Janet Regina Hyland (November 30, 1933 – October 9, 2007), also known as "J. R. Hyland", was an American non-fiction and philosophical author.
Personal life and family
Hyland courageously managed a very difficult childhood, filled with dramatic events. Hyland's parents divorced and both remarried during the 1940s. Her brother Don died of meningitis in June 1943. She said she was never close to her father, whom she described as an idealistic journalist in New York City, who "cared for no one and did nothing for anyone." However, she did grow close to her stepmother, Mildred, though she described her as both "self-centered and narcissistic."
Mildred died during the early 1960s, her father during the early 1970s, and her natural mother during the late 1980s.
Hyland and her stepsister Jean lived together during the 1970s and then lived near each other from 1985 to Hyland's death in 2007. However, Hyland said they didn't become close until 1995, when she founded Viatoris Ministries and the Humane Religion bimonthly.
Regina was married to Glen Edward on July 2, 1954. On August 9, 1954, Glen was hit by a drunk driver. Glen remained in a coma for a year and then in a "persistent vegetative state" for seven more years before dying. Hyland never remarried.
During her life, Hyland suffered from several health ailments. In 1957, she was found to have an ovarian tumor. She was in and out of hospitals from 1961-63. In 2007, Hyland was scheduled to appear at the SFVS World Vegetarian Weekend Festival in San Francisco, when she suddenly fell ill. She died of complications from breast cancer three weeks later, on Tuesday, October 9, 2007.
Education and military service
Hyland was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic school as a child. As a young woman, she served in the United States Air Force, and joined the Assemblies of God because she sought ordination. Her undergraduate and graduate work at an Assemblies of God Seminary were in religious studies. She began seminary studies in biblical theology in 1955-58, but didn't complete a Masters in Theology until the 1980s. Beginning again in 1982, she studied with the Assembly of God Home Missions, and was ordained by them on November 24, 1984.
Professional career
J. Regina Hyland became vegetarian for ethical reasons around 1973, after witnessing brutal animal experiments in a college laboratory. Hyland believed that God created animals to be human companions and often cooperated with PETA and other animal rights groups. She maintained the philosophy that one's diet is a personal choice and did not condone forcing that opinion on others. She believed that "just as Western culture used the Bible to denigrate women, to prolong slavery, and to justify war, the Scriptures have been used to terrorize animals."
According to Sue Grisham, who authored the article, "Advocates for Animals," for an October 2002 edition of the Episcopalian publication, The Living Church, Rev. Hyland and others during her time of advocacy for animals "indicate[d] that Jesus' last (intentionally public) action before his arrest was to disrupt the trade of animals being sold for the slaughter worship at Passover."
Hyland began her career by writing evangelical Sunday school literature. In 1988, she wrote The Slaughter Of Terrified Beasts: A Biblical Basis for the Humane Treatment of Animals, which was later republished as God's Covenant With Animals: A Biblical Basis for the Humane Treatment of Animals (2000). In 1995, she founded Viatoris Ministries, a pro-animal vegetarian Christian parachurch resource ministry in Sarasota, Florida. Viatoris published a bimonthly magazine, Humane Religion, written by Hyland. At its peak, Humane Religion had 3,500 paid subscribers, with hundreds of free copies being distributed to churches. In 1998, the publication was suspended due to increasing postage costs. It later returned as a free online publication.
Hyland also published Sexism is a Sin shortly after founding Viatoris.
Hyland was willing to reach outside theological frameworks to engage individuals defining themselves as pro-life and others in constructive interfaith dialogue, however that intellectual engagement would be construed. She said she religiously read a copy of Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is. She also obtained a copy of Srila Prabhupada's book, The Path of Perfection, saying his teachings on yoga and meditation influenced her, despite what she perceived to be sexist comments about women.
During her career, Hyland was also involved in various parachurch organizations and was active in migrant worker and prison ministries.