What to Believe?: Twelve Brief Lessons in Radical Theology

by John D. Caputo

If you no longer “believe in God,” the Supreme Being of classical theology, or you never did in the first place, is there anything you still ought to believe, anything you should cherish unconditionally, no matter what? In this lively and accessible book, addressed to believers, “recovering” believers, disbelievers, nonbelievers, and “nones” alike—to anyone in search of what they really do believe—the acclaimed philosopher and theologian John D. Caputo seeks out what there is to believe, with or without religion.

Writing in a lucid and witty style, Caputo offers a bold account of a “radical theology” that is anything but what the word theology suggests to most people. His point of departure is autobiographical, describing growing up in the world of pre-Vatican II Catholicism, serving as an altar boy, and spending four years in a Catholic religious order after high school. Caputo places Augustine’s Confessions, Tillich’s Dynamics of Faith, and Jacques Derrida and postmodern theory in conversation in the service of what he calls the “mystical sense of life.” He argues that radical theology is not simply an academic exercise but describes a concrete practice immediately relevant to the daily lives of believers and nonbelievers alike. What to Believe? is an engaging introduction to radical theology for all readers curious about what religion can mean today.

Genres: Theology, Spirituality, Philosophy

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2023

About the author

John D. Caputo is an American philosopher who is the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Syracuse University and the David R. Cook Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Villanova University. Caputo is a major figure associated with Postmodern Christianity, Continental Philosophy of Religion, as well as the founder of the theological movement known as weak theology. Much of Caputo's work focuses on hermeneutics, phenomenology, deconstruction and theology.

Reviews

[Michael Barros · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ranks pretty high in my “hardest books I’ve read” category - and it’s not because Caputo sucks at writing like Hegel did. No, it’s because the content is just complex.

If you haven’t read SOME Tillich, you’re gonna feel stupid. I had to pull out a book on Derrida halfway thru to refresh my memory. I really think this book would be most enjoyed if it were read in the format presented (over weeks).

It’s a catechism & that’s how it presents itself. It’s not a one sitting sort of book necessarily and definitely not the sort you walk into unarmed.

Also, how is nobody talking about how the whole book Derrida’d us in the 2nd half? He sets up ground of being God as an antithesis to classical theology and then comes out and says, “that was fun, but it was to liberate your minds from the classical theology, the truth is that God isn’t ground of being, God is the might-be.”

I was like, “Why bro? You had me sold, I like Tillich.” But then I’m like, “Ok bro, I’ll hear you out.” And I did and I had fun.

[Courtney Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read when it comes to Theopoetics. Deep concepts beautifully written. This is not for everyone. Some will close the book after the first couple of chapters, especially fundamentalists. A good, accessible, condensed overview of radical theology. Caputo is a pleasure to read and no word is misplaced or unintentional here. This couples well with Rubem Alves.

[Kevin Maness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. I even think I understood more than half of it. Maybe 80%? Nevertheless, I'm going to read it over again starting tomorrow.

I cry pretty easily these days, so perhaps it's not saying a lot to say that I sometimes read this book through tears. It's more beautiful and romantic (in the best sense of the word) than I ever would have expected.

For most of the book, even while I felt a kind of intellectual excitement, I felt a religious disappointment. I've stopped believing in the thing that was called "God" in my growing up (i.e., the first 45 years or so of my life). But I half-way keep looking for a way to start believing again. For about half this book, I thought Caputo might be offering me a path to faith. In the end, he does, but not necessarily a faith in a thing called God. Rather, he assures me that I, at my best, try to live my life in a way that is faithful to the call of the event that some people call "God" but which can be hinted at by many other names, and that's a good thing, even if it's not precisely "believing in God."

So, I don't know that I can walk away from this book telling people, "Yes, I believe in God!" But I think I can say, along with John Caputo, if only to myself, "I have undertaken to be loyal to this name, to the event that is going on in this name, to be unconditionally loyal to the unconditional, in which we live and move and have our being, which is both radically unprethinkable and radically unforeseeable."

Highly recommended, especially to one-time believers in what Christians call "God" who don't feel they fit quite as easily as they once did among good church folks, and who only say a few of the words of the scripture readings, hymns, and praise songs everyone else belts out so confidently in church, where they're not sure they should be but still are... for some reason.

[Gabriel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Repulsive.

[Brooke Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growth > Superficial Dogma

In ‘What I Believe: Lessons from Radical Theology’, the author embarks on a transformative exploration of personal faith and belief systems. This compelling read delves deep into the roots of traditional dogmas, challenging readers to question, reflect, and ultimately redefine their spiritual perspectives. Drawing from rich theological insights, the book provides a fresh lens through which one can understand and navigate the complexities of faith in today’s modern world. For anyone undergoing a journey of spiritual deconstruction or simply curious about the boundaries of belief, this book is a must-read. It prompts introspection, demands critical thinking, and encourages authentic spiritual growth.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "What to Believe", John Caputo criticizes religion as unbelievable, and presents an alternative model for how to think about God and how we ought to respond to that idea or understanding of God - even if we do not believe in the God of religion.

