The humanistic tradition within the study of regligions has currently lost much of its identity. It could be argued that it is in fact about to be devoured by approaches taken over from the social and antural sciences. By discussing some features that through the last 150 years have been seen as a typical for a humanistic methodology, and a couple of more idiosyncratic features, the author aims to initiate a discussion whether a humanistic study of religion is obsolete, or if it still is something wort preserving and developing. The arguments are supported by examples taken from the 19th century American Christian-socialist fraternity The Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor.