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[[Image:Nietzschemed.later.years.jpg|right|thumb|Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900)]]

[[Image:Nietzschemed.later.jpg|right|frame|<center>Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844 – 1900)</center>]]

"'''God is dead'''"  also known as '''the death of God''') is a widely-quoted and sometimes misconstrued statement by [[Germany|German]] [[philosophy|philosopher]] [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]. It first appears in ''[[The Gay Science]]'' (''Die fröhliche Wissenschaft''), section 108 (New Struggles), in section 125 (The Madman), and for a third time in section 343 (The Meaning of our Cheerfulness). It is also found in Nietzsche's classic work ''[[Thus Spoke Zarathustra]]'' (''Also sprach Zarathustra''), which is most responsible for popularizing the phrase.  The idea is stated by "The Madman" as follows:  

"'''God is dead'''"  also known as '''the death of God''') is a widely-quoted and sometimes misconstrued statement by German [[philosophy|philosopher]] [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]. It first appears in ''[[The Gay Science]]'' (''Die fröhliche Wissenschaft''), section 108 (New Struggles), in section 125 (The Madman), and for a third time in section 343 (The Meaning of our Cheerfulness). It is also found in Nietzsche's classic work ''[[Thus Spoke Zarathustra]]'' (''Also sprach Zarathustra''), which is most responsible for popularizing the phrase.  The idea is stated by "The Madman" as follows:  

:''God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of [[atonement]], what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?''|Nietzsche, ''The Gay Science'', Section 125| tr. [[Walter Kaufmann (philosopher)|Walter Kaufmann]]}}

:''God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of [[atonement]], what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?''|Nietzsche, ''The Gay Science'', Section 125| tr. [[Walter Kaufmann (philosopher)|Walter Kaufmann]]

==Explanation==

==Explanation==

Although Nietzsche puts the statement "God is Dead" into the mouth of a "madman" in ''The Gay Science'', he also uses the phrase in his own voice in sections 108 and 343 of the same book. In the madman's passage, the man is described as running through a marketplace shouting, "I seek God! I seek God!" He arouses some amusement; no one takes him seriously. Maybe he took an ocean voyage? Lost his way like a little child? Maybe he's afraid of us (non-believers) and is hiding?-- much laughter. Frustrated, the madman smashes his lantern on the ground, crying out that "God is dead, and we have killed him, you and I!" "But I have come too soon," he immediately realizes, as his detractors of a minute before stare in astonishment: people cannot yet see that they have killed God. He goes on to say:

Although Nietzsche puts the statement "God is Dead" into the mouth of a "madman" in ''The Gay Science'', he also uses the phrase in his own voice in sections 108 and 343 of the same book. In the madman's passage, the man is described as running through a marketplace shouting, "I seek God! I seek God!" He arouses some amusement; no one takes him seriously. Maybe he took an ocean voyage? Lost his way like a little child? Maybe he's afraid of us (non-believers) and is hiding?-- much laughter. Frustrated, the madman smashes his lantern on the ground, crying out that "God is dead, and we have killed him, you and I!" "But I have come too soon," he immediately realizes, as his detractors of a minute before stare in astonishment: people cannot yet see that they have killed God. He goes on to say:

{{PrettyQuotation|This prodigious event is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time, the light of the stars requires time, deeds, though done, still require time to be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than the most distant stars—''and yet they have done it themselves''.|trans. Walter Kaufmann|The Gay Science, sect. 125}}

:"This prodigious event is still on its way, still wandering; it has not yet reached the ears of men. Lightning and thunder require time, the light of the stars requires time, deeds, though done, still require time to be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than the most distant stars—''and yet they have done it themselves''.(trans. Walter Kaufmann, The Gay Science, sect. 125)

Earlier in the book (section 108), Nietzsche wrote "God is Dead; but given the way of men, there may still be caves for thousands of years in which his shadow will be shown. And we &mdash; we still have to vanquish his shadow, too." The protagonist in ''[[Thus Spoke Zarathustra]]'' also speaks the words, commenting to himself after visiting a hermit who, every day, sings songs and lives to glorify his god:

