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The Suicide of Christian Theology
This book is a forceful, scholarly call to the liberal church leaders to return from the morass of theological relativism, to the solid ground of the ancient creeds of Christianity.
Dr. Montgomery's incisive observations on Barth, Bultmann, Tillich, de Chardin, Pike, and others, may rankle some readers on occasion. But, there can never be any question about the mental acumen he brings to bear upon his subject, or the skill with which he pens his views. Montgomery is so obviously at home in the area of the theological, and so conversant with the convictions of his fellow theologians, that he certainly must be reckoned with.
Not content with only analyzing the suicide of theology, Dr. Montgomery also gives a proposal for its resurrection. Here is an invitation to come to grips with the zestful, well-informed mind of a contemporary theologian.
Dr. Montgomery's incisive observations on Barth, Bultmann, Tillich, de Chardin, Pike, and others, may rankle some readers on occasion. But, there can never be any question about the mental acumen he brings to bear upon his subject, or the skill with which he pens his views. Montgomery is so obviously at home in the area of the theological, and so conversant with the convictions of his fellow theologians, that he certainly must be reckoned with.
Not content with only analyzing the suicide of theology, Dr. Montgomery also gives a proposal for its resurrection. Here is an invitation to come to grips with the zestful, well-informed mind of a contemporary theologian.
- GenresTheologyChristianity
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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About the author
John Warwick Montgomery
173 books51 followersJohn Warwick Montgomery was an American-born lawyer, academic, Lutheran theologian, and author. He was born in Warsaw, New York, United States. Montgomery maintained multiple citizenship in the United States, United Kingdom, and France. From 2014 to 2017, he was Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University, Wisconsin. He was Professor-At-Large, 1517: The Legacy Project. He was named Avocat honoraire, Barreau de Paris (2023), after 20 years in French legal practice. He continued to work as a barrister specializing in religious freedom cases in international Human Rights law until his death.
Montgomery was chiefly noted for his major contributions as a writer, lecturer, and public debater in the field of Christian apologetics.
From 1995 to 2007 he was a Professor in Law and Humanities at the University of Bedfordshire, England; and from 2007 to 2014, the Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Christian Thought at Patrick Henry College in Virginia, United States. He later became Emeritus Professor at the University of Bedfordshire. He was also the director of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, and was the editor of the theological online journal Global Journal of Classical Theology.
Montgomery was chiefly noted for his major contributions as a writer, lecturer, and public debater in the field of Christian apologetics.
From 1995 to 2007 he was a Professor in Law and Humanities at the University of Bedfordshire, England; and from 2007 to 2014, the Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Christian Thought at Patrick Henry College in Virginia, United States. He later became Emeritus Professor at the University of Bedfordshire. He was also the director of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, and was the editor of the theological online journal Global Journal of Classical Theology.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 19, 2018
A densely written, closely reasoned, intelligent apologetic for re-invigorating historical evangelical Christian theology for today. Written in 1970 by Montgomery, who was founding member of the World Association of Law Professors and held earned doctorates from the University of Chicago and University of Strasbourg (France).
September 6, 2024
A 1970 SUMMARY/CRITIQUE OF CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGY BY A NOTED APOLOGIST
John Warwick Montgomery (b. 1931) is one of the major philosophical apologists of the 20th century. He is also a trained lawyer, which influenced his "historical/legal" approach to Christian apologetics. He is perhaps best known as a writer for his book 'History and Christianity,' as well as for his debates with the infamous atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair (1967); with Joseph Fletcher, who wrote the book 'Situation Ethics; the New Morality.' (The Montgomery/Fletcher debate is reprinted in 'Situation Ethics: True or False.') His debate with the "Death of God" theologian Thomas Altizer is reprinted in this current book, which consists of reprints of Montgomery's articles from a variety of sources.
The cover describes this book as "An incisive, witty, and true-to-the-mark reflection on the present state of Christian theology," which is pretty accurate. (Remember that this book was first published in 1970, however.) In his Preface, Montgomery mentions modern theologians like Moltmann, Barth, Tillich, etc., and asserts, "To the present writer, the answer is to go back (which in theology is the only way to go forward): back to the general and ecumenical creeds of the church, which convey the unchanging heart of its teachings.... The Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian symbols are as capable as ever of carrying the present theological generation to the scriptural sources and to the Christ on whom the entire biblical revelation centers."
Montgomery deals with a wide-ranging list of topics (e.g., "Bishop Pike and His Treasure Hunt"; "Is Man His Own God?"; "Remythologizing Christmas"), but to me the most significant was his debate/dialogue with Thomas Altizer (which Montgomery titles, "The Death of the 'Death of God'"). Here are some excerpts:
ALTIZER: "Speaking as one who comes from the South ... and who has seen the servants of this form of the Word of God bind themselves to repression and be, themselves, the primary social force embodying segregation in the South, I've long since lost any hope that the spokesman of the traditional Word of God can be anything in our day but an enemy of man."
