The Dialectics of God

Radical Theology represents one of the most innovative, provocative and fertile theological movements of the 20th century. While the ideas behind the movement had long been discussed within the academy, it burst onto the public stage in a dramatic way in the 1960’s. This was facilitated by two important publications. The first was a famous TIME magazine article entitled 'Is God Dead' from 1966, and the second was a book by Thomas Altizer and William Hamilton, published the same year, called Radical Theology and the Death of God.

While the movement these two thinkers helped pioneer, exploded onto the public scene in a spectacular fashion, it disappeared almost as quickly. Hamilton never really established himself as an important theologian, and Altizer - a troubled and prophetic individual - was largely sidelined by the academy. He quickly fell into obscurity, becoming a John the Baptist figure. Crying out in the wilderness about the coming of world-historical event.

Altizer continued to write provocative, difficult and innovative work right up to his death last year. But most of this work has gone unappreciated. The question remains as to whether he will have a mere footnote in the intellectual life of the 20th century, or eventually be hailed as one of its most prophetic and innovative children.

In this five part course, I’ll be introducing this movement, exploring its subsequent development and looking at its relation to pyrotheology.

Supplemental Material

The course will offer a close reading of the TIME magazine article ‘Is God Dead?’, and four essays from the book Radical Theology and the Death of God. Both of these will be available in digital form to people signed up.

In addition to this, I will have links to other material (books, videos and interviews) for people who want take an even deeper dive into the material.