Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. has released a promotional sampler for Conor Cunningham’s Darwin’s Pious Idea: Why the Ultra-Darwinists and Creationists Both Get It Wrong. The packet includes advanced praise for the book as well as the acknowledgements and introduction to the book itself. Additionally, there is an expanded table of contents which may be found below.

• Darwin’s Pious Idea – Sampler
• Darwin’s Pious Idea – Expanded Table of Contents

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.

Below is a sampling of endorsements. (Remaining blurbs can be found here.)

“This work of stunning scientific erudition and critical insight differs from the common polemics with Dawkins’ and Dennett’s theories which, while accepting their extreme Neo-Darwinist thesis, isolate it from their atheist conclusions. Professor Cunningham shows on a wealth of scientific and philosophical evidence how vulnerable the thesis is that lies at the root of those conclusions and how its genetic one-sidedness undermines the ground of Darwin’s evolutionary biology.”

Louis Dupré — Yale University

“Writing with engaging humor that betrays an extraordinary energetic intelligence, Conor Cunningham shows us why, given the Christian God, an evolutionary account of life is necessary. In the process he negotiates the philosophical controversies intrinsic to evolutionary science in a manner that illumines how some of the implications of that science mimic Christian heresies. This theological account of creation, I believe, will become a classic.”

Stanley Hauerwas — Duke University

“This is an excellent book! Very well informed and written in an accessible style, it will be easily understood by lay readers, especially thanks to the beautiful, simple examples, stories, and quotations that Cunningham employs. In addition, his interpretation of genetic science is faultless. I learned a great deal from this book!”

Michel Morange — Center for the Study of the History of Science, École Normale Supérieure, Paris

“Conor Cunningham established his reputation with the original and profound Genealogy of Nihilism. In recent years a handful of ‘sand-box’ atheists, prominent in the media, have invoked Darwin and evolution when defending their positions. In this sparkling yet rigorous book Cunningham deals with the philosophical dimensions and theological implications of evolutionary theory. Anyone who longs for this debate to be taken to a proper, intellectually challenging level needs to read Cunningham.”

Ken Surin — Duke University

“The last couple of decades have witnessed a dismal and hopelessly polarized confrontation between literalist Christians and equally fundamentalist ultra-Darwinians. Darwin would have been appalled. Here at last is a judicious and fascinating book that elegantly shows the artificiality of this mutually debilitating conflict, and tells us a lot about both evolution and belief in the bargain.”

Ian Tattersall — American Museum of Natural History, New York

“This book attempts to connect the debate about the nature of Darwinian evolution to the Christian theology of creation. The latter is often implicitly invoked — as, for instance, when the claim is made that Darwin has shown that God cannot exist — but rarely clearly discussed. Cunningham shows that the picture of God as the great Designer of artifacts, espoused by Paley and common to both ultra-Darwinians and Creationists, is profoundly at odds with Christianity. The battle between these last two is another of those incidents foreseen by Arnold in his ‘Dover Beach,’ where ‘ignorant armies clash by night.’ ”

Charles Taylor — McGill University, author of A Secular Age

“Even those sympathetic to the recent wave of evolutionary attacks on religion cannot help feeling that something is missing there: Dawkins and company lack a minimum of understanding of what religion is about, of how it works. Cunningham’s book is thus obligatory reading for all interested in this topic: while fully endorsing the scientific validity of Darwinism, it clearly brings to light its limitations in understanding not only religion but also our human predicament. A book like Cunningham’s is needed like simple bread in our confused times.”

Slavoj Žižek

“In this magnum opus Cunningham steadily pushes ultra-Darwinism and reductionist materialism for their self-undermining inconsistencies, in extremes neither permitting enough logic for understanding life. Exposing these sciences turned into scientism, he then embraces, complementary to the sciences, a deeply Christian account of creation, of both nature and human life enriched in encounter with Christ. A provocative, moving, and stimulating account.”

Holmes Rolston III — Colorado State University

Click on the following links to to see the book description, remaining blurbs, and author description.

This volume contains essays by Stanley Hauerwas, Oliver O’Donovan, Alessandra Gerolin, John Milbank, Joan Lockwood O’Donovan, Adrian Pabst, Johannes Hoff, Richard H. Bell, Christopher Ben Simpson, Graham Ward, Cyril O’Regan, James Williams, François Laruelle, Stratford Caldecott, Tracey Rowland, Phil Gorski, Fergus Kerr, Jeff Olsen Biebighauser, Lydia Schumacher, Alison Milbank, Quentin Meillassoux, and Peter M. Candler, Jr.

Link to purchase in the U.K. | Link to purchase in the U.S.A.