Earlier in the book (section 108), Nietzsche wrote "God is Dead; but given the way of men, there may still be caves for thousands of years in which his shadow will be shown. And we &mdash; we still have to vanquish his shadow, too." The protagonist in ''[[Thus Spoke Zarathustra]]'' also speaks the words, commenting to himself after visiting a hermit who, every day, sings songs and lives to glorify his god:

{{PrettyQuotation|'And what is the [[saint]] doing in the forest?' asked Zarathustra. The saint answered: 'I make songs and sing them; and when I make songs, I laugh, cry, and hum: thus do I praise God. With singing, crying, laughing, and humming do I praise the god who is my god. But what do you bring us as a gift?' When Zarathustra had heard these words he bade the saint farewell and said: 'What could I have to give you? But let me go quickly lest I take something from you!' And thus they separated, the old one and the man, laughing as two boys laugh. <p>But when Zarathustra was alone he spoke thus to his heart: 'Could it be possible? This old saint in the forest has not yet heard anything of this, that God ''is dead!'''|trans. Walter Kaufmann|Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Prologue, sect. 2.}}

:"And what is the [[saint]] doing in the forest?' asked Zarathustra. The saint answered: 'I make songs and sing them; and when I make songs, I laugh, cry, and hum: thus do I praise God. With singing, crying, laughing, and humming do I praise the god who is my god. But what do you bring us as a gift?' When Zarathustra had heard these words he bade the saint farewell and said: 'What could I have to give you? But let me go quickly lest I take something from you!' And thus they separated, the old one and the man, laughing as two boys laugh. <p>But when Zarathustra was alone he spoke thus to his heart: 'Could it be possible? This old saint in the forest has not yet heard anything of this, that God ''is dead!'''(trans. Walter Kaufmann, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Prologue, sect. 2.)

What is more, Zarathustra later refers, not only to the death of God, but that 'Dead are all the Gods'. It is not just one morality that has died, but all of them, to be replaced by the life of the übermensch, the new man:

What is more, Zarathustra later refers, not only to the death of God, but that 'Dead are all the Gods'. It is not just one morality that has died, but all of them, to be replaced by the life of the übermensch, the new man:

{{PrettyQuotation|'DEAD ARE ALL THE GODS:  NOW DO WE DESIRE THE SUPERMAN TO LIVE.'|trans. Thomas Common|Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Part I, Section XXII,3}}

:"DEAD ARE ALL THE GODS:  NOW DO WE DESIRE THE SUPERMAN TO LIVE.'(trans. Thomas Common, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Part I, Section XXII,3)

 

Coming across in a hymn of [[Martin Luther]] what [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Hegel]] described as ''the cruel words'', ''the harsh utterance'', namely, ''God is dead'', the latter was perhaps the first great philosopher to develop the theme of God's death according to whom, to one form of experience, God is dead. Commenting on [[Immanuel Kant|Kant]]'s first ''Critique'', [[Heinrich Heine]] spoke of ''a dying God''. Heine influenced Nietzsche. Since Heine and Nietzsche the phrase ''Death of God'' became popular. (K Satchidananda Murty, ''The Realm of Between'', IIAS,1973)-->

Coming across in a hymn of [[Martin Luther]] what [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Hegel]] described as ''the cruel words'', ''the harsh utterance'', namely, ''God is dead'', the latter was perhaps the first great philosopher to develop the theme of God's death according to whom, to one form of experience, God is dead. Commenting on [[Immanuel Kant|Kant]]'s first ''Critique'', [[Heinrich Heine]] spoke of ''a dying God''. Heine influenced Nietzsche. Since Heine and Nietzsche the phrase ''Death of God'' became popular. (K Satchidananda Murty, ''The Realm of Between'', IIAS,1973)-->

== Death of God theological movement ==

== Death of God theological movement ==

The cover of the [[April 8]], [[1966]] edition of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and the accompanying article concerned a movement in American theology that arose in the 1960s known as the "death of God". The death of God movement is sometimes technically referred to as "theothanatology" (In [[Greek language|Greek]], ''[[Theos]]'' means God and ''[[Thanatos]]'' means death.)

