J.R. Hyland: A Pioneer in Humane Religion
Read how J.R. Hyland, who passed away in early October, helped to pave the path of Humane Religion.
by Kris Haley, Manager of Multifaith Outreach J. R. (Regina) Hyland passed away in early October after a valiant battle with a persistent illness. She was a true pioneer in the field of Animals & Religion; the magnitude of her contribution to the movement is difficult to comprehend and only surpassed by the magnitude of her loss.
There were many dimensions to J.R. Hyland. While animals dominated her work, she also was an advocate for women before it was fashionable to do so. While I will note some of Regina’s amazing accomplishments here, what you will read is only a tiny droplet within an extraordinary ocean of work contributed by the devoted spirit that is Regina, on behalf of her beloved animals.
An ordained evangelical Minister, Regina was also a speaker and writer who completed her undergraduate and graduate work in religious studies. An Assemblies of God Seminary graduate, Regina’s 22 years of ministerial experience included para-church ministries, migrant worker and prison ministry as well as her personal ministry of Humane Religion.
Regina felt that her ministry work,
“… spoke to the goal of providing a biblical basis that will help to bring about changes in traditional Christian attitudes towards animals, which traditionally has found enormous resistance on the part of priests, ministers and various church groups to the biblical teaching that both humans and animals are "nefesh chaya" : beings who live because of the soul infused by their Creator.”As a pioneer in scriptural research illustrating that, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible witnesses to a story of the human failure to fulfill the role that God assigned--the role of compassionate caregiver for other species, she was inspired to write [I]"The Slaughter Of Terrified Beasts: A Biblical Basis for the Humane Treatment of Animals,"[/i] published in 1988 and revised/reissued in 2000 by Lantern books, NY, under the title,
"God's Covenant With Animals.” While this research, at the time, was ecumenically rejected, it has in recent years become increasingly accepted in faith circles.
In 1995 the Humane Religion monthly journal was born and, at its peak, had over 3,500 paid subscribers. Hundreds of copies of each issue were sent to churches and other ministries, in an effort to raise consciousness within the Christian community. In 1998 printing and postage costs became prohibitive so publication was suspended. But the work continued with the online Humane Religion website where many of the previous articles can be found. This online ministry has attracted over 5 million visitors in 2007, to date.
Other Humane Religion outreach efforts included, planning of animal blessings and services, animal centric seminar development, group study materials, Sunday School studies on various topics relating to animals and distribution of a variety of animal-centric educational materials via church (and other) tabling opportunities.
So prominent in her field was she that Regina assisted Matthew Scully with portions of the manuscript for the book “Dominion: The Power of Men, The Suffering of Animals and the Call To Mercy, 2003: St. Martin’s Griffen,” a book that is arguably among the most profound ever written in this genre.
There is no question that Regina’s work will continue. In fact, one of her last projects was as a member of a team of religious leaders who participated in a retreat at Best Friends Sanctuary last July to determine ways for people and leaders of faith to come together to support animals from a faith perspective.
Regina had very strong feelings and was quintessentially candid about the plight of animals, never shy about sharing them with those in the faith community. Having said, on more than one occasion, that eating meat, “is a sin,” Regina was passionately driven to make a difference for those who have no voice:
“It is important to understand that those who are aware of the cruelty involved in the treatment of other species are morally bound to take some kind of action to end it. Kindness to those animals who come across our path is not enough. The needs of those who are hidden from our sight, enduring the atrocities inflicted on them…are just as important as the needs of the companion animals with whom we share our homes. What we are able to do is not as important as our willingness to take whatever action our lifestyle allows.”There is no question that Regina’s legacy lives on within every fiber of the work that people of faith continue to do on behalf of animals. As her colleagues who met at Best Friends this summer descend on Washington, D.C. this November 7th, they will unveil a,
“Religious Proclamation of Compassion for Animals,” and through the threads of J.R. Hyland that weave through that document, Regina’s work will continue. May the wisdom and integrity of her foresight continue to inspire us all to do whatever we can to make a difference for animals.
To visit J.R. Hyland’s Humane Religion Website, go to http://www.humanereligion.org To express your condolences or share some thoughts about J.R. Hyland, please visit our corresponding blog: http://network.bestfriends.org/Blogs/Detail.aspx?b=1523