Now available for purchase is Timothy Stanley’s Protestant Metaphysics after Karl Barth and Martin Heidegger, released in the Veritas series by SCM Press in conjunction with the Centre of Theology and Philosophy.

From the author’s website:

What is the relationship between Martin Heidegger’s critique of metaphysical theology and Karl Barth’s? Or, more broadly, what is the relationship between the Greek metaphysical tradition and Protestant Christianity? My research challenges both an oversimplified conflation of Barth and Heidegger’s thought as well as the pretense that an (a)theist philosopher and dogmatic theologian have nothing to say to each other. The result of this juxtaposition of philosophical and theological aspects of Barth and Heidegger’s work is a clear articulation of two different Protestant attitudes towards metaphysics. Whereas Heidegger interpreted Luther in a way which ultimately led to a divorce between metaphysics and theology, Barth saw Luther as the progenitor of a non-foundationalist affirmation of the being of God. In either case the boundaries between theology and philosophy were radically reconfigured in a way which continues to dominate both disciplines to this day.

Below are the blurbs for Stanley’s book:

‘This is an impressive work. Stanley not only forges new ways of thinking about Protestant ontology in relation to Postmodernism, but advances the discussion of Heidegger’s relation to Luther and Barth’s use of Anselm to develop a truly theological ontology. Highly recommended, especially, for courses in twentieth-century theology.’

— William Dyrness, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA

‘Elegantly written and argued, this book by Timothy Stanley offers us a bold and exciting re-reading of the heritage of Karl Barth, who is here proposed a profound countervalence to the ‘postmodern’ realization of Protestant metaphysics in Martin Heidegger. In so doing Stanley unsettles more than a few of our settled lucidities concerning not least the status of ‘ontology’ in Barth’s thought. This book proves the vitality of Barth beyond the old pro et contra that would squeeze the great Swiss theologian into the confines of some predetermined ‘Barthianism’.’

— Aaron Riches, Centre of Theology and Philosophy, University of Nottingham, UK

‘In this crisply written, thought-provoking book Timothy Stanley offers the reader a penetrating study of the problem of theological ontology and onto-theology in the thought of Barth and Heidegger, as well as an insightful discussion of the significance of these two thinkers’ insights for Protestant theology today. Particularly impressive is the way Stanley uncovers the Protestant elements of Heidegger’s thought and his exploration of how Barth attempts to root metaphysics in the being of the Trinitarian God. This impressive and imaginative book will be essential reading for anyone engaged in thinking through the possibility of a post-ontological, postmodern theology after Barth and Heidegger.’

— David R. Law, University of Manchester, UK

‘For better or worse twentieth century Continental philosophy and Protestant theology were dominated by Heidegger and Barth respectively, and each remains the focus of lively discussion: admirers and adversaries have always been wary of relating these two apparently incompatible narratives of human destiny to one another until now: providing compact and very fair accounts of each, Timothy Stanley goes on to make comparisons between the two which cast unexpected new light on Heidegger’s atheism and Barth’s Christian faith.’

— Fergus Kerr, Honorary Fellow in Divinity, University of Edinburgh

Timothy Stanley is a Postdoctoral Fellow in Christianity and Contemporary Culture at the University of Manchester, UK. Protestant Metaphysics after Karl Barth and Martin Heidegger may be purchased here.