Five new books are forthcoming in the Veritas series in 2010, to be published by SCM Press in association with the Centre of Theology and Philosophy:

1. The Grandeur of Reason: Religion, Tradition and Universalism, edited by Peter M. Candler Jr. and Conor Cunningham
2. Phenomenology and the Holy: Religious Experience after Husserl, by Espen Dahl
3. Languishing Perfection: The Emergence and Distortion of the Christian Telos, by Anthony D. Baker
4. Protestant Metaphysics after Karl Barth and Martin Heidegger, by Timothy Stanley
5. The Truth is the Way: Kierkegaard’s Theologia Viatorum, by Christopher Ben Simpson (cover not yet pictured)

Click the book covers pictured above to see larger versions of each.

The neoliberal project in the West has created an increasingly polarized and impoverished world, to the point that the vast majority of its citizens require liberation from their present socioeconomic circumstances. The marxist theorist Kenneth Surin contends that innovation and change at the level of the political must occur in order to achieve this liberation, and for this endeavor marxist theory and philosophy are indispensable. In Freedom Not Yet, Surin analyzes the nature of our current global economic system, particularly with regard to the plight of less developed countries, and he discusses the possibilities of creating new political subjects necessary to establish and sustain a liberated world.

Surin begins by examining the current regime of accumulation—the global domination of financial markets over traditional industrial economies—which is used as an instrument for the subordination and dependency of poorer nations. He then moves to the constitution of subjectivity, or the way humans are produced as social beings, which he casts as the key arena in which struggles against dispossession occur. Surin critically engages with the major philosophical positions that have been posed as models of liberation, including Derrida’s notion of reciprocity between a subject and its other, a reinvigorated militancy in political reorientation based on the thinking of Badiou and Zizek, the nomad politics of Deleuze and Guattari, and the politics of the multitude suggested by Hardt and Negri. Finally, Surin specifies the material conditions needed for liberation from the economic, political, and social failures of our current system. Seeking to illuminate a route to a better life for the world’s poorer populations, Surin investigates the philosophical possibilities for a marxist or neo-marxist concept of liberation from capitalist exploitation and the regimes of power that support it.

Praise for the book:

“Freedom Not Yet is a stunning, mature, and major work. It provides a unique combination of strong empirical research and significant theoretical sophistication. Kenneth Surin is after a workable model for revolution within the broad frame of the marxist tradition, and he provides significant engagements with approaches including identity, subjectivity (Derrida), event (Badiou), nomadology (Deleuze and Guattari), and transcendence (Radical Orthodoxy), cutting through each with a sure hand. This book will be at the center of discussions for a long time to come.”—Roland Boer, author of Political Myth: On the Use and Abuse of Biblical Themes

“Freedom Not Yet will interest all those seeking alternatives to the present system of capitalist political and financial control.”—Paul Patton, author of Deleuze and the Political

The book is now available in the U.S., and will be available in the UK and worldwide on 25 February 2010.

Details:

The publication of the book Jesus of Nazareth on 16 April 2007 was an unprecedented event: never before had a reigning Pope published personal reflections on Jesus. Benedict XVI’s book engages not just with New Testament scholarship but also with fundamental methodological questions related to historical criticism.

The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth provides essays by some of the leading scholars in Britain, continental Europe and the USA to highlight the insights and limits of the Pope’s reflection on Jesus. Specifically, it engages with the book from critical, cross-disciplinary and different faith perspectives.

Contributors include: Richard Bell, Markus Bockmuehl, Peter Casarella, Roland Deines, Henri-Jérôme Gagey, Richard B. Hays, Fergus Kerr OP, Francisco Javier Martínez, John Milbank, R. W. L. Moberly, George Dennis O’Brien, Angus Paddison, Adele Reinhartz, Mona Siddiqui, and Olivier-Thomas Venard OP.

Endorsements previously mentioned here.

Additionally, out last month is a volume entitled Divine Transcendence and Immanence in the Work of Thomas Aquinas, a collection of studies presented at the Third Conference of the Thomas Instituut te Utrecht, 15-17 December 2005. Edited by Harm Goris, Herwi Rikhof, and Henk Schoot, this volume contains essays by CoTP members Rudi te Velde, Harm Goris, and Conor Cunningham. The full table of contents may be found here.

Collection description:

The terms ‘transcendence’ and ‘immanence’ are often used casually and as self-evident. The spatial imagery contained in their meaning determines the way they are understood and used: as opposites, like ‘there’ and ‘here’. As a consequence, the two concepts are seen as mutually exclusive when applied to God’s being and to his activity and presence in our world and in our history. This view on the relationship between God and world is characteristic not only of deism and pantheism, but also of theism.

However, in the view of Thomas Aquinas, such an opposition cannot adequately capture the central tenets of the Christian faith. This book explores Aquinas’ thought on transcendence and immanence in his discussions of creation, analogy, the Trinity, grace and Christ, and offers interpretations in which God’s transcendence and his immanence do not exclude but imply one another.