The cover of the April 8, 1966 edition of Time magazine and the accompanying article concerned a movement in American theology that arose in the 1960s known as the "death of God". The death of God movement is sometimes technically referred to as "theothanatology" (fr. gr. ''Theos'' means God and ''Thanatos'' means death.)

The main protagonists of this [[theology]] included the Christian theologians [[Gabriel Vahanian]], Paul van Buren, William Hamilton and [[Thomas J. J. Altizer]], and the [[rabbi]] [[Richard Rubenstein]].

The main protagonists of this [[theology]] included the Christian theologians Gabriel Vahanian, Paul van Buren, William Hamilton and [[Thomas J. J. Altizer]], and the rabbi Richard Rubenstein.

In 1961, Vahanian's book ''The Death of God'' was published. Vahanian argued that modern secular culture had lost all sense of the sacred, lacking any sacramental meaning, no transcendental purpose or sense of providence. He concluded that for the modern mind "God is dead", but he did not mean that God did not exist. In Vahanian's vision a transformed [[post-Christian]] and [[post-modern]] culture was needed to create a renewed experience of deity.

In 1961, Vahanian's book ''The Death of God'' was published. Vahanian argued that modern secular culture had lost all sense of the sacred, lacking any sacramental meaning, no transcendental purpose or sense of providence. He concluded that for the modern mind "God is dead", but he did not mean that God did not exist. In Vahanian's vision a transformed [[post-Christian]] and [[post-modern]] culture was needed to create a renewed experience of deity.

Both Van Buren and Hamilton agreed that the concept of transcendence had lost any meaningful place in modern thought. According to the norms of contemporary modern thought, God ''is'' dead. In responding to this collapse in transcendence Van Buren and Hamilton offered secular people the option of [[Jesus]] as the model human who acted in love. The encounter with the Christ of faith would be open in a church-community.

Both Van Buren and Hamilton agreed that the concept of transcendence had lost any meaningful place in modern thought. According to the norms of contemporary modern thought, God ''is'' dead. In responding to this collapse in transcendence Van Buren and Hamilton offered secular people the option of [[Jesus]] as the model human who acted in love. The encounter with the Christ of faith would be open in a church-community.

Altizer offered a radical theology of the death of God that drew upon [[William Blake]], [[Hegel]]ian thought and Nietzschean ideas. He conceived of theology as a form of [[poetry]] in which the [[immanence]] (presence) of God could be encountered in faith communities. However, he no longer accepted the possibility of affirming belief in a transcendent God. Altizer concluded that God had incarnated in Christ and imparted his [[Immanence|immanent]] [[spirit]] which remained in the world even though Jesus was dead (contrary to [[New Testament]] writings like [[1 Peter]] 1:2).  

Altizer offered a radical theology of the death of God that drew upon [[William Blake]], [[Hegel]]ian thought and Nietzschean ideas. He conceived of theology as a form of [[poetry]] in which the [[immanence]] [[presence]] of God could be encountered in faith communities. However, he no longer accepted the possibility of affirming belief in a transcendent God. Altizer concluded that God had incarnated in Christ and imparted his [[Immanence|immanent]] [[spirit]] which remained in the world even though Jesus was dead (contrary to [[New Testament]] writings like [[1 Peter]] 1:2).  

Unlike Nietzsche, Altizer believed that God truly died. He is considered to be the leading exponent of the Death of God movement.

Unlike Nietzsche, Altizer believed that God truly died. He is considered to be the leading exponent of the Death of God movement.

