Christian Humanism

Tom Drake-Brockman grew up in Sydney and was educated at a Christian school. He found from an early age that the repetitive and sanctimonious rituals of the church provided him with no spiritual feeling and he became an atheist even before leaving school.

However, he had always admired Christianity for its humanitarian work, so resolved to take another look at it, going back to the real source, the gospels, to see what Jesus himself was actually saying. Tom explained; “I sensed he could not endorse Christianity’s theological doctrines that emphasised dogmatic exclusivity, irrational faith and obsessions with the afterlife. Interestingly, I found little if anything in Christ’s teachings that supported these noxious doctrines and plenty to negate them. What amazed me was the massive importance he attached to relieving human suffering in this world and his intricate spiritual ethic of humanist compassion. Numerous historical investigations of the historical Jesus are confirming that humanist profile and Christian Humanism draws on these to reach a radical conclusion: the Church and the Christian faith is, in fact, NOT following Jesus’ teaching and it is time the whole theology was overhauled to ensure that it did.”

At University, Tom majored in History and Political Science and has a strong interest in international politics and social justice issues-especially Aboriginal advancement and child protection. He did two years of teaching after graduating before he launched his own business. Having recently retired, Tom is planning to return to teaching. He is passionate about the process of awakening young minds, communicating knowledge and stimulating inquiry in his main field of interest, History.

Tom is married with three adult children.

For further information or to order a book, contact tom at: [email protected]