• The Theology of Money (paperback), by Philip Goodchild (special sale price £13.50)
• Transcendence and Phenomenology (paperback), eds. Peter M. Candler, Jr. and Conor Cunningham (special sale price: £28.00)
• Belief and Metaphysics (paperback), eds. Peter M. Candler, Jr. and Conor Cunningham (special sale price: £28.00)
• Tayloring Reformed Epistemology: Charles Taylor, Alvin Plantinga and the de jure Challenge to Christian Belief (paperback), by Deane-Peter Baker (special sale price: £9.50)
• Theology, Psychoanalysis and Trauma (paperback), by Marcus Pound (special sale price: £10.00)

Details:

The publication of the book Jesus of Nazareth on 16 April 2007 was an unprecedented event: never before had a reigning Pope published personal reflections on Jesus. Benedict XVI’s book engages not just with New Testament scholarship but also with fundamental methodological questions related to historical criticism.

The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth provides essays by some of the leading scholars in Britain, continental Europe and the USA to highlight the insights and limits of the Pope’s reflection on Jesus. Specifically, it engages with the book from critical, cross-disciplinary and different faith perspectives.

Contributors include: John Milbank, Henri-Jérôme Gagey, Francisco Javier Martínez, Fergus Kerr OP, Richard B. Hays, Markus Bockmuehl, Adele Reinhartz, Mona Siddiqui, Peter Casarella, R. W. L. Moberly, Olivier-Thomas Venard OP, Richard Bell, Angus Paddison, Roland Deines, and George Dennis O’Brien.

Endorsements:

“This book is an important response, sympathetic but not uncritical, to Pope Benedict’s appeal to trust the evangelists’ portrayal of Jesus. Whether or not Benedict’s argument is successful, the problem he addresses – the modern divide between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith – is a real one. Contributors to this volume rightly recognize this, and show how the debate can be taken forward.” — Francis Watson, Chair of Biblical Interpretation, University of Durham

“Pope Benedict hoped that his book Jesus of Nazareth would provoke an intelligent debate about what it means to be disciples of Jesus today. This book’s collection of articles, some of exceptional distinction, more than fulfils that hope. Many of them bring fresh light to bear on one of the most important questions which theology faces today, the relationship between modern biblical scholarship and faith in the Risen Lord. Wonderful!” — Timothy Radcliffe OP, Master of the Order of Preachers from 1992-2001

“This is an exciting collection of essays written by an outstanding group of international biblical scholars and systematic theologians. They creatively and resourcefully interact with Pope Benedict XVI’s book, Jesus of Nazareth, allowing the reader to obtain greater insight into and appreciation of Pope Benedict’s thought. Moreover, through their dialogue with Pope Benedict’s work, these authors also make their own individual outstanding scholarly contributions to the study of Christ.” — Thomas G. Weinandy, O.F.M., Cap.,
Executive Director for the Secretariat for Doctrine,
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC

“A rich and articulate inquiry into the Pope’s thought and his reflections on Jesus. This book takes up Benedict XVI’s invitation to overcome the unwarranted dualism between reason and Revelation, between the Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith, and to rediscover the essence of the Christian event – God made man – the inexhaustible spring of an adequate theological and exegetical method. Those essays on the Holy Father’s hermeneutical perspective which are critical also help the deepening of knowledge.” — H.E. Angelo Cardinal Scola, Patriarch of Venice

The first is for a volume just-released: J. P. Moreland’s The Recalcitrant Imago Dei: Human Persons and the Failure of Naturalism.

[Order UK] [Order US]

Endorsements:

“J. P. Moreland’s new book is a tour de force. In six clear, concise and tightly-argued chapters, he raises profound objections to the attempts of modern naturalistic philosophers to accommodate human consciousness, free will, rationality, selfhood and morality within a purely physical world-view. He thereby significantly enhances the intellectual appeal of a theistic alternative. All open-minded metaphysicians, philosophers of mind and philosophical theologians should read this book.” — E. J. Lowe, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University

“J.P. Moreland’s book is a masterpiece of clear, compelling, accessible arguments against naturalism, and a powerful defense of a Christian understanding of persons. This should be required reading for anyone interested in the philosophy of human nature and the debate between theism and naturalism today.” — Charles Taliaferro, St Olaf Collage

“The Recalcitrant Imago Dei is a wonderful read. Chapter by chapter, Moreland systematically sets forth how naturalism denies what is so obvious about ourselves, which is that we are conscious, rational souls that have the power to make undetermined choices for purposes. The power of the book lies in the way that it makes clear how human beings become unrecognizable once naturalism has worked them over. Through page after page of careful argument, Moreland shows all of us how deeply unnatural the naturalist account of ourselves is.” — Stewart Goetz, St Ursinus College

