Ernst Bloch: Atheism in Christianity

Atheism in Christianity: The Religion of the Exodus and the Kingdom

Kristinuskon filosofiaa. 257 sivua, pehmeäkantinen, Verso 2009, alun perin 1972.

In the twenty-first century, religion has come under determined attack from secular progressives in documentaries, opinion pieces and international bestsellers. Combative atheists have denounced faiths of every stripe, resulting in a crude intellectual polarization in which religious convictions and heritage must be rejected or accepted wholesale.

In the long unavailable Atheism in Christianity , Ernst Bloch provides a way out from this either/or debate. He examines the origins of Christianity in an attempt to find its social roots, pursuing a detailed study of the Bible and its fascination for ‘ordinary and unimportant’ people. In the biblical promise of utopia and the scriptures’ antagonism to authority, Bloch locates Christianity’s appeal to the oppressed. Through a lyrical yet close and nuanced analysis, he explores the tensions within the Bible that promote atheism as a counter to the authoritarian metaphysical theism imposed by clerical exegesis. At the Bible’s heart he finds a heretical core and the concealed message that, paradoxically, a good Christian must necessarily be a good atheist.This new edition includes an introduction by Peter Thompson, the Director of the Centre for Enrst Bloch Studies at the University of Sheffield.

German Marxist philosopher Ernst Bloch approached atheism not as the mere denial of God, but as an essential, liberating force for human emancipation. His iconic phrase, "only an atheist can be a good Christian, and only a Christian can be a good atheist," reflects his unique philosophy of hope. [1, 2, 3]

Bloch’s distinctive take on atheism includes several core ideas:

• Religion as Rebellion: In his 1968 masterwork, Atheism in Christianity, Bloch examined biblical stories (like the Exodus) not as divine obedience, but as expressions of human revolt against oppression and authoritarianism. [1, 2, 3]

• Rejection of the "Creator God": Bloch argued that traditional metaphysical theism reduces humans to submissive subjects of an almighty Creator. True atheism destroys this master-servant dynamic, allowing humans to take responsibility for their own history. [1, 2]

• Concrete Utopia: For Bloch, atheism is inseparable from his concept of "concrete Utopia." Instead of waiting for a divine afterlife, atheists must actively strive to build the "Kingdom of God" on Earth—a realm of justice and freedom, entirely without God. [1, 2, 3]

• The Processual God: Bloch’s philosophy imagines a God that does not exist as a static, pre-given entity, but is emerging through human history and struggle. God is the ultimate goal of humanity’s striving, not its starting point.

By stripping religion of its supernatural mythology, Bloch sought to salvage the revolutionary, future-oriented "hope" found in scripture, redirecting it toward a secular political project.