Defining Secularism: George Jacob Holyoake Coined the Term Secularism

The term secularism was created in 1846 by George Jacob Holyoake to describe 'a form of opinion which concerns itself only with questions, the issues of which can be tested by the experience of this life' (English Secularism, 60). Holyoake was a leader of the English secularist and freethought movement who became famous for his conviction under, and larger fight against, English blasphemy laws. For Holyoake, secularism was a humanist philosophy focused on the needs of people in this life.

 

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