Humanist Chaplaincy at American University - Washington, DC

Humanist Chaplaincy at American University - Washington, DC The Chaplaincy helps students to explore Humanism, to put into action its progressive values, & to connect with each other, the community, & the movement.

Nearly 1,000 of AU's 10,000 students are on the Chaplaincy's email list. Join us! The Humanist Chaplaincy at AU is a chapter of Washington Area Secular Humanists (WASH.org) and its work involves:

1) offering educational programs, services, & materials to promote the wider understanding of Humanism, its meaning, history, forms, & pragmatic relevance to our lives, as well as its relationships to va

rious traditions, philosophies, & fields – from religious to secular, from arts & sciences to the other disciplines & professions taught at the University;

2) supporting & fostering participants’ personal development & well-being with particular focus on the moral, emotional, psycho-social, & philosophical facets of life, including our human search for & creation of meaning & purpose in our lives;

3) facilitating the development of a healthy & vibrant Humanist community at AU that fulfills a measure of our common needs for connection & friendship, intimacy & love, participation in & belonging to a circle of like-minded others committed to the greater good;

4) actively engaging with & benefiting the larger community, society, & world in which AU operates through service & advocacy that applies the vision & values of Humanism such as affirming, defending, & advancing the equality, liberty, & humanity of all, as well as standing with & aiding the unfortunate & disadvantaged, the exploited & oppressed;

5) educating ourselves & others about the imperative of mutual respect, tolerance, & co-operation to achieve humanity’s shared goals in a free, fair, & pluralist democracy. The Chaplaincy works closely with the Secular Student Alliance at American University (SSA@AU), a chapter of the national SSA. Visit SSA@AU's Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/americanu_ssa/
and its older (now less used) fb page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/34367344446/

The Humanist Chaplain at AU is Rabbi Binyamin Biber:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/binyamin-biber-1918236/
https://www.facebook.com/binyamin.biber

04/10/2026

Be careful spouting around a chaplain. You might turn into a lesson on how therapy and religion are not diametrically opposed to one another. High control religions want you to think that therapy will never be enough, or is too secular, or is not compatible with religion, but that couldn’t be more wrong. Don’t be afraid to get yourself help from a good therapist, if you need it. ❤️

03/23/2026

If you’re a college student, consider asking your schools to add days of recognition to your school calendar so that we can be celebrated too, just like our Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, etc peers! Happy y’all!!!! 🐈🐱

03/23/2026

Phin wants you to know that cats lead happy, fulfilled, and meaningful lives, and that he loves being a godless kitty. 🐱

03/23/2026

HAPPY WORLD ATHEIST DAY!!! Phin cat and I are here to wish you a wonderful day, atheists!!!

03/06/2026

Tired of secular humanists, atheists, or Satanists, or whatever religious minority being blamed for the downfall of society? Me too.

Pluralism Requires Respect, Even for Secular People. I wrote a Substack post about a recent experience at the Aspen Inst...
02/27/2026

Pluralism Requires Respect, Even for Secular People. I wrote a Substack post about a recent experience at the Aspen Institute, where I experienced firsthand the limits of pluralism. If we want it to succeed, it must be about mutual respect across worldviews, including non-religious ones. Read it at the 🔗 in my bio.

Cool opportunity with the Aspen Institute for young journalists ages 18–24! 🎥✍️Apply to become a Youth Journalist for Ro...
02/13/2026

Cool opportunity with the Aspen Institute for young journalists ages 18–24! 🎥✍️

Apply to become a Youth Journalist for Rooted + Rising, a multi-month storytelling project focused on rural education, community connection, and rebuilding social trust.

You’ll create monthly videos and written reflections, receive coaching and editing support, and selected participants will receive prizes to recognize their time and creativity.

🗓 Applications due February 23, 2026 (11:59 PM PT)
📍 Open to U.S.-based applicants
🔗 Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVwKvlKL0oVe6aikuUF7Lg11SbMrtoxxN2vVcp0wL2zKWH_w/viewform?pli=1

Don’t miss this upcoming Secular Student Alliance event with Dr. Anthony B. Pinn, a leading scholar of humanism, religio...
02/03/2026

Don’t miss this upcoming Secular Student Alliance event with Dr. Anthony B. Pinn, a leading scholar of humanism, religion, and culture, and one of my professors from grad school.

Drawing from "Conversations on Humanity and Creativity and My Jams: Personal Reflections on Music, Culture, and Politics," Dr. Pinn examines how people create meaning, ethics, and purpose in a world without easy answers or divine guarantees. Through music, art, dialogue, and collective struggle, he shows how creativity and culture function as powerful tools for understanding suffering, injustice, joy, and possibility, especially in times of social and political uncertainty.

This conversation is especially relevant for students and organizers interested in secular humanism, social justice, cultural analysis, and the role of creativity in sustaining movements and communities. More info and registration here: https://secularstudents.org/webinars/the-sound-of-meaning-black-culture-creativity-and-humanism/

12/11/2025

A great resource for people who are deconstructing harmful theology just dropped. Make sure to check this book by if you want to learn more about how to leave behind the negative and dangerous theology you have been taught. Best part is that it doesn’t emphasize either staying religious or leaving religion altogether, but really helps you start to determine what is right for you. 10/10. No notes.

As the semester winds down and winter approaches, join us for a quiet, restorative gathering focused on reflection, rest...
11/26/2025

As the semester winds down and winter approaches, join us for a quiet, restorative gathering focused on reflection, rest, and community. Together we’ll explore what brings us meaning and stability in this season.

We will also be spreading some humanist cheer by taking part in the American Humanist Association’s Holiday Letter Campaign for incarcerated . Throughout the year, the AHA supports incarcerated people who identify as , , , and non-religious by providing them with AHA membership opportunities, literature, humanist pen pals, and assistance in forming humanist groups. They love hearing from other humanists, so please join our holiday letter campaign!

RSVP on Engage.

This event is open to all! Participation is not limited based on any individual’s personal identity or characteristics, including but not limited to race, color, national origin (or shared ancestry), religion, s*x, age, s*xual orientation, disability, or veteran status. For reasonable accommodation needs or requests, please contact [email protected]

What Grounds Us? A Humanist Approach to Winter!As the semester winds down and winter approaches, join us for a quiet, re...
11/25/2025

What Grounds Us? A Humanist Approach to Winter!

As the semester winds down and winter approaches, join us for a quiet, restorative gathering focused on reflection, rest, and community. Together we’ll explore what brings us meaning and stability in this season. Dec. 1st, 2-4PM, MGSC 307.

This year, we’re also spreading some humanist cheer by taking part in the American Humanist Association’s Holiday Letter Campaign for incarcerated . Throughout the year, the AHA supports incarcerated people who identify as , , , and non-religious by providing them with AHA membership opportunities, literature, humanist pen pals, and assistance in forming humanist groups. They love hearing from other humanists, so please join our holiday letter campaign!

RSVP on Engage so we know how many letters to send: https://american.campuslabs.com/engage/event/11868380

This event is open to all! Participation is not limited based on any individual’s personal identity or characteristics, including but not limited to race, color, national origin (or shared ancestry), religion, s*x, age, s*xual orientation, disability, or veteran status. For reasonable accommodation needs or requests, please contact [email protected]

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