Dr. Katie Hunt, Humanist Advisor

Here at the university, I am the Humanist Advisor in the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy, a Lecturer in the Law School, and part of the Staff LGBTI Network. I have a

PhD in non-religious pastoral care and religious discrimination. I have also published on bereavement and loss in the criminal justice system. You can read more about my academic work at https://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/kbmhunt

Today, most people in the UK say they are not religious, but not all of these people think of themselves as humanists. Humanism is a non-religious (but not anti-religious!) world view. Most humanists live ethical, hopeful and fulfilling lives as atheists and secularists. We believe that this is the only life we have – which is what makes it so special –  and we devote that life to being ‘good without God’. We celebrate the universe as a natural place, rejecting any idea of the supernatural. The slogan of Humanists UK is ‘think for yourself, act for everyone’. This means that we take our knowledge from science and reason, not faith or a holy book, and we make decisions according to evidence and the public interest, not tradition or religious teachings.

I am a member of Humanists UK and Lincolnshire Humanists, and my humanism is a big part of my identity. ‘Thinking for yourself’ is what motivates me as a scholar and researcher, and ‘acting for everyone’ is what motivates me as an activist, educator and pastoral carer. I am very happy to offer information, listening and secular support to non-religious staff and students, in person or on Teams. You can find me on Twitter at @KatieBMHunt or email me at kbmhunt@lincoln.ac.uk