On Being a Christian

Hans Kung

Hans Küng is a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author. Since 1995 he has been President of the Foundation for a Global Ethic. He is notable for his rejection of the doctrine of papal infallibility

John Saxbee: Hans Küng argues that, not withstanding Christianity’s pre-modern origins, it is possible to be a Christian in the modern world. This is probably his most influ ential book: his sympathetic approach to current doctrinal dilemmas helped many Vatican II-type Roman Catholics — and others — to keep the faith.

Malcolm Guite: I really don’t like Hans Kung’s On Being a Christian. I think it’s very self-important. There’s lots of good things in it, but what got to me, there was a bit where … he says, ‘Christianity is’ – long paragraph by Kung – and not, this ‘shrunken’ gesture that old women make at the doors of churches. And I thought, ‘How dare you.’