Reason and Reverence by William Murry is one of the best well-rounded affirmations of humanism as a positive way of life since Corliss Lamont's The Philosophy of Humanism.

In discussing human nature and destiny, Murry shows that humanism can be as eloquent as Pascal in noting both the grandeur of humans as well as their evil side. This is an optimism balanced with an awareness of the destructive side of humans and of the tragic dimensions of life. He stresses both the individual and social aspects of humanness. Humans are part of the natural world, yet each person is of great worth and inherently sacred. Even though we are embedded in nature, we have freedom and moral responsibility.

The humanist call is to live well and morally, to appreciate life and renounce the hope for immortality.

Author William Murry is a past president of the Meadville-Lombard Theological school and Minister Emeritus of River Road Unitarian Church in Maryland.

--Flo Wineriter