The religion known as "Ethical Culture" was founded by Felix Adler. Adler founded the New York Society for Ethical Culture, the national and international Ethical Culture movements, and the New York Ethical Culture schools. Ethical Culture is sometimes called a "creedless" religious group, although it does, in fact, have many beliefs that it teaches and that are generally shared by its membership, particularly on the subjects of ethics, ethical behavior, and the importance of working to better society. Felix Adler, the founder of the movement, identified himself as an atheist and majority of Ethical Culturists are agnostics, atheists, or otherwise do not believe in a Judeo-Christian concept of God. But officially the Ethical Culture movement does not take a stance on theological issues, such as the nature and/or existence of deity.
Felix Adler (1851-1933) - founder of the Ethical Culture religious movement and the Ethical Culture Society
Stanton Coit - important early Ethical Culture leader who helped establish the movement in England (first non-U.S. location)
John Lovejoy Elliott (1868-1942) - important early Ethical Culture leader; New York City social activist