Thomas J. J. Altizer
Encyclopedia
Thomas Jonathan Jackson Altizer (born September 28, 1927) is a radical theologian who incorporated Friedrich Nietzsche
's conception of the "death of God
" into his teachings.
, and attended St. John's College
, Annapolis, Maryland
. He was educated at the University of Chicago
and graduated with B.A., M.A., and PhD degrees. His master's thesis examined the concepts of nature and grace in St. Augustine
. His doctoral dissertation of 1955 examined Carl Gustav Jung's understanding of religion.
He took up a post at Wabash College
, Crawfordsville, Indiana
, from 1954 to 1956 where he taught religion. He then became an associate professor of Bible and religion at Emory University
where he taught from 1956 to 1968.
magazine articles in 1965 and 1966. The latter issue was published at Easter
time, and its cover asked in bold red letters on a plain black background, "Is God Dead?
"
Altizer has repeatedly claimed that scorn, outcry, and even death threat
s he received were misplaced. On a pure level, Altizer's religious proclamation viewed God's death (really a self-extinction) as a process that began at the world's creation and came to an end through Jesus Christ—whose crucifixion in reality poured out God's full spirit into this world. In developing his position Altizer drew upon the dialectical thought of Hegel, the visionary writings of William Blake
, the Anthroposophical
thought of Owen Barfield
, and adapted aspects of Mircea Eliade
's view of the sacred and the profane.
In the mid-1960s Altizer was drawn into discussions about his views with other radical Christian theologians such as Gabriel Vahanian
, William Hamilton, and Paul Van Buren
, and also with the Jewish rabbi Richard Rubenstein
. Each of these thinkers appeared to form a loose network of thinkers who held to different versions of the death of God. Altizer also entered into formal critical debates with the evangelical Lutheran John Warwick Montgomery
, and the Christian countercult movement
apologist Walter Martin. The evangelical theologians faulted Altizer on philosophical, methodological and theological questions, such as his reliance on Hegelian dialectical thought, his idiosyncratic semantic use of theological words, and the interpretative principles he used in understanding Biblical literature.
In Godhead and the Nothing, Altizer examined the notion of evil
. He presented evil as the absence of will
, but not separate from God. Orthodox Christianity—considered nihilistic
by Nietzsche—named evil and separated it from good without thoroughly examining its nature. However, the immanence
of the spirit (after Jesus Christ) within the world embraces everything created. The immanence of the spirit is the answer to the nihilistic
state that Christianity, according to Nietzsche, was leading the world into. Through the introduction of God in the material world (immanence), the emptying of meaning would cease. No longer would followers be able to dismiss the present world for a transcendent
world. They would have to embrace the present completely, and keep meaning in the here and now.
Altizer now lives in Mount Pocono
, Pennsylvania
. His memoir is entitled Living the Death of God. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
's conception of the "death of God
God is dead
"God is dead" is a widely-quoted statement by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It first appears in The Gay Science , in sections 108 , 125 , and for a third time in section 343...
" into his teachings.
Education
Altizer was born in Charleston, West VirginiaCharleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, and attended St. John's College
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
, Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. He was educated at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and graduated with B.A., M.A., and PhD degrees. His master's thesis examined the concepts of nature and grace in St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
. His doctoral dissertation of 1955 examined Carl Gustav Jung's understanding of religion.
He took up a post at Wabash College
Wabash College
Wabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
, Crawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Crawfordsville is a city in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County...
, from 1954 to 1956 where he taught religion. He then became an associate professor of Bible and religion at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
where he taught from 1956 to 1968.
"Death of God" controversy
While teaching at Emory, Altizer's religious views were featured in two TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine articles in 1965 and 1966. The latter issue was published at Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
time, and its cover asked in bold red letters on a plain black background, "Is God Dead?
Is God Dead?
"Is God Dead?" was an April 8, 1966, cover story for the news magazine Time. A previous article, from October 1965, had investigated a trend among 1960s theologians to write God out of the field of theology. The 1966 article looked in greater depth at the problems facing modern theologians, in...
"
Altizer has repeatedly claimed that scorn, outcry, and even death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s he received were misplaced. On a pure level, Altizer's religious proclamation viewed God's death (really a self-extinction) as a process that began at the world's creation and came to an end through Jesus Christ—whose crucifixion in reality poured out God's full spirit into this world. In developing his position Altizer drew upon the dialectical thought of Hegel, the visionary writings of William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, the Anthroposophical
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development...
thought of Owen Barfield
Owen Barfield
Owen Barfield was a British philosopher, author, poet, and critic.Barfield was born in London. He was educated at Highgate School and Wadham College, Oxford and in 1920 received a 1st class degree in English language and literature. After finishing his B. Litt., which became the book Poetic...
, and adapted aspects of Mircea Eliade
Mircea Eliade
Mircea Eliade was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religious studies that persist to this day...
's view of the sacred and the profane.
