Is it possible to be both a humanist and a Christian? The following definition of a humanist was given by Andrew Copson

As a humanist I try:
• To be rational, looking to science in an attempt to understand the universe
• To be ethical, acting in a way that puts human welfare at the centre of morality
• To recognise the dignity of every individual and treat them with respect
• To find meaning and fulfilment in this one life and help others to do the same

As a Christian, I'm not sure that I would disagree with any of those statements, and I suspect are all fully compatible with all Chalcedonian Christian doctrines and practice.
Even the last point, which is probably the most controversial, is, to my mind, fully biblical.  When Jesus says, &quot;I come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly,&quot; it seems really, really close to this.  (Admittedly, the implication of &quot;this one life&quot; is, I am guessing the rejection of an afterlife, but that is something I could be reading into it.)
In fact, my initial reaction is to argue that standard Christian practice should embrace all four of these points. Of course, in fronting that, I want proof.
The question is this - Would a Christian own all four of these points, and if so, why. If not, why not?
I think the incompatibility between the two philosophies is obvious from their names:

Human-ism
Christ-ianity

Each tells us right in its name the value it considers most central and important.
However, looking at the list, I think there is enough common ground for someone to be a Christian Humanist (just as some claim to be Christian Pacifists or Christian Hedonists).  A Christian would insist that Christ is central and of ultimate importance, but still hold the Humanist values with minor modifications:

As a Christian humanist I try:

To be rational, looking to science in an attempt to understand the universe
To be ethical, acting in a way that puts human welfare second only to loving God
To recognise the dignity of every individual and treat them with respect
To find meaning and fulfilment in this one life and help others to do the same


As a Christian, I'd certainly want to expand and clarify these points, but only the second (on ethics) requires a change to shift the center from humanity to God.  As a practical matter, Jesus calls us to love him by loving each other:

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’—Matthew 25:34-40 (ESV)


Wikipedia suggests:

Christian humanism may have begun as early as the 2nd century, with the writings of St. Justin Martyr, an early theologian-apologist of the early Christian Church. While far from radical, Justin suggested a value in the achievements of Classical culture in his Apology.  Influential letters by Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa confirmed the commitment to using pre-Christian knowledge, particularly as it touched the material world. Already the formal aspects of Greek philosophy, namely syllogistic reasoning, arose in both the Byzantine Empire and Western European circles in the eleventh century to inform the process of theology. However, the Byzantine hierarchy during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118) convicted several thinkers of applying &quot;human&quot; logic to &quot;divine&quot; matters. Peter Abelard's work encountered similar ecclesiastical resistance in the West in the same period. Petrarch (1304–1374) is also considered a father of humanism. The traditional teaching that humans are made in the image of God, or in Latin the Imago Dei, also supports individual worth and personal dignity.

So there is some reason to say that the two views are not entirely incompatible, but not in a state of peace either.  Christian thinkers have long struggled with the integration of their faith with the society at large.