It is co-authored by Slavoj Zizek and John Milbank. Actually, it's not so much co-authored by them, as they both have essays in which they attack the other. Here's the product description:
"In this corner, philosopher Slavoj Žižek, who represents the critical-materialist stance against religion's illusions; in the other corner, "radical orthodox" theologian John Milbank, an influential and provocative thinker who argues that theology is the only foundation upon which knowledge, politics, and ethics can stand. In The Monstrosity of Christ, Žižek and Milbank go head to head for three rounds, employing an impressive arsenal of moves to advance their positions and press their respective advantages. By the closing bell, they have proven themselves worthy adversaries--and have also shown that faith and reason are not simply and intractably opposed.
Žižek has long been interested in the emancipatory potential offered by Christian theology. And Milbank, seeing global capitalism as the new century's greatest ethical challenge, has pushed his own ontology in more political and materialist directions. Their debate in The Monstrosity of Christ concerns nothing less than the future of religion, secularity, and political hope in light of a monsterful event—God becoming human. For the first time since Žižek's turn toward theology, we have a true debate between an atheist and a theologian about the very meaning of theology, Christ, the Church, the Holy Ghost, universality, and the foundations of logic. The result goes far beyond the popularized atheist/theist point/counterpoint of recent books by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and others.
Žižek begins, and Milbank answers, countering dialectics with "paradox." The debate centers on the nature of and relation between paradox and parallax, between analogy and dialectics, between transcendent glory and liberation."
I may post some reflections, but don't count on it - you know what I'm like. And if you're wondering what on earth this book has to do with anything like the real Christianity lived by people who go to church - you're right, it doesn't. But it does have an affect on the broader issues of politics and religion, and will be a book that 'trickles' down, being debated in the academy, taught in the seminaries, preached in the pulpit, and finally lived by the people - but not in any form recognisable in the book.
1 comment:
obert, this sounds interesting but there is a much more profound book you should read this year and every year into the future to keep you sweetly in tune as you read the book of books, and that is God's Plan and Paul's Vision by Tom Wright. He is profound in weaving together the key biblical themes that make up the narrative story of redemption. He also radically challenges the narrow methodology used by the Evangelical Church to slice, dice and rearrange its theological peaces to fit it's preferred and elevated doctrinal essentials. He has put most eloquently in words what I have been thinking and formulating for the past eight years. Outstanding.
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