God Now
Christianity and Heresy
- Theology
- Philosophy
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2019
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Publisher's Description
In these short, accessible essays, Alford writes about the personal "Why I Pray," as well as the political "Simone Weil and Donald Trump." He makes some difficult theologians, such as Karl Barth and Soren Kierkegaard, accessible, while not hesitating to criticize them. Alford argues the genius of Christianity is in God making himself vulnerable so as to know what it is to be human; otherwise, God stands at a terrible distance from humanity. From this perspective, Christianity is about the teachings of Christ, and God's willingness to suffer. The resurrection, so central to most Christians, becomes less important. Myriad religious thinkers are considered, including Albert Camus, Thomas Merton, Reinhold Niebuhr, Rudolf Bultmann, and Paul Tillich, among others, including Simone Weil. Also addressed is the relationship between religion and psychology, as well as the status of natural law. Notable is the author's attitude, which combines respect for great thinkers and a willingness to call them out as wrong, confused, or misguided. Unafraid of atheism, Alford thinks many of the so-called new atheists judge religion as though it were a science, a confusion of categories. Once a philosopher of science, he knows the scope and limits of scientific explanation better than most.
Endorsements (2)
“In God Now: Christianity and Heresy, C. Fred Alford offers a uniquely incisive understanding of Christian doctrine, acts, faith, and more, rooted primarily in his conviction that ‘a God who suffers with us is enough.’ Instructive yet not instructional, personal yet not confessional, Alford’s essays breathe new life into perennial theological questions with a stunning combination of audacity and humility reminiscent of Merton, Niebuhr, and Weil. God Now is a remarkable achievement that will be of great interest to believers, non-believers, Christians, heretics, and all those in between.”
“I am grateful to Professor Alford for his profound essays on faith and God after my forty-year career practicing medicine. During those years I encountered joy, pain, ambiguity, and mystery. Alford’s exploration of the meaning of God and Scripture has given me a deeper appreciation for the miracle of life.”
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