Humanism is a word with many different meanings and a labyrinthine history. The Renaissance saw the birth of a type of humanism that began to focus religious and other institutions on human needs. In the modern era a new kind of humanism emerged called Secular Humanism. This approach rejected supernatural sources of authority, placing the sole responsibility for human thriving in human hands. Humanistic Judaism adheres to this formulation of humanism. Sometimes Humanistic Judaism is described as a kind of religious humanism, taken to mean the combination of religious ritual with humanistic ethics. This is an accurate description. However, there are many theists who have appropriated that term to describe what they do. This has sown even more confusion. For some, the term "Congregational Humanism" best describes what we do. Further confusion arises when people misunderstand the word to mean “humane” or “humanitarian.” These are laudable, but they are not identical with the humanism associated with a non-supernatural, human-centered approach to life.