Frederick Sontag
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Frederick Earl Sontag (October 2, 1924 – June 14, 2009Professor Fred Sontag 1924-2009
. Accessed June 16, 2009.
) was a professor of philosophy and author. He taught at
Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...
in Claremont, California from 1952 to 2009,"Frederick (Earl) Sontag". ''Contemporary Authors Online''. Gale. June 15, 2001. Retrieved on May 11, 2009. retiring shortly before his death.


Biography

Sontag served in the U.S. Army during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, becoming a sergeant. He graduated from Stanford University in 1949 with a B.A. (with great distinction), then attended
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
where he earned an M.A. in 1951 and a Ph.D. in 1952. Sontag was the Robert C. Denison Professor of Philosophy at
Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...
, where he worked from 1952 to 2009. He had also been chairman of the department (1960–67 and 1976–77) and chairman of the Committee on Honors Study (1961–70). He also served as a visiting professor at a number of institutions ( Union Theological Seminary, 1959–60, Collegio di Sant'Anselmo, Rome, 1966–67,
University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...
, 1972,
University of Kyoto , mottoeng = Freedom of academic culture , established = , type = Public (National) , endowment = ¥ 316 billion (2.4 billion USD) , faculty = 3,480 (Teaching Staff) , administrative_staff = 3,978 (Total Staff) , students = 22 ...
, 1974, and
East-West Center East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *''East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salma ...
, Honolulu, 1974). He was the theologian-in-residence at American Church in Paris in 1973 and Fulbright Regional American Professor, East Asian and Pacific Area from 1977 to 1978. His research interests were
Existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
,
Metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...
,
Philosophy of Religion Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions". Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known texts concerning ph ...
, and Philosophical Theology. Sontag was a minister in the
United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximatel ...
.Frederick E. Sontag dies at 84; Pomona College philosophy professor
''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'', June 20, 2009
He was considered an expert on the
Unification Church The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists, or " Moonies". It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Sp ...
. In the 1970s he interviewed church founder Sun Myung Moon and church members in Europe, America, and Asia while researching for a book published in 1977.Who is this Pied Piper of Religion?
''
St. Petersburg Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'', February 4, 1978
Moon: an objective look at his theology
'' Boca Raton News'', 1977-11-25
In 2000, Sontag offered to let a troubled student spend the night at his home. But as he drove the student to his dormitory to pick up some clothes, the student became agitated, drew a knife and stabbed Sontag twice. Sontag testified in the student's defense at his trial in which he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He said about the incident: "My genes lack something, I don't seem to hold grudges...I believe in restoring relationships." In a 2004 interview with ''Pomona College Magazine'', singer, actor, songwriter, and former Pomona College student
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...
mentioned Sontag as an important influence in his life. Upon his retirement from Pomona College in May 2009, Sontag was awarded the Pomona College Trustees’ Medal of Merit, as "an extraordinarily magnanimous member of this community." He died of congestive heart failure on June 14, 2009. A research fellowship fund, a gate, a theater, and a residence hall are named in his honor. Presentation of the Trustees’ Medal of Merit to Frederick Sontag
, May 17, 2009, by Stewart Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Accessed June 18, 2009.
Remarks on the Occasion of the Retirement of Frederick Sontag
, Accessed June 18, 2009.


Works

*''American Life'' ( University Press of America, 2005) *''A Kierkegaard Handbook'' (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003) ASIN: B001UVYBRG *''The Mysterious Presence: A Spiritual Odyssey'' (University Press of America, 2001) ASIN: B002A42GCE *''The Descent of Women'' (Paragon Press, 1997) *''Truth and Imagination'' (University Press of America, 1997) *''The Acts of Trinity'' (University Press of America, 1996) *''Uncertain Truth'' (University Press of America, 1995) *''Wittgenstein and the Mystical: Philosophy As an Ascetic Practice'' (An American Academy of Religion Book, 1995) *''Emotion: Its Role in Understanding and Decision (American University Studies Series V, Philosophy)'' (Peter Lang Pub Inc, 1990) *''The Elements of Philosophy'' ( Scribner, 1984) ASIN: B0028WW64G *''What can God do?'' (Abingdon Press, 1979) *'' Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church'' (
Abingdon Press Abingdon Press is the book publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House which publishes sheet music, ministerial resources, Bible-study aids, and other items, often with a focus on Methodism and Methodists. History Abingdon Press w ...
, 1977; Korean translation, Pacific Publishing Company, 1981; Japanese translation, Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc., 1977; German translation, SINUS-Verlag, Krefeld, 1981) ". *''Love Beyond Pain: Mysticism Within Christianity'' (
Paulist Press The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle ( la, Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded ...
, 1977) *''God and America's future'' (McGrath Pub. Co 1977) *''The American Religious Experience: The Roots, Trends and the Future of American Theology'', with John Roth Sontag(
Harper and Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...
, 1972) ASIN: B0026958X2 *''How Philosophy Shapes Theology: Problems in the Philosophy of Religion'' (Harper and Row, 1971) *''The Problems of Metaphysics'' (Chandler, 1970) *''God, Why Did You Do That?'' (Westminster, 1970) *''The God of Evil: An Argument from the Existence of the Devil'' (Harper, 1970) ASIN: B000X77PFI *''The Crisis of Faith: A Protestant Witness in Rome'' (Doubleday, 1969) ASIN: B0020CM7AW *''The Future of Theology: A Philosophical Basis for Contemporary Protestant Theology'' (Westminster, 1969) ASIN: B000L311VS *''The Existentialist Prolegomena: To a Future Metaphysics'' (
University of Chicago Press The University of Chicago Press is the largest and one of the oldest university presses in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including ''The Chicago Manual of Style'', ...
, 1969) George J. Stack, Book Review: ''The Existentialist Prolegomena: To a Future Metaphysics'' by Frederick Sontag, ''Man and World'', Springer Netherlands, Volume 5, Number 1 / February, 1972, pp. 124-134 *''Divine Perfection'' (Harper & Brothers, 1962) ASIN: B001TYXVVQ


See also

* American philosophy *
List of American philosophers This is a list of American philosophers; of philosophers who are either from, or spent many productive years of their lives in the United States. {, border="0" style="margin:auto;" class="toccolours" , - ! {{MediaWiki:Toc , - , style="text-al ...


References

Reference 14 is a broken link


External links


2002 Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sontag, Frederick 1924 births 2009 deaths People from Long Beach, California 20th-century American philosophers American religious writers Stanford University alumni Yale University alumni Academic staff of the University of Copenhagen Academic staff of Kyoto University Pomona College faculty Critics of the Unification Church