Religion of Democracy An Intellectual Biography of Gerald Birney Smith 1868 1929 1st Edition by Creighton Peden ISBN 1443861693 9781443861694

“Creighton Peden deserves a huge note of thanks from people interested in liberal religion, religious naturalism, the Social Gospel, the Chicago School and Gerald Birney Smith in particular by creating a comprehensive, historical, chronological presentation and exegesis of his work, allowing him to speak in his own voice, in his own integrity.” —Leslie A. Muray, Curry College; American Journal of Theology & Philosophy, 36:3 (2015) “Profoundly influenced by such things as historical criticism of the Bible, the methods of the natural sciences, the Darwinian theory of evolution, the rise of secularism, and the ideals of a democratic society, Gerald Birney Smith sought to develop a version of liberal Christianity that he felt to be appropriate to his own times. In doing so, he stressed the fallibility of human thinking about religious doctrines and the changeability of those doctrines; pragmatic, experiential, and ethical tests of claims to religious truth; the immanence of God in the world and in human experience; the untenability for today’s thought of the eschatology and miracles of biblical times; the critical importance of ways of thinking that do not run stubbornly against the grain of current scientific approaches, researches, and findings; and the fundamental importance of honesty in religious reflections. He also suggested a new way of thinking about the divinity of Christ, arguing that it consisted in the intensity and scope of Christ’s God-consciousness, a God-consciousness which all humans can aspire to share. Creighton Peden brings these and others of Smith’s intriguing ideas into clear focus, accompanied by richness of detail.” —Dr Donald A. Crosby, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Colorado State University “In Religion of Democracy, Creighton Peden abstractly and accurately summarizes the various parts of Gerald Birney Smith’s literary corpus—holding them up before the reader, who will decide what will and will not work today. As perhaps only an aerial view can, this summary provides a clearer definition of the broad intellectual contours of a representative member of the historic “Chicago School of Theology.” It leaves the reader asking: Was Smith, in the last analysis, a herald for an ethics of democracy based on scientific methods? Did Smith find in Christianity anything to add to an otherwise self-sufficient secular culture?” —Dr William Dean, Professor Emeritus of Constructive Theology, Iliff School of Theology