Christ in Postmodern Philosophy: Gianni Vattimo, Rene Girard, and Slavoj Zizek

Description

In the wake of Heidegger's announcement of the end of onto-theology and inspired by both Levinas and Derrida, many contemporary continental philosophers of religion search for a post-metaphysical God, a God who is often characterized as tout autre, wholly other. Christ in Postmodern Philosophy investigates the Christological ideas of three contemporary thinkers, Gianni Vattimo, Rene Girard and Slavoj Zizek. In doing so, Frederiek Depoortere focuses on the relation between transcendence and the event of the Incarnation on the one hand, and the uniqueness of Christianity on the other.

Dr Frederiek Depoortere is a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) at the Faculty of Theology, K.U.Leuven (Belgium) and a member of the research group 'Theology in a Postmodern Context'.

Some of Europe's top philosophers of religion put forward great new ideas based on the works of Levinas, Derrida, Lacan, Kant and others, to explore divergent philosophical concepts around Christology, incarnation and the uniqueness of Christ, and therefore Christianity, in a very different way. * Publishing News, 2008 * Mention -Chronicle of Higher Education, March 13, 2009 The book lucidly fulfils its dual aims, articulating the prospects for an understanding of the Incarnation that does not divest or empty the doctrine of the Trinity whilst using the postmodern philosophers as grist on the question of the particularly Christian faith. In addition to the well-referenced, cogently-structured main project, Depoortere has furnished us with a set of beginning guides on some of the religious coordinates of three important, thought contested, social theorists. * Theological Book Review, Vol. 21, No.2 * Christ in Postmodern Philosophy not only serves as an excellent primer for those who might be relatively new to the conversation about Christ in contemporary continental though, but also offers a set of insights and intuitions which will prove fruitful for further reflection upon Christ's uniqueness. * The Thomist * Both titles are examples of academically yet clear and readable studies. * Bijdragen, International Journal in Philosophy and Theology 71 (1) * Depoortere... is to be congratulated on a concise and clear introduction to the thought of three important contemporary thinkers, Vattimo, Girard and Zizek. * Journal of Reformed Theology 4 *