Loyal Rue
Encyclopedia
Dr. Loyal D. Rue is professor of religion and philosophy at Luther College
of Decorah, Iowa
, and focuses on naturalistic
theories of religion.
He has been awarded two John Templeton Foundation
fellowships.
Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
, Edward O. Wilson writes about Rue’s Religion is not About God – “This book is an important step towards the naturalistic, hence truly general theory of religion. It harmonizes contemporary scientific understanding of the origin of human nature with a positive view of the centrality of religious culture”
Dr. Rue has in his writings and teaching been a leading proponent of Religious Naturalism
and its environmentalism – “Religious Naturalists will be known for their reverence and awe before Nature, their love for Nature and natural forms, their sympathy for all living things, their guilt for enlarging the ecological footprints, their pride in reducing them, their sense of gratitude directed towards the matrix of life, their contempt for those who abstract themselves from natural values, and their solidarity with those who link their self-esteem to sustainable living". The individual perspectives on Religious Naturalism of Donald A. Crosby
, Jerome A. Stone
, Ursula Goodenough
and Rue are discussed by Michael Hogue in his 2010 book The Promise of Religious Naturalism.
In the Epilogue of Everybody’s Story, Rue writes, "There is nothing in the substance of everybody's story to rule out belief in the reality of a personal deity. At the same time, such a belief is not an essential part of everybody's story. There will be theistic versions of the story, and there will be non-theistic versions as well. Those who take the theistic option will have at their disposal a range of images that may be used to arouse motivational systems. But I have confidence that everybody's story, unadorned by theological imagery, has the potential to arouse us to serve its imperatives. Let us see."
He has been for many years a member and lecturer at the Institute on Religion in an age of Science (IRAS)
Dr. Rue also served as co-editor of the volume Contemporary Classics in Philosophy of Religion, Open Court Pub Co, 1991, ISBN-10: 0812691687
Luther College (Iowa)
Luther College is a four-year, residential liberal arts institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in Decorah, Iowa, USA...
of Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
, and focuses on naturalistic
Naturalism (philosophy)
Naturalism commonly refers to the philosophical viewpoint that the natural universe and its natural laws and forces operate in the universe, and that nothing exists beyond the natural universe or, if it does, it does not affect the natural universe that we know...
theories of religion.
He has been awarded two John Templeton Foundation
John Templeton Foundation
"The John Templeton Foundation is a philanthropic organizationthat funds inter-disciplinary research about human purpose and ultimate reality. It is usually referred to simply as the Templeton Foundation...
fellowships.
Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction has been awarded since 1962 for a distinguished book of non-fiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in another category.-1960s:...
, Edward O. Wilson writes about Rue’s Religion is not About God – “This book is an important step towards the naturalistic, hence truly general theory of religion. It harmonizes contemporary scientific understanding of the origin of human nature with a positive view of the centrality of religious culture”
Dr. Rue has in his writings and teaching been a leading proponent of Religious Naturalism
Religious naturalism
Religious naturalism is an approach to spirituality that is devoid of supernaturalism. The focus is on the religious attributes of the universe/Nature, the understanding of it and our response to it . These provide for the development of an eco-morality...
and its environmentalism – “Religious Naturalists will be known for their reverence and awe before Nature, their love for Nature and natural forms, their sympathy for all living things, their guilt for enlarging the ecological footprints, their pride in reducing them, their sense of gratitude directed towards the matrix of life, their contempt for those who abstract themselves from natural values, and their solidarity with those who link their self-esteem to sustainable living". The individual perspectives on Religious Naturalism of Donald A. Crosby
Donald A. Crosby
Donald Allen Crosby is currently Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Colorado State University and Adjunct Instructor in the philosophy department at Florida State University. Crosby's interests focus on metaphysics, American pragmatism, philosophy of nature, existentialism, and philosophy of...
, Jerome A. Stone
Jerome A. Stone
Jerome Stone—author, philosopher, and theologian—is best known for helping to develop the religious movement of Religious Naturalism. Dr. Stone is on the Adjunct Faculty of Meadville Lombard Theological School; is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at William Rainey Harper College; is in Preliminary...
, Ursula Goodenough
Ursula Goodenough
Ursula W. Goodenough is a Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and author of the best selling book Sacred Depths of Nature...
and Rue are discussed by Michael Hogue in his 2010 book The Promise of Religious Naturalism.
In the Epilogue of Everybody’s Story, Rue writes, "There is nothing in the substance of everybody's story to rule out belief in the reality of a personal deity. At the same time, such a belief is not an essential part of everybody's story. There will be theistic versions of the story, and there will be non-theistic versions as well. Those who take the theistic option will have at their disposal a range of images that may be used to arouse motivational systems. But I have confidence that everybody's story, unadorned by theological imagery, has the potential to arouse us to serve its imperatives. Let us see."
He has been for many years a member and lecturer at the Institute on Religion in an age of Science (IRAS)
Major Publications
- Religion Is Not About God: How Spiritual Traditions Nurture Our Biological Nature And What to Expect When They Fail, Rutgers University Press, 2006, ISBN-10: 0813539552
- Everybody's Story: Wising Up to the Epic of Evolution, State University of New York Press, 1999, ISBN-10: 0791443922
- By the Grace of Guile: The Role of Deception in Natural History and Human Affairs, Oxford University Press, USA, 1994), ISBN-10: 0195075080 (A New York Times Notable Book).
- Amythia: Crisis in the Natural History of Western Culture, University Alabama Press, 2004), ISBN-10: 0817351361
Dr. Rue also served as co-editor of the volume Contemporary Classics in Philosophy of Religion, Open Court Pub Co, 1991, ISBN-10: 0812691687
Further reading
- 2010 – Michael Hogue – The Promise of Religious Naturalism, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Sept.16, 2010, ISBN 0742562611
- 2008 – Michael DowdMichael DowdMichael Dowd is an American evolutionary theologian, bestselling author, and evangelist for Big History and Religious Naturalism....
– Thank God for Evolution:, Viking (June 2008), ISBN 0670020451 - 2008 – Jerome A. StoneJerome A. StoneJerome Stone—author, philosopher, and theologian—is best known for helping to develop the religious movement of Religious Naturalism. Dr. Stone is on the Adjunct Faculty of Meadville Lombard Theological School; is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at William Rainey Harper College; is in Preliminary...
- Religious Naturalism Today: The Rebirth of a Forgotten Alternative, State University of New York PressState University of New York PressThe State University of New York Press , is a university press and a Center for Scholarly Communication. The Press is part of the State University of New York system and is located in Albany, New York.- History :...
, December 2008 - 2006 – John HaughtJohn HaughtJohn F. Haught is a Roman Catholic theologian and Senior Research Fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. His area of expertise is systematic theology, with a special interest in issues of science, cosmology, ecology, and reconciling evolution and religion...
– Is Nature Enough?, Cambridge University Press (May 31, 2006), ISBN 0521609933 - 2006 – Loyal RueLoyal RueDr. Loyal D. Rue is professor of religion and philosophy at Luther College of Decorah, Iowa , and focuses on naturalistic theories of religion.He has been awarded two John Templeton Foundation fellowships....
– Religion Is Not About God, Rutgers University Press, July 24, 2006, ISBN 0813539552 - 2000 – Ursula GoodenoughUrsula GoodenoughUrsula W. Goodenough is a Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and author of the best selling book Sacred Depths of Nature...
– Sacred Depths of Nature, Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition June 2000