In the mid-1960s Altizer was drawn into discussions about his views with other radical Christian theologians such as Gabriel Vahanian
Gabriel Vahanian
Gabriel Vahanian is a French-born Protestant Christian theologian who is most remembered for his pioneering work in the theology of the "death of God" movement within academic circles in the 1960s, and who taught for some 26 years in the U.S.-Life:...
, William Hamilton, and Paul Van Buren
Paul van Buren
Paul Matthews van Buren was a Christian theologian and author. An ordained Episcopalian priest he was a Professor of religion at Temple University, Philadelphia for 22 years....
, and also with the Jewish rabbi Richard Rubenstein
Richard Rubenstein
Richard Lowell Rubenstein is an educator in religion and a major writer in the American Jewish community, noted particularly for his contributions to Holocaust theology...
. Each of these thinkers appeared to form a loose network of thinkers who held to different versions of the death of God. Altizer also entered into formal critical debates with the evangelical Lutheran John Warwick Montgomery
John Warwick Montgomery
John Warwick Montgomery is a noted lawyer, professor, Lutheran theologian, and prolific author living in France. He was born October 18, 1931, in Warsaw, New York, United States. In 2007 he was named "Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Christian Thought" at Patrick Henry College...
, and the Christian countercult movement
Christian countercult movement
The Christian countercult movement is a social movement of Christian ministries and individual Christian countercult activists who oppose religious sects thought to either partially abide or do not at all abide by the teachings that are written within the Bible. These religious sects are also known...
apologist Walter Martin. The evangelical theologians faulted Altizer on philosophical, methodological and theological questions, such as his reliance on Hegelian dialectical thought, his idiosyncratic semantic use of theological words, and the interpretative principles he used in understanding Biblical literature.
In Godhead and the Nothing, Altizer examined the notion of evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
. He presented evil as the absence of will
Will (philosophy)
Will, in philosophical discussions, consonant with a common English usage, refers to a property of the mind, and an attribute of acts intentionally performed. Actions made according to a person's will are called "willing" or "voluntary" and sometimes pejoratively "willful"...
, but not separate from God. Orthodox Christianity—considered nihilistic
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
by Nietzsche—named evil and separated it from good without thoroughly examining its nature. However, the immanence
Immanence
Immanence refers to philosophical and metaphysical theories of divine presence, in which the divine is seen to be manifested in or encompassing of the material world. It is often contrasted with theories of transcendence, in which the divine is seen to be outside the material world...
of the spirit (after Jesus Christ) within the world embraces everything created. The immanence of the spirit is the answer to the nihilistic
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
state that Christianity, according to Nietzsche, was leading the world into. Through the introduction of God in the material world (immanence), the emptying of meaning would cease. No longer would followers be able to dismiss the present world for a transcendent
Transcendence (religion)
In religion transcendence refers to the aspect of God's nature which is wholly independent of the physical universe. This is contrasted with immanence where God is fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways...
world. They would have to embrace the present completely, and keep meaning in the here and now.
Altizer now lives in Mount Pocono
Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
Mount Pocono is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state.As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 2,742.-Geography:Mount Pocono is located at ....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. His memoir is entitled Living the Death of God. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Critical assessment
- Lissa McCullough and Brian Schroeder, (eds.) Thinking Through the Death of God: A Critical Companion to Thomas J.J. Alltizer (Albany, NY: SUNY, 2004). ISBN 978-0-7914-6220-1
- D.G. Leahy, Foundation: Matter The Body Itself (Albany, NY: SUNY, 1996). ISBN 978-0-7914-2022-5
- John B. Cobb, (ed.) The Theology of Alltizer: Critique and Response, (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1970)
- Robert S. Corrington, book review of Genesis and Apocalypse, Theology Today, 49/1 (April 1992).
- Langdon Gilkey, Naming the Whirlwind: The Renewal of God-Language, (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merill, 1969).
- John Warwick Montgomery, The 'Is God Dead?' Controversy, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1966).
- John Warwick Montgomery, The Alltizer-Montgomery Dialogue: A Chapter in the God is Dead Controversy, (Chicago: Intervarsity Press, 1967).
- John Warwick Montgomery, The Suicide of Christian Theology, (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1970). ISBN 0-87123-521-8
- Death of the Death of God [audio-tapes], the debate between Thomas Alltizer and John W. Montgomery at the University of Chicago, February 24, 1967.
- Christopher Rodkey, book review of Thinking Through the Death of God, Journal of Cultural and Religious Theory, 6/3 (Fall 2005).
External links
- Excerpt from Radical Theology and the Death of God
- Thomas Altizer,"Apocalypticism and Modern Thinking", Journal for Christian Theological Research, 2/2 (1997).
- "The Revolutionary", Emory Magazine, Autumn, 2006.
- "God is Dead Controversy", Emory History.
- The God is Dead Movement, Time Magazine, October 22, 1965.
- Review Gospel of Christian Atheism