MONTGOMERY: "What (students) want to know is: Why should the leap (of faith) be made in the direction you suggest, particularly since you give no criteria whatever for the notion of a word somehow hidden in the present situation. Why a leap in that direction, rather than a leap in the direction of Meher Baba's Sufism, in the direction of the Marxist ideology, in the direction of traditional Christianity, or in any number of other directions that could be mentioned."
MONTGOMERY: Let me present you with another faith position. This has to do with a little green man who is eating toasted cheese sandwiches and is sitting on a planet exactly two miles out of the range of the best telescope on earth. He is a figure who loves us, particularly if we eat toasted cheese sandwiches. He has a nasty habit of moving out of the range of the telescopes as they increase their range. Now let us say that I believe in this. How does this differ from your claim that you're having some sort of encounter with the kenotic Word?
ALTIZER: The decisive criterion is, Can you speak of it?
MONTGOMERY: I've just spoken of it.
ALTIZER: Oh no, that's not speech, that's gibberish.
ALTIZER: Frankly, this is a strange kind of discussion for me. I'm just not accustomed to people who take such things as being the teaching of Jesus. This is all new to me.
MONTGOMERY: I can only conclude that nineteen and a half centuries of church history are totally new to you, which is a strange thing for a theologian to say.
This book---and particularly the debate---remain of continuing interest to students of apologetics, and modern theology.
John Warwick Montgomery (b. 1931) is one of the major philosophical apologists of the 20th century. He is also a trained lawyer, which influenced his "historical/legal" approach to Christian apologetics. He is perhaps best known as a writer for his book 'History and Christianity,' as well as for his debates with the infamous atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair (1967); with Joseph Fletcher, who wrote the book 'Situation Ethics; the New Morality.' (The Montgomery/Fletcher debate is reprinted in 'Situation Ethics: True or False.') His debate with the "Death of God" theologian Thomas Altizer is reprinted in this current book, which consists of reprints of Montgomery's articles from a variety of sources.
The cover describes this book as "An incisive, witty, and true-to-the-mark reflection on the present state of Christian theology," which is pretty accurate. (Remember that this book was first published in 1970, however.) In his Preface, Montgomery mentions modern theologians like Moltmann, Barth, Tillich, etc., and asserts, "To the present writer, the answer is to go back (which in theology is the only way to go forward): back to the general and ecumenical creeds of the church, which convey the unchanging heart of its teachings.... The Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian symbols are as capable as ever of carrying the present theological generation to the scriptural sources and to the Christ on whom the entire biblical revelation centers."
Montgomery deals with a wide-ranging list of topics (e.g., "Bishop Pike and His Treasure Hunt"; "Is Man His Own God?"; "Remythologizing Christmas"), but to me the most significant was his debate/dialogue with Thomas Altizer (which Montgomery titles, "The Death of the 'Death of God'"). Here are some excerpts:
ALTIZER: "Speaking as one who comes from the South ... and who has seen the servants of this form of the Word of God bind themselves to repression and be, themselves, the primary social force embodying segregation in the South, I've long since lost any hope that the spokesman of the traditional Word of God can be anything in our day but an enemy of man."
MONTGOMERY: "What (students) want to know is: Why should the leap (of faith) be made in the direction you suggest, particularly since you give no criteria whatever for the notion of a word somehow hidden in the present situation. Why a leap in that direction, rather than a leap in the direction of Meher Baba's Sufism, in the direction of the Marxist ideology, in the direction of traditional Christianity, or in any number of other directions that could be mentioned."
MONTGOMERY: Let me present you with another faith position. This has to do with a little green man who is eating toasted cheese sandwiches and is sitting on a planet exactly two miles out of the range of the best telescope on earth. He is a figure who loves us, particularly if we eat toasted cheese sandwiches. He has a nasty habit of moving out of the range of the telescopes as they increase their range. Now let us say that I believe in this. How does this differ from your claim that you're having some sort of encounter with the kenotic Word?
ALTIZER: The decisive criterion is, Can you speak of it?
MONTGOMERY: I've just spoken of it.
ALTIZER: Oh no, that's not speech, that's gibberish.
ALTIZER: Frankly, this is a strange kind of discussion for me. I'm just not accustomed to people who take such things as being the teaching of Jesus. This is all new to me.
MONTGOMERY: I can only conclude that nineteen and a half centuries of church history are totally new to you, which is a strange thing for a theologian to say.
This book---and particularly the debate---remain of continuing interest to students of apologetics, and modern theology.
November 25, 2024
A great book composed of various writings of Montgomery dealing with the 20th intellectual movements against Christianity, particularly Death of God theology. This unfortunately dates the book a little considering that this is not as popular a position as it used to be. Death of God theology was big in the 1950s and '60s (when most of the articles were first written) where the proponents thought God was no longer important nor necessarily relevant to theology any longer. The issue is that this leaves the Gospel outside of the Christian faith since salvation by God's grace has been core to Christian theology since its conception...from God. Montgomery also goes through theological reasoning, logic, and education.
January 17, 2016
One of my favorite books on theology from the 1960s. Amazing insight from JWM who shows his mastery of theological thought and defends a biblical theology in ways few can.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews