"Does theology have any relevance to the problem of life and death?" According to John Heywood Thomas the answer is an unequivocal yes. A largely personal expression of this conviction precedes the argument's exposition, which is then stated first of all quite generally - that nothing human is alien to theology's concern. Three main issues are considered: the unborn life, death as an event in life, and the possibility of global death. The issue of a life before birth is a complex problem, requiring as much awareness of philosophical issues as of relevant empirical factors. The same kind of multifaceted thinking is needed in confronting the issue of death, an inescapable topic for theology. If death is an event in life what does it reveal about the meaning of life? And what of the very human action of the funeral? After a discussion of the complex issues involved the argument returns to the global reference of theology. Two areas of concern are singled out to show that the theologian can offer guidance in debate: the environmental crisis and the threat of nuclear war.

Synopsis: John Heywood Thomas was probably the earliest twentieth-century British scholar to study Kierkegaard's texts. Here he offers, as the fruit of a lifetime's devotion to that study, what Kierkegaard would call a "fragment"--a little of what needs to be said about the legacy of this radical Danish writer, philosopher, and theologian. This book, based on lectures given at the University of Calgary, seeks to explore different aspects of Kierkegaard's work in its original context and its legacy. Chapters include studies on Kierkegaard the writer (located within the history and development of European literature and nineteenth-century aesthetic theory) and Kierkegaard the philosopher (understood within the context of the development of philosophy in the first quarter of the nineteenth century). Also, since he always described himself as a religious thinker, Kierkegaard's view of religion is explored and in particular his attitude to the possibility of Christianity without the confines of an established church. Because Kierkegaard's philosophy is never separate from his religious thinking, Heywood Thomas also offers studies on the issues of metaphysics in Kierkegaard--its relation to theology, the scope of reason, the problem of time, and the meaning of death. Finally, to appreciate Kierkegaard as a man of his time as well as a "man for all seasons," his views on education are considered. Endorsements: "I enthusiastically commend this book by the doyen of British Kierkegaard scholars. To the elucidation of Kierkegaard's thought, John Heywood Thomas brings incisive analytical skills, a scholarly grasp of the history of Christian thought, detailed knowledge of Kierkegaard in his historical context and in subsequent debate, and a deep commitment to the Christian faith. This book is the fruit of a lifetime's reflection on Kierkegaard. It deserves to be widely read." -Alan P F Sell Milton Keynes, UK "John Heywood Thomas here presents the fruits of a lifetime of wrestling with the work of Kierkegaard. Always an astute reader of Kierkegaard, Thomas guides us through the central philosophical and theological concerns of Kierkegaard's authorship, tracks the impact of Kierkegaard's thought on much twentieth-century thought, and reminds us that the challenges set before Kierkegaard's readers remain profoundly apposite in our own time." -Murray Rae University of Otago "In The Legacy of Kierkegaard Thomas gives us a reading of Kierkegaard which manages to be both faithful to the text and deeply original. While taking Kierkegaard's Christian faith with the utmost seriousness, Thomas shows us a Kierkegaard who is a profound philosopher with deep things to say about metaphysics and ethics, time and immortality." -C. Stephen Evans Baylor University Author Biography: Professor John Heywood Thomas studied under Paul Tillich and was described by Tillich as "my logical critic." A lifetime researcher on Kierkegaard, Heywood Thomas has taught philosophy and theology at the Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, Texas, and at the universities of Manchester, Durham, and Nottingham in the UK.

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John Heywood Thomas' outlines and evaluates the work of Paul Tillich who is one of the most important Protestant theologians of the twentieth century.