Eric C. Meyer. C.P.
Catholic Theo/ogy and The Death of God: A Response. l s a Catholic death-of-God theo/ogy 7Jossible?
This essay is an effort to reftect on sorne of the problems raised by Dr. Thomas J. J. Altizer's serious attempt to show that a Catholic death-of-God theology is possible. Dr. Altizer explored this possibility in a paper that he read in the summer of 1967 at the Catholic University workshop on the problem of God in contemporary thought. The paper was printed in the 1967 issue of Cross Cu1--rcntB but mistakenly entitled "Catholic Philosophy and the Death of God." My intention is to show why Altizer's careful arguments in favor of the possibility of a Catholic death-of-God theology are inconclusive. This essay does not pUl¡port to be a fully adequate encounter with Altizer's radical theology; but however small, I hope it will be a genuine contribution to the on-going task of responsible theological reaction to the eamest questions and challenges put to the Catholic faith by members of the death-ofGod movement. I shall begin by underlining sorne of the most important 189