other Big Questions for Kids” by Michael Rosen and Anne-Marie Young – This book examines how humanists respond to fundamental questions about morals and ethics, the origin of life, religion and the state. | Where books are sold |
| “Elle the Humanist” by Elle Harris – A illustrated book by an 11-year-old presenting humanist ideas and ethics in a way that’s warm, welcoming, and accessible for young readers. | Link |
Talking About Death From A Humanist Perspective
| Target Audience | Resource | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Chaplains Specifically | “Death and the Afterlife” document | Link |
| Adults | “Memorials & Grief: A Guide for Humanists and Non-Religious People in B.C.” | Link |
| “End-of-Life: A Guide for Humanists and Non-Religious People in B.C.” | Link | |
| Video: “What should we think about death?” by Humanist UK | Link | |
| Children | “When someone dies” by Andrea Dorn – This book walks children through the bereavement process in a simple, concrete, and developmentally appropriate way | Where books are sold |
| Video: “La mort, mes petits pourquoi“ | Link |
Important International Calendar Days for Humanists
| Date | Humanist Days | Description |
|---|---|---|
| February 12th | Darwin Day | Darwin Day is a celebration to commemorate the birthday of Charles Darwin on 12 February 1809. The day is used to highlight Darwin’s contributions to science and to promote science in general. |
| June 21st | World Humanist Day | Celebrated every year on 21 June since the 1980s, it is an opportunity for humanists all around the world to publicise the positive values of humanism and to share the global concerns of the humanist movement. |
| December 10th | Human Rights Day | Human Rights Day is observed the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. |
| December 23rd | Human Light | The HumanLight is celebrated annually on 23 December and was first celebrated in 2001. It was created by the New Jersey Humanist Network to aid secular people in commemorating the December holiday season. While there are no universally accepted ways to commemorate the holiday, modern celebrations typically involve a communal meal among a family or group. The use of candles to symbolize “reason, hope, compassion, and humanity” has become widespread among those who mark the occasion. |
The creation of this page was inspired by a project by the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.