Abstract
The thesis is divided into two parts, the first presenting the
material and undertaking general interpretation, and the second
engaging in more specific interpretation, analysis and development
of themes. Both of these parts are in turn divided into two sections, and the thesis as a whole is begun with an introduction and
ended with a brief conclusion. The Introduction describes the
preliminary difficulties of the subject and.sets the tone in which
the thesis will be developed. The conclusion represents a summary
of the subject based upon the development within the body of the
thesis and includes a personal evaluation of the present contribution
and significance of Christian atheism.
The first part of the thesis constituting a little over half of
its length, looks at atheism in Christianity in the first section
and in Buddhism in the second section. The Christian section begins
with a long but crucial chapter on the general atheistic position of
each of the ten persons whom we are considering to be Christian
atheists. This is followed by three chapters in which sub-topics
which emerge naturally as the major concerns of the Christian atheists,
are surveyed. The final chapter of this section is designed to
categorise the thought of each of the Christian atheists and their
relationships to each other. With the exception of this latter
chapter, we have attempted to draw all of the material for this
section from the writings of the Christian atheists themselves.
The second section of Part I attempts to do for Buddhism what
the first section does for Christian atheism. It begins with a
brief introductory chapter and proceeds with a chapter on general
Theravada Buddhism based primarily on the Suttas, and a chapter on
the more specific Theravada theories based primarily on the Abhidharma,
Finally, there is a chapter on Mahayana teaching developed largely
from Madhyamikan teaching and a chapter summarising both the
Theravada and Mahayana systems in terms which are especially meaningful when undertaking a study of modern Christian atheism. Materials
cited in this section are from Buddhism or from the works of
students of Buddhism,
The second part of the thesis begins with a section in which
the Christian atheists are individually considered, especially in
light of Buddhist thought. Here they are treated singly but in the
course of five chapters organised so as to keep those most like
each other together. Effort is made to outline all the major
similarities and dissimilarities with Buddhism and some of the
minor ones, as they appear to the author of this thesis. This kind
of activity appears not to have been undertaken elsewhere and
consequently citations are primarily to works used in the first part
of the thesis.
The second section of Part II—the final section of the thesis sketches
the overall structure of Christian atheism with reference
to Buddhist structure where applicable. This section draws from
contemporary reactions to all kinds of atheism or developments
relevant to it, and thus intends to set the matter of Christian
atheism within the context of modern theology and theological
discussion. It does this by considering in turn the primary
differences between the Christian atheists and Christian orthodoxy,
the characteristic methodology or modes of thought which Christian
atheists tend to display, the general outlines in which the "sacred"
can be identified within their thought, and their relationship to a
changing orthodoxy taking Post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism as an
example.
The thesis as a whole attempts to describe a plane on which
it is meaningful to speak of Christian atheism and to seek an
atheistic form of religiousness which is both characteristically
Christian and cognisant of the development of atheism within
Buddhism, It assumes that future development in the West of-this form
of religiousness will be most fruitful if it is able to understand
its own Christian roots and the profound possibilities of atheism
as exemplified by Buddhism,