There's a whole lot of nonsensical muttering about the ground of being, unconditionality, deconstruction, events, ontology, axiology, and other exercises in semantics and terminology that, taken as a whole, undermine clarity for readers like me.

My (mis?)understanding of Caputo’s radical theology as described in this book:

1.. There is no Supreme Being / God of Christianity and other religions. There is something, however, that is underneath - what is really going on under the name of God - that is important. Indeed, of utmost importance to us.

2. It is our nature as loving beings. and our mortality in a finite world, that determines what God is really about for us. God, or rather what is really going on under that name, is a call we hear deep within us to live our loving nature fully, expressing that love without reservation, powerfully doing the work of that love in the world. In traditional religious terms, our love transforms us so that we transform the world, bringing about the Kingdom of God, here, on Earth, for one another.

3. The Gospel is a theological poem, and Jesus is a man whose life is described in mythic poetry so that the ultimate meaning and truth of His teaching about love and the Kingdom of God can be effectively communicated.

4. What is really happening in the Gospel is more important than miracles and resurrection - it is a dramatization of a life that responds powerfully to the call of divine love / perfected human nature.

5. Even atheists can pray, since prayer is simply our practice of paying attention. Sounds like meditation, but we also communicate / express ourselves in our contact with the ground of being about matters of utmost significance in our lives.

6. God is powerless; he works through us. His power, such as it is, amounts to a subtly nagging voice in our heads - a call that awaits our response and our action in the world to make real the promised Kingdom of God, which is socialism.

7. Even if traditional religion seems like some absurd superstition, as a human being you might be curious about what is really going on underneath all the God talk, and you might suspect that there is something of great meaning there for you too. Maybe you agree with Jesus on a thing or two. Maybe you have been impressed by the wisdom and compassion of some religious people. Maybe you think about human nature and whether there is something essentially and inherently good within us that we need to express in order to be fully human. Is there an arc to the moral universe, and what role do we play in its bending? Caputo suggests even an atheist should want to think about such things. Not to do so seems to Caputo to be as unsatisfactory as doctrinaire religiosity.

Those are my takeaways.

I’m not a fan of God-talk or Ground-of-being talk for that matter. The supernatural and mystical leave me cold and impatient. But I have a curiosity about the big picture, the long story of the universe, of life on Earth, of human biological, psychological / spiritual and cultural evolution - the trends, patterns, and direction of this history - and where all of this might lead us in some aspirational and benificent possible future (a kingdom of god without god?).

For me, this future condition of humanity is worthy of our thoughts, prayers, and devotional action. I found myself agreeing with Caputo on almost everything, and I am grateful for his book.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read seven or eight of Caputo's books, and taken a graduate-level course in his thought. He has hold of something that is deeply compelling. God haunts us. And whatever/whoever/whenever God is, there is something going on under that name that is . . . who knows? At the same time, I think I'm done with Caputo. The trouble is, as a replacement for traditional Christianity, Caputo's offering is just too complex, too rooted in philosophies of yesteryear which are themselves too tongue-tied for me to get what they are about. A good scientific theory is one that is as simple as possible. Caputo's theology (though it not be a science) just doesn't connect, in the end. I'd still recommend giving him a go, reading, "What Would Jesus Deconstruct?" and one or two more. He'll loosen your grip on the equally complex and preposterous theologies of the church. But it is looking to me like the best we can do, when it comes to God, is shrug our shoulders and say, "really?"

[Kitija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teoloģijai varbūt nevajag kabināt visus tos “radikālā”, “vājā” un ko nu Kaputo tur mēģina kabināt. Skaidrs, ka viņam ir cemme uz savu katolcismu par izteiktu dogmatismu un tāpēc kaut kā nebūt ir jāspurojas pretī.
Bet tā lielā doma, ko viņš cenšas pateikt jau ir tā ko teoloģija pārstāv. Vienkārši tā ir viņa paša cīņa ar valodu ko kristīga teoloģija pārstāv.

[Andrew Galvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

good stuff

Easy to understand. Inspiring. Useful. For those like me who will probably never read an academic theology book, this serves as an engaging introduction to radical thinking.

[Jim Vaden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A book detailing some specific, though challenging, beliefs of the radical theologian. I thank the Ground of Being (that will one day not be) for this book.

[Aaron Shileny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caputo never disappoints. Theologically and philosophically rich and beautifully written, as always.

[Bruce Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caputo and Tillich are this ex-Catholic, non theistic, atheistic leaning, religiously interested readers’ touchstones. One of Caputo’s best and there have been many.