Harvard University names a devout ATHEIST as its new head chaplain who describes himself as 'humanist rabbi': Ivy League school says it's catering to the 40% of students who are NOT religious or agnostic
- Greg Epstein will become the head of representatives of the religious community at the Ivy League School
- Epstein, who has served as Harvard's 'humanist chaplain' since 2005, is a devout atheist and caters to atheists, agnostics and humanists
- His elevation to the position is meant to be inclusive of larger and larger numbers of Americans who identify as spiritual but not religious
- 'There is a rising group of people who no longer identify with any religious tradition but still experience a real need for conversation and support around what it means to be a good human and live an ethical life,' he said
- A survey of the school's class of 2019 showed 21 percent of the class as agnostic and 17 percent were atheists; two thirds identified as 'somewhat or very liberal'
- The position of chaplain is not necessarily tied to one particular religion, although it has origins in the Christian tradition
PUBLISHED: 16:15, 26 August 2021 |
