What is a Humanist? unsplash Humanism is a philosophical posture that in its contemporary form closely approximates some forms of atheism and agnosticism. Most modern humanists reject the essential theist claim that a divine being has power over human life, and they focus instead on the possibilities and responsibilities of humans for creating their own reality. Humanists promote individual and corporate well-being through exclusively natural and human means, rather than supernatural or divine means. The discoveries and uses of science motivate their approach to life rather than a reliance on some form of religious revelation. The history of humanism, however, is more diverse. In its earliest iterations, humanism was merely the mindset of someone who had a spirit of goodwill toward others or who put human beings above other interests—economic, military, or political. Others thought of a humanist as someone who had a good education in the liberal arts and was well-spoken, well-mannered, and articulate. During the Renaissance, humanism became the recentering of the pursuit of knowledge around all things human. Art, science, philosophy, poetry, rhetoric, and other areas of study and expression focused on the human experience, the governance of human affairs, the alleviation of human needs, and the embrace of human capabilities. Such humanism was not in opposition to Christianity but, in fact, drew on Christian values as expressed in the gospels and, in turn, infused Christianity with a renewed interest in the humanity of Jesus Christ. Renaissance humanists often used the Christian faith to support many of their objectives.