Does God exist? Who is God? And can we ultimately trust in any reality? These questions have been among the greatest subjects of human speculation since history began, but not until modern times has the reality of God been so strongly called into doubt. In this monumental study, written for men and women of all faiths (and of none), Hans Kÿng, the most renowned and controversial theologian in the world today, first traces the rise of modern atheism in the works of such great thinkers as Descartes, Pascal, Feuerbach, Marx, Nietzsche and Freud, and them demonstrates--brilliantly and in terms that make sense to us today--why a yes to God remains a more reasonable and responsible belief than its alternative, nihilism.

When it first appeared, in 1971, this book caused its author to lose his license from the church to teach. Long unavailable, the book now appears with a new preface and a survey of the discussion of papal infallibility.

An introduction to theologians who greatly affected Christian thought includes portraits of Paul, Origen, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Karl Barth

Why should one be a Christian? Is there something more to being a Christian than to being human? Just what does it mean to be a Christian, especially in today's modern world? Hans Küng, one of the greatest theologians of this century, ponders these questions and, from a lifetime of study, suggests the answers. He looks carefully at the evidence in the Bible, at the challenges of modern humanisms and of the world-religions, at the questions concerning death, at the local and the universal church, at the individual's own personal decisions, and at the freedom that Christianity brings, including the freedom to serve.On Being a Christian is a vital and important statement about what it means to be a Christian. Hans Küng has himself said of the book, which he regards as his magnum opus, that it intends to "clarify and challenge Christian faith and life at a time when the churches have unfortunately lost rather than gained in credibility. It seeks to bring to light for this present time the original Christian message and particularly the figure of Jesus of Nazareth." The book continues to offer a strong message to today's Christians. As Küng says in the closing of the book, "By following Jesus Christ, people in the world today can live, act, suffer and die in a truly human way; in happiness and unhappiness, life and death, sustained by God and helpful to fellow men and women."

The book presents the transition from traditionalism to modernism in connection to two of Küng's most important books on ecclesiology: Structures of the Church (1962) as representing Küng's traditional theology, and On Being a Christian (1974) as a reflection of his modern approach to Christianity.

Swiss theologian Hans Kung may be the most provocative leader in Roman Catholic thought today, with heroic appeal to progressive Catholics, Protestants, and secular thinkers. In this book, John J. Kiwiet shows Kung as the mature scholar, devoted pastor, and eloquent speaker in conflict with the Vatican in Rome, resistant to its leadership and in polemic with its theology. Believing that the problems of secular humanity cannot be solved without the involvement of religious humanity, Kung calls the church to take a decisive stance in the issues of the day rather than merely reformulate issues of the past. Kung has received a wide hearing among Catholics and Protestants, and his works On Being a Christian and Does God Exist? remain crucial in contemporary dialogue. Kiwiet's book is an invaluable aid in understanding Kung, his life, his writings, and his ongoing significance as a shaper of modern theology. The Makers of the Modern Theological Mind series remains a must-read for anyone eager to understand these theologians and their impact on today's church.