Herberg as Theologian of Christianity

To speak of Will Herberg as a Christian theologian may seem as fantastic as to speak of the Pope as a Protestant. How can this be said of a man who, until his last breath, maintained his stance of Conservative Judaism?

Despite the anomaly, it is a fact that no Christian theologian of the past generation has matched Herberg’s ability to interpret and defend the Christian faith. During the more than two decades of his teaching at Drew University, where he was first Professor of Judaic Studies and Social Philosophy and subsequently graduate Professor of Philosophy and Culture, Christian students found themselves in the presence of a powerful thinker who insisted that they take seriously the apostolic faith of the New Testament, centering in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. And, owing to his energetic schedule of speaking and writing—his Faith Enacted as History (Westminster) was published in the last year of his life—his influence extended far beyond his home university. Standing within the Jewish community, Herberg was a vigorous, incisive Christian apologist.

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Bernhard W. Anderson

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To speak of Will Herberg as a Christian theologian may seem as fantastic as to speak of the Pope as a Protestant. How can this be said of a man who, until his last breath, maintained his stance of Conservative Judaism?

Despite the anomaly, it is a fact that no Christian theologian of the past generation has matched Herberg’s ability to interpret and defend the Christian faith. During the more than two decades of his teaching at Drew University, where he was first Professor of Judaic Studies and Social Philosophy and subsequently graduate Professor of Philosophy and Culture, Christian students found themselves in the presence of a powerful thinker who insisted that they take seriously the apostolic faith of the New Testament, centering in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. And, owing to his energetic schedule of speaking and writing—his Faith Enacted as History (Westminster) was published in the last year of his life—his influence extended far beyond his home university. Standing within the Jewish community, Herberg was a vigorous, incisive Christian apologist.