Rubenstein represented that radical edge of [[Jewish]] thought working through the impact of [[the Holocaust]]. In a technical sense he maintained, based on the [[Kabbalah]], that God had "died" in creating the world. However, for modern Jewish culture he argued that the death of God occurred in [[Auschwitz]]. Although the literal death of God did not occur at this point, this was the moment in time in which humanity was awakened to the idea that a [[theism|theistic]] God does not exist. In Rubenstein's work, it was no longer possible to believe in an orthodox/traditional theistic God of the [[Abrahamic covenant]]; rather God is an historical process. (See Richard L. Rubenstein. "God After the Death of God" in ''After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism''. 2nd. ed (Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1992), 293-306.

Rubenstein represented that radical edge of [[Jewish]] thought working through the impact of the Holocaust. In a technical sense he maintained, based on the [[Kabbalah]], that God had "died" in creating the world. However, for modern Jewish culture he argued that the death of God occurred in Auschwitz. Although the literal death of God did not occur at this point, this was the moment in time in which humanity was awakened to the idea that a theistic God does not exist. In Rubenstein's work, it was no longer possible to believe in an orthodox/traditional theistic God of the [[Abrahamic covenant]]; rather God is an historical process. (See Richard L. Rubenstein. "God After the Death of God" in ''After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism''. 2nd. ed (Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1992), 293-306.

== Notable references in popular culture ==

== Notable references in popular culture ==

* The poem "[[I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day]]" by [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]], a contemporary of Nietzsche, has the line "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep".

* The poem "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]], a contemporary of Nietzsche, has the line "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep".

* John Proctor recites "God Is Dead" towards the end of the play ''[[The Crucible]]'' by [[Arthur Miller]].

* John Proctor recites "God Is Dead" towards the end of the play ''[[The Crucible]]'' by [[Arthur Miller]].

* An episode of ''[[The Kids in the Hall]]'' features a sketch imitating a 1950s [[educational film]] centering around the phrase, first stated by Nietzschean philosophers and denied by [[Philosophical skepticism|skeptics]], until it is finally proved that the unusually diminutive God is indeed dead.

* An episode of ''The Kids in the Hall'' features a sketch imitating a 1950s educational film centering around the phrase, first stated by Nietzschean philosophers and denied by skeptics, until it is finally proved that the unusually diminutive God is indeed dead.

* In the episode of the television series ''[[Andromeda (TV series)|Andromeda]]'': Una Salus Victus ("One Salvation of the Victorious"). The character [[Tyr Anasazi]], a [[Nietzschean (Andromeda)|Nietzschean]], after killing a large number of people says to [[Dylan Hunt]] jokingly: "We could let God sort them out, but someone told me he was dead." Hunt explains the reference to the philosopher's belief by remarking "That Nietzsche! What a comedian!"

* In the episode of the television series ''Andromeda (TV series)|Andromeda'': Una Salus Victus ("One Salvation of the Victorious"). The character Tyr Anasazi, a Nietzschean, after killing a large number of people says to Dylan Hunt jokingly: "We could let God sort them out, but someone told me he was dead." Hunt explains the reference to the philosopher's belief by remarking "That Nietzsche! What a comedian!"

* In the [[Nine Inch Nails]] song "Heresy," from the 1994 album [[The Downward Spiral]], the chorus begins with the lyrics, "Your God is dead and no one cares."

* In the[Nine Inch Nails song "Heresy," from the 1994 album The Downward Spiral, the chorus begins with the lyrics, "Your God is dead and no one cares."

==See also==

==See also==

==External links==

==External links==

*[http://www.frame-poythress.org/frame_articles/1988Death.html John M. Frame, "Death of God Theology"]

*[https://www.frame-poythress.org/frame_articles/1988Death.html John M. Frame, "Death of God Theology"]

[[Category: Philosophy]]

[[Category: Philosophy]]

[[Category: Religion]]

[[Category: Religion]]