Don Cupitt

Don Cupitt (1934-present) is a British theologian and philosopher who served as Dean of Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 1966 to 1991. A radical theologian associated with the Sea of Faith movement, Cupitt developed a non-realist interpretation of Christianity that rejects metaphysical claims about God's objective existence. His influential works include Taking Leave of God (1980) and The Sea of Faith (1984), which argue that religious language should be understood as expressing human values and aspirations rather than describing supernatural realities. Cupitt advocates for a thoroughly naturalistic Christianity where God is viewed as a human construct that serves ethical and spiritual functions. His post-theistic philosophy combines elements of Buddhist thought, continental philosophy, and linguistic analysis to reimagine religion as a purely human creation. Though controversial, his work has significantly influenced contemporary debates about religious naturalism and the possibility of religion without metaphysical commitments.