A. J. Mattill Jr.

From Philosopedia

Mattill, A. J. Jr. (1924– )

An Alabaman, Mattill received his B.A. from the University of Chicago; his B.D. from Evangelical Theological Seminary; and his Ph. D. in Biblical Studies and Theology at Vanderbilt University. He has taught at Berry College, Livingstone College, and Winebrenner Theological Seminary. His articles have appeared in The Journal of Biblical Literature, Free Inquiry, and The Catholic Biblical Quarterly. A contributing editor of The American Rationalist, he is a regular contributor to Freethought Perspective.

Mattill's works, published by Flatwoods Free Press (750 Lum Fife Road, Gordo, AL 35466), include

• A Cosmic Creed for the Coming Century
• A New Universalism for a New Century
• An Awesome Trinity: Charvaka, Celsus, Meslier
• Displaying the Decalogue
• Freethought Focus
• Ingersoll Attacks the Bible
• Jesus and the Last Things: The Story of Jesus the Suffering Servant
• Polluted Texts and Traditional Beliefs
• The Art of Reading the Bible
• The Evolution of American Universalism
• The Seven Mighty Blows to Traditional Beliefs
• Sweet Jesus: Straight-Shooting Scriptural Studies Scrutinizing the Savior (2 volumes)
• Scrutinizing the Scriptures

Mattill also translated Albert_Schweitzer’s The Problem of the Lord’s Last Supper (1982).

Originally ordained to the ministry of the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1952, Mattill transferred to Churches of God in North America in 1966, then dropped his ordination and membership to be ordained a Unitarian in 1979. In 2006, he is not a member of any church.

Mattill has described his works as “free-thought studies that seek to show the inadequacy of traditional religions and set forth the basic elements of a rational religion.”