Vito Mancuso responds to theological critiques by Antonio Staglianò

Professor Vito Mancuso has issued a formal response to criticisms made by Antonio Staglianò, President of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, regarding Mancuso’s book, ‘Gesù e Cristo’ (Garzanti, 2025).

Mancuso disputes Staglianò’s use of the term ‘ateology’ to describe his work, arguing that the term is used ambiguously to either imply an absence of theology or a discourse that denies God. Mancuso asserts that he is not an atheist but views spiritual experience as the supreme purpose of existence. He characterizes Staglianò’s critiques as a ‘regime of semantic policing,’ claiming that the President attempts to disqualify his work as theology simply because it does not conform to traditional Christian doctrine.

Furthermore, Mancuso accuses Staglianò of using various labels—such as rationalism, positivism, docetism, and gnosticism—to avoid rigorous intellectual critique and systematically distort his actual arguments.