Felix Adler and Education for Ethical Culture

This article delves into the various religious influences on Dr. Felix Adler's spiritual development and the resulting theological and philosophical foundations for the Ethical Culture Society that he created in addition to the Society's schools. The discussion focuses on Dr. Adler's personal struggles with traditional Judaism in the face of modernism and progressive religion and also chronicles the influences of progressive Protestant thought on the development of Ethical Culture. Dr. Adler's story illustrates one of the many religious paths taken by one of Abraham's children as he sought to translate the rich tenets of his tradition for the wider world.