Diogenes Allen, a scholar in the philosophy of religion and the Stuart Professor of Philosophy emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary, died on Jan. 13, 2013, at the age of 80 in hospice care in Newtown, Pa.
Allen joined the Princeton seminary faculty in 1967 as associate professor of philosophy. He became a full professor in 1974 and retired in 2002.
The son of Greek immigrants, Allen was born in Lexington, Ky., on October 17, 1932. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky in 1954, and went on to study at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. In 1965 he earned a doctorate from Yale University, writing his thesis on “Faith as a Ground for Religious Beliefs.”
Before joining the Princeton seminary faculty, Allen taught at York University in Ontario, Canada, from 1964 to 1967. He also was a visiting professor at Drew University and at the University of Notre Dame during his career.
Allen’s scholarly interests focused on the philosophy of Leibniz and Simone Weil, and on the spirituality of Simone Weil, Blaise Pascal, and George Herbert. A prolific author, he wrote more than 15 books, as well as many academic articles.
In 1959, Allen was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), serving as pastor of Windham Presbyterian Church in Windham, N.H., and later in several interim pastorates. Throughout his life, he regularly preached, taught adult education classes, and led retreats in congregations. He also published video resources and study guides to help congregations talk about topics from love and marriage to suffering and sin.
Allen was awarded the John Templeton Prize for Best Courses in Science and Religion in 1995 and the John Templeton Foundation Award in Science and Theology in 1992 and 1993.
Following his retirement, Allen became a priest associate at All Saints’ Church, an Episcopal congregation in Princeton.
Diogenes Allen is survived by his wife, a daughter, three sons and eight grandchildren. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made in his honor to the All Saints’ Church, Outreach Fund, 16 All Saints Road, Princeton, NJ 08540. There will be a memorial service at All Saints’ at a future date.
