Wittgenstein And Theology

Somebody asked me why I consider the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein to be of major importance. In theology, his influence has been huge. His thinking on "forms of life" is the basis for neo-liberalism or narrative theology. He changed the face of the Church, in North America in particular. Christianity has always had the problem that any historical religion does, of grounding itself. After Wittgenstein, forms of life were said to do that. One could now throw away the traditional problems of a historical religion. One of the major effects of such thinking is that becoming a Christian, for many, has shifted from conversion, to assimilation into a form of life. Or to put it another way, instead of an encounter with God, it becomes enculturation. OBSERVATION: In my Metaphysical Notes, which I wrote for the Society, I tackle the problem in Part XVII. I take a different approach.