Comments on God in a Shrinking Universe: Book Review: Theology and the Political - The New ...

Patrik,Just noticed that you are back to blogging ...

2008-06-14T19:42:00.000+03:00

Patrik,

Just noticed that you are back to blogging again. Welcome back! Good to "See" your return.

Crap. The link got cut off.http://www.electronicb...

2008-06-13T02:16:00.000+03:00

Crap. The link got cut off.

http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/endconstruction/heretical

There it is in full.

If that doesn't work, the part that got cut off in my last comment runs like this:

endconstruction/heretical

Patrik,I hate to do this, but my life (both at wor...

2008-06-13T02:14:00.000+03:00

Patrik,

I hate to do this, but my life (both at work and at home) has taken an unexpected turn into chaos, and I don't think I'm going to have the time to spell out Zizek's position in the necessary detail. However, this article -- http://www.electronicbookreview.com/thread/endconstruction/heretical -- does a pretty good job of explaining Zizek's stance on the "perverse" nature of Christianity (esp. the final section). If you have any questions after reading that, let me know, and I'll really try to follow up on this.

Speaking of H&N and Zizek, Do you know where Zizek...

2008-06-11T10:45:00.000+03:00

Speaking of H&N and Zizek, Do you know where Zizek criticises H&N? I have understood that his criticism is rather strong?

My favourite part of Hart&Negri is the "middle" part of Empire where they discuss the passage from premodern into modern and into postmodern bodies. Probably the best thing written on postmodernity I have seen so far. (at least it is the most relative to my interests).

Thanks Patrick!I've seen the Michael Hardt lecture...

2008-06-11T05:50:00.000+03:00

Thanks Patrick!

I've seen the Michael Hardt lecture to which you referred, and I'm reading Multitude at the moment.

As much as I enjoy Hardt and Negri (and that is quite a lot!), I really am suspicious of this ontological turn. It strikes me as a flight from the dominant biblical way of thinking -- i.e. eschatological thinking, which, by nature, is teleological. That said, I have found what H&N have had to say about ontology more interesting than pretty much any other I have read who has written on this subject.

I'll get back to you on Zizek tomorrow (I'm at work and don't have my sources close by).

Oh, and a thought on the constant references to Deleuze. I've always been puzzled as to why James K. A. Smith neglected Deleuze in his, otherwise rather good, Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church. Granted Lyotard had that one famous catchphrase (postmodernism understood as incredulity toward metanarratives), but Deleuze and his influence surely rank far above Lyotard (if not above both of the others as well!).

Oh and Richard, yeah, if you're not interested in ...

2008-06-10T10:53:00.000+03:00

Oh and Richard, yeah, if you're not interested in any other specific topic. There are other good essays there too, but they are good more in a pedagogical way than because of an original substance. And you do get tired of the constant referrals to Deleuze...

But the Zizek piece is great.

Sure thing, Dan.Eagleton discusses tragedy, that a...

2008-06-10T10:51:00.000+03:00

Sure thing, Dan.

Eagleton discusses tragedy, that according to Aristotle is about pity and fear for/of the other. However, a proper tragedy like Oedipus, turns this on its head and shows us that what we pity and fear is ourselves. The West do not "get" tragedy: "It cannot recognize its own visage in the raging fury at its gates". Eagleton discusses how the central concepts of tragedy (scapegoats, sacrifice, hubris etc.) are at the heart of political discourse. Its a fine text, not very theological, but has some interesting insights.

Negri seeks to answer this question: "Can one provide an ontology of the political subject outside of all teleology within the postmodern conditions of absolute immanence". In other words, how can the "multitude" function as a political subject without becoming a collective like the "people" or the "masses". Much like in his and Hardt's book "Multitude" the solution is to start from poverty, because the poor stays withing the "bios" since they hav no alternative. Its a fairly short piece that does not contribute very much new insights as far as I can see. (There is an online lecture (youtube) by Micahel Hardt on love that addresses the same question that is quite interesting BTW)

I'd be curious to hear more about the contribution...

2008-06-10T03:25:00.000+03:00

I'd be curious to hear more about the contributions by Eagleton and Negri. How 'bout we make a deal? You write a few lines about those essays, and I'll comment on why Zizek finds Christianity to be "perverse".

I have the book on my 'to read' shelf, if i read y...

2008-06-09T21:30:00.000+03:00

I have the book on my 'to read' shelf, if i read you right I should only bother with the ostensibly Christian authors + Zizek?

is he referring to these types of stories: http://...

2008-06-09T14:47:00.000+03:00

is he referring to these types of stories: http://isaalmasih.net/isa/dreamsofisa.html ?