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8 - The Humanist Challenge

from Part III - The Sixties Crisis and Its Legacy 1965–1980

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2019

Callum G. Brown
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
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Summary

The ‘liberal hour’ of 1960s social reform is normally attributed to Labour party leadership (especially by Roy Jenkins) and to liberal Christian campaigning. This chapter challenges the latter, providing evidence for the key role of Humanists and atheists in leading campaigns for abortion law reform, homosexual law reforms, divorce law reform and euthanasia. It provides a general overview of the medical reform network amongst Humanists, plus three case studies: of Madeleine Simms’ attacks on the churches in the cause of abortion law reform; Eustace Chesser’s advocacy of widening sexual knowledge; and Harold Blackham’s inspirational leadership of campaigns for moral education to be added to the English school curriculum in religious education. What emerges is a new understanding of the ideological foundations for secular reform of medical and moral law in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Battle for Christian Britain
Sex, Humanists and Secularisation, 1945–1980
, pp. 216 - 255
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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  • The Humanist Challenge
  • Callum G. Brown, University of Glasgow
  • Book: The Battle for Christian Britain
  • Online publication: 28 September 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108367592.012
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  • The Humanist Challenge
  • Callum G. Brown, University of Glasgow
  • Book: The Battle for Christian Britain
  • Online publication: 28 September 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108367592.012
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Humanist Challenge
  • Callum G. Brown, University of Glasgow
  • Book: The Battle for Christian Britain
  • Online publication: 28 September 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108367592.012
Available formats
×