David Bentley Hart

David Bentley Hart (born February 20, 1965) is an American philosopher, theologian, essayist, cultural commentator, fiction author, and religious studies scholar. He is the author of twenty-four books (including translations), as well as over one thousand essays, reviews, and papers. From a predominantly Anglican family background, Hart became Eastern Orthodox when he was twenty-one. His academic works focus on Christian metaphysics, philosophy of mind, Indian and East Asian religion, Asian languages, classics, and literature as well as a New Testament translation. Books with wider audiences include The Doors of the Sea, Atheist Delusions, That All Shall Be Saved, Roland in Moonlight, and All Things Are Full of Gods.

Born and raised in Maryland, Hart regularly references his family roots and the Baltimore Orioles in his writing. Hart graduated with a BA in interdisciplinary study from the University of Maryland, completed an MPhil in theology at Cambridge University, and then a PhD in religious studies at the University of Virginia. Hart received the Templeton Fellowship at the University of Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study in 2015.

Hart’s translation of the New Testament was published in 2017 with a second edition in 2023. Five of his books have received awards or book of the year recognitions. Hart has written essays on diverse topics such as art, baseball, literature, consciousness, the problem of evil, apokatastasis, theosis, fairies, film, and politics. Hart maintains a subscription newsletter called Leaves in the Wind that features original essays and conversations with other thinkers.

wikipedia/en/David%20Bentley%20Hart

In his book, “The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss”, David Bentley Hart argues that God is not merely a being among other beings, but rather the ultimate source and ground of all reality, what he terms “Being itself”. He critiques both atheistic materialism and religious fundamentalism, emphasizing the importance of understanding God within the context of metaphysical and experiential traditions. [wikipedia/en/The_Experience_of_God:_Being,_Consciousness,_Bliss, 2]

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

God as Being Itself: Hart rejects the idea of God as a finite entity, instead defining God as the infinite, transcendent source from which all existence flows. [wikipedia/en/The_Experience_of_God:_Being,_Consciousness,_Bliss, 2]
Critique of Atheism: He challenges the “new atheists,” arguing their critiques of God are based on a misunderstanding of the concept of God, often equating it with a lesser, finite being. [wikipedia/en/The_Experience_of_God:_Being,_Consciousness,_Bliss]
Critique of Fundamentalism: Hart also critiques religious fundamentalism, specifically biblical literalism and young earth creationism, arguing they misrepresent the nature of God and faith. [wikipedia/en/The_Experience_of_God:_Being,_Consciousness,_Bliss]
Metaphysical Approach: The book explores God through three key concepts: being, consciousness, and bliss, drawing on both Western and Eastern philosophical and religious traditions according to SoBrief. [2, youtube/v=mt9HSQZMQYM]
Beyond Religious Traditions: Hart’s argument isn’t limited to Christian theology; he finds resonance with the concept of God as being, consciousness, and bliss in various traditions like Sufism and the writings of Augustine. [2, youtube/v=mt9HSQZMQYM]
Experience as Evidence: Hart suggests that our fundamental experiences of reality, including our experience of being, consciousness, and the pursuit of bliss, point towards the reality of God. [2, 4]
Incoherence of Naturalism: He argues that naturalism, the view that only natural laws and forces exist, is an incoherent concept and ultimately a form of magical thinking. [youtube/v=mt9HSQZMQYM, 5]