“Materialistic naturalism has, for some years, been the received wisdom in philosophy, as well as amongst much of the educated public. Many serious philosophical arguments have been brought against this ideology, but usually in a series of separate controversies. J.P. Moreland’s great service is to bring all these objections together, whilst adding his own original contributions, in a very effective anti-naturalist polemic. He shows us that the materialist world picture cannot accommodate the most basic phenomena of human life: It has no place for consciousness, free will, rationality, the human subject or any kind of intrinsic value. Materialism does not disprove these human realities, it is simply incapable of accounting for them in any remotely plausible way. I would add to the list of its failures that naturalism lacks even a coherent account of the physical world itself. Moreland makes a very good case for saying that, as a serious world view, naturalism is a non-starter: more traditional, theistic
philosophies fare much better in the face both of the phenomena and of argument.” — Howard Robinson, University Professor in Philosophy, Central European
University, Budapest

The next two are for this year’s forthcoming edited conference volumes:

The Pope and Jesus of Nazareth, edited by Angus Paddison and Adrian Pabst; and The Grandeur of Reason: Religion, Tradition, and Universalism, edited by Peter M. Candler Jr. and Conor Cunningham. Further information on these volumes is forthcoming.

The Theology of Food: Eating and the Eucharist, by Angel F. Méndez Montoya, published in the Illuminations series.

The links between religion and food have been known for centuries, and yet we rarely examine or understand the nature of the relationship between food and spirituality, or food and sin. Drawing on literature, politics, and philosophy as well as theology, this book unlocks the role food has played, and shows religion in a new and illuminating light.

• A fascinating book tracing the centuries-old links between theology and food, showing religion in a new and intriguing light

• Draws on examples from different religions: the significance of the apple in the Christian Bible and the eating of bread as the body of Christ; the eating and fasting around Ramadan for Muslims; and how the dietary laws of Judaism are designed to create an awareness of living in the time and space of the Torah

• Explores ideas from the fields of literature, politics, and philosophy, as well as theology

• Takes seriously the idea that food matters, and that the many aspects of eating – table fellowship, culinary traditions, the aesthetic, ethical and political dimensions of food – are important and complex, and throw light on both religion and our relationship to food

Read the first chapter online here.

Fantasy that lights up the real world, a review of Alison Milbank’s Chesterton and Tolkien as Theologians: The fantasy of the real, by Andrew Davison

The Catholic Fantastic of Chesterton and Tolkien, a review of Alison Milbank’s Chesterton and Tolkien as Theologians: The fantasy of the real, by Ralph C. Wood

Money and Credit, Theologically Speaking, a review of Philip Goodchild’s Theology of Money, by Clayton Crockett

The End and Return of Metaphysics, reviews of Transcendence and Phenomenology and Belief and Metaphysics, by Jason Wardley, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh (PDF may be downloaded here)

Review of Transcendence and Phenomenology, by Daniel B. Gallagher, Sacred Heart Major Seminary

Primate who fought his corner, a review of Alan Ford’s James Ussher: Theology, history and politics in early-modern Ireland and England, by Judith Maltby

Nicholas Keene (2008). James Ussher: Theology, history, and politics in early-modern Ireland and England. By Alan Ford. Pp. xi+315. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. £55. 978 0 19 927444 4. The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 59, pp 350-352, another review (link, requires subscription)

The Centre of Theology and Philosophy, along with Eerdmans Press is happy to announce two forthcoming volumes in the Interventions series: Naturalism, co-authored by Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro, Heidegger: A (Very) Critical Introduction, by Sean J. McGrath, and Žižek: A (Very) Critical Introduction, by Marcus Pound.

Click on the names below to read blurbs for Naturalism

John F. Haught, Georgetown University

“This compact study makes a significant contribution
to the question of whether, in an age of science, reasonable people need
to resign themselves to a naturalistic understanding of the world. Is the
intellectually respected assumption that ‘nature is all there is’
intellectually coherent? In this ‘intervention’ Goetz and Taliaferro
provide a readable, critical response to this important question.”

John Milbank, University of Nottingham

“Demonstrates with succinctness, brilliance, and
precision that modern Anglo-Saxon naturalists are not rationalists but . . .
are, in fact, the enemies of reason, which can only have any reality if the
physical world has a spiritual, rational source.”

Robert P. George, Princeton University

“More than a few people seem to regard it as a mark of
sophistication to hold that nothing exists that transcends the natural
order. But, as Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro show in their splendid
new book, ‘naturalism’ is anything but a sophisticated view of reality.
Under rigorous philosophical scrutiny, it isn’t even a plausible one. . . .
Patiently, gently, but in the end decisively, Goetz and