I am reading this book at present it is written in a most engaging style and takes you right into the life not only of Oden but also of the theological debates of the past 60 years. But the book also describes his boyhood and his family life. Oden was to become a “centrist-Bultmannian” (his term) and was advocating a form of situation ethics. He was involved in political action of a leftist character. I find it interesting to find so many of the authors that I read in the sixties when I was involved in political campaigning mentioned on these pages.

But Oden was to have a confrontation that changed his theology and indeed his relationship to God, his whole perspective changed as he read the Church Fathers, he now is a defender of classic Christian theology and defends the historicity of the incarnation and the resurrection. Oden’s writings have stimulated an interest in the Ancient Christian Community and I believe many are like me and have shown a greater interest in the Church Fathers as a result of this.

I believe this quotation shows the heart of what Oden believes,

“Theology is the study of God. The study of God is simply to be enjoyed for its own incomparable subject, the One most beautiful, most worthy to be praised. Life with God delights in its very acts of thinking,reading, praying and communing with the One most worthy to be beheld, pondered and studied,not for its written artifacts or social consequences but for joy in its object”

One cannot say more than that.

I hope this book gets a wide readership, all who read it will gain insights into the life of a great man who serves with humility our great and glorious God.

I will edit this post when I have finished reading the book but I felt it was too good to wait until I had concluded reading it.