Arthur Prior - A 'Young Progressive': Letters to Ursula Bethell and to Hugh Teague 1936–1941

Arthur Prior (1914–69) is regarded as New Zealand’s greatest 20th-century philosopher. Until World War II, Prior seriously considered a career as a religious journalist, especially when traveling and living on the Continent and in England with his first wife. During these years, Prior wrote widely on theology and contemporary Christianity. In his correspondence with Ursula Bethell and Hugh Teague, Prior discusses in detail his religious and theological thoughts, including his shift from formal theological study into a world of journalism and philosophy.

These previously unknown letters, which cover the years from 1936 to 1941, chronicle a substantial part of a fascinating period in Prior’s development, both theologically and philosophically, and have been transcribed and annotated for this volume.

A leading early Prior scholar, Mike Grimshaw (PhD Otago) is associate professor in sociology at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.