God is Dead, or so claimed the 1966 New York Times

[Dewey_Finn]

You’re right that the New York Times ran the headline ‘God is Dead’ (note that the headline includes the single-quotation marks), but it’s above a paragraph that reads

"The following ritual was presented during a chapel service at a small denominational college in the South. It was designed to explore in liturgical form the experience of the “death of God.” The reaction, according to a campus reporter, “ranged from tears to an new enthusiam for theology.”

This is followed by the text of the ritual. So it wasn’t the Times saying “God is dead” but instead a religious school that did so, as an exploration of theology.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@jbaker

No, that’s not at all what those posts say. Both discuss the article headlined “‘God Is Dead’ Debate Widens,” published on page 146 of the New York Times on January 9, 1966 (not January 8, as stated in Exapno Mapcase’s post).

But there were two articles published on the subject on page 146 that day. The other article actually did have the headline “‘God Is Dead.’” So it is true that the New York Times, roughly at Christmas time, said that “God Is Dead” (although the headline was itself a quotation, but that’s a subtlety that one can safely expect to be lost on the public).

My apologies. I didn’t read closely enough.

[SCSimmons]

OK, this worries me …

@Scubaqueen

…many people actually called the paper asking for confirmation.

What? Really?! What were these people expecting the Times to tell them? “Yes, this has been confirmed. Police suspect foul play; apparently, someone shot Him in Reno just to watch Him die. The funeral is next Tuesday at noon.”

[LouisB]

@jayjay

He hasn’t been returning my calls, anyway…

check with whatshisname, I think he has a direct line.