M. M. (Mangasar Mugurditch) Mangasarian

Born in the Ottoman Empire in 1859, Mangasar Magurditch Mangasarian later came to the United States and studied at Princeton. He was ordained as a minister and served a Presbyterian church in Philadelphia before breaking away from the pulpit to pursue a more independent religious and philosophical path.

He went on to lead the Ethical Culture Society of Chicago and later founded the Independent Religious Society of Chicago, where he became known as a lecturer and writer on religion, morality, and free thought. His work often explored religious criticism and the philosophy of religion in a direct, accessible style.

Mangasarian wrote many books and essays, including The Truth About Jesus – Is He a Myth?, The Bible Unveiled, and The Story of My Mind; or, How I Became a Rationalist. His writing was translated into several languages, and his career left a lasting mark on American rationalist and secular thought.