Honest to God
Encyclopedia
Honest to God is a book written by the Anglican Bishop of Woolwich
John A.T. Robinson
, criticising traditional Christian theology. It aroused a storm of controversy on its original publication by SCM Press in 1963. Robinson had already achieved notoriety by his defence of the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover
.
Robinson's own evaluation of Honest to God, found in the subsequent Exploration into God stated that the chief contribution of this book was its successful synthesis of the work of seemingly opposed theologians Paul Tillich
, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
and Rudolf Bultmann
.
and consider God to be 'the ground of our being'.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
's notion of religion-less Christianity is also a major theme in the book. Robinson's interpretation of this phrase is—inevitably—controversial. He claims that secular man requires a secular theology
. That is, that God's continuing revelation to humanity is one brought about in culture at large, not merely within the confines of "religion" or "church."
The book also introduced the idea of situational ethics to an English speaking audience. This was a form of relativism, based on the idea that moral codes are not set in stone, but may be subject to circumstances.
.
The book was almost universally condemned by traditionalists, but was hailed as a breath of fresh air by many liberals. However, not all liberals were in favour: many, including Michael Ramsey
, Archbishop of Canterbury
, thought that Robinson's theology was weak, and that he had only a vague understanding of many of the issues he attempted to bring into the mainstream.
In his last interview before his death, C. S. Lewis
was asked, "What do you think of the controversial new book Honest to God, by John Robinson, the bishop of Woolwich? Lewis replied, “I prefer being honest, to being ‘honest to God.’”
Lewis also wrote a short article entitled "Must our Image of God Go?" which appeared in The Observer
shortly after the similarly titled Robinson interview.
Bishop of Woolwich
The Bishop of Woolwich is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury, England....
John A.T. Robinson
John A.T. Robinson
John Arthur Thomas Robinson was a New Testament scholar, author and a former Anglican Bishop of Woolwich, England....
, criticising traditional Christian theology. It aroused a storm of controversy on its original publication by SCM Press in 1963. Robinson had already achieved notoriety by his defence of the publication of Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Lady Chatterley's Lover is a novel by D. H. Lawrence, first published in 1928. The first edition was printed privately in Florence, Italy with assistance from Pino Orioli; it could not be published openly in the United Kingdom until 1960...
.
Robinson's own evaluation of Honest to God, found in the subsequent Exploration into God stated that the chief contribution of this book was its successful synthesis of the work of seemingly opposed theologians Paul Tillich
Paul Tillich
Paul Johannes Tillich was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Tillich was one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century...
, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr. He was a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism and a founding member of the Confessing Church. He was involved in plans by members of the Abwehr to assassinate Adolf Hitler...
and Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Karl Bultmann was a German theologian of Lutheran background, who was for three decades professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg...
.
Major themes in Honest to God
The dominant theory of Honest to God is the idea that having rejected the idea of 'God up there', modern secular man also needs to recognize that the idea of 'God out there' is also an outdated simplification of the nature of divinity. Rather, Christians should take their cue from the existentialist theology of Paul TillichPaul Tillich
Paul Johannes Tillich was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Tillich was one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century...
and consider God to be 'the ground of our being'.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr. He was a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism and a founding member of the Confessing Church. He was involved in plans by members of the Abwehr to assassinate Adolf Hitler...
's notion of religion-less Christianity is also a major theme in the book. Robinson's interpretation of this phrase is—inevitably—controversial. He claims that secular man requires a secular theology
Secular theology
The field of secular theology, a subfield of liberal theology advocated by Anglican bishop John A. T. Robinson somewhat paradoxically combines secularism and theology. Recognized in the 1960s, it was influenced both by neo-orthodoxy, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harvey Cox, and the existentialism of Søren...
. That is, that God's continuing revelation to humanity is one brought about in culture at large, not merely within the confines of "religion" or "church."
The book also introduced the idea of situational ethics to an English speaking audience. This was a form of relativism, based on the idea that moral codes are not set in stone, but may be subject to circumstances.
Controversy and criticism
The book was controversial even before its publication, as an interview about it with Robinson in the Observer bore the provocative headline "Our Image of God Must Go". Some of the letters and articles for and against Robinson's views were published by the end of the year in The Honest to God Debate. A flurry of books on the subject appeared by everyone from the Ceylon Rationalist Association to Patience StrongPatience Strong
Winifred Emma May was a poet from the United Kingdom, best known for her work under the pen name Patience Strong. Her poems were usually short, simple and imbued with sentimentality, the beauty of nature and inner strength...
.
The book was almost universally condemned by traditionalists, but was hailed as a breath of fresh air by many liberals. However, not all liberals were in favour: many, including Michael Ramsey
Michael Ramsey
Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury PC was the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and was in office from June 1961 to 1974.-Career:...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, thought that Robinson's theology was weak, and that he had only a vague understanding of many of the issues he attempted to bring into the mainstream.
In his last interview before his death, C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
was asked, "What do you think of the controversial new book Honest to God, by John Robinson, the bishop of Woolwich? Lewis replied, “I prefer being honest, to being ‘honest to God.’”
Lewis also wrote a short article entitled "Must our Image of God Go?" which appeared in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
shortly after the similarly titled Robinson interview.
See also
- Lambeth Palace Library, which contains John A.T. Robinson's collection of books relating to 'Honest to God', http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/content/ms3534...3598.
Further reading
- The Economist interviews: the Archbishop of Canterbury June 13, 1964
- Robinson, J A T Honest to God, 1963, John Knox Press. reprint edition: ISBN 0-664-24465-3, 40th anniv. edition 2003: ISBN 0-664-22422-9