The publication of The Secular City in 1965 established Harvey Cox as a central figure in 20th-century religious thought, with the book selling over one million copies. Born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, in 1929 and raised in Malvern, he transitioned from a brief period in the US Merchant Marine into a long career as a theologian and educator.
Academic Formation and Early Ministry
Cox graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951 with a degree in history. He pursued his theological training at Yale Divinity School, earning a Bachelor of Divinity in 1955. Ordained as an American Baptist minister in 1957, he later completed his Doctor of Philosophy in the history and philosophy of religion at Harvard University in 1963.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →The Secular City and Theological Evolution
In his landmark 1965 work, Cox argued that the church should function as a community of faith and action rather than a rigid institution. He posited that divinity was as present in secular life as in religious realms. He expanded his philosophical inquiries in later volumes, including The Feast of Fools in 1969 and The Seduction of the Spirit in 1973, reflecting on his own upbringing and evolving religious perspectives.
Harvard Career and Global Perspectives
Beginning his teaching career at Andover Newton Theological School, Cox joined the faculty at Harvard Divinity School in 1965, becoming a full professor by 1969. He eventually held the Hollis Chair of Divinity. His research spanned liberation theology in Latin America, the rise of global Pentecostalism, and interfaith dialogue, particularly regarding the Christian encounter with other world religions.
Retirement and Later Works
Upon his retirement in 2009, Cox published The Future of Faith, which characterized the history of Christianity as a transition through the Age of Faith, the Age of Belief, and finally the Age of the Spirit. His later scholarly contributions include How to Read the Bible in 2015 and The Market as God in 2016, where he analyzed economic structures through a theological framework.
Fast facts
- Born: 19 May 1929, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
- Nationality: United States
- Religion: Baptists
- Alma Mater: University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Harvard University
- Notable Position: Hollis Chair of Divinity, Harvard University
- Awards: Honorary doctor of the Humboldt University of Berlin (2011)
- Professional Membership: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Questions readers ask
What is the primary thesis of The Secular City?
It argues that the church should be a community of action engaged in social change, rather than an insular institution.
What subjects did Harvey Cox research at Harvard Divinity School?
His work focused on world Christianity, liberation theology, Pentecostal spirituality, and interfaith relations.
Achievements
- Held posts at Harvard University
- Fields: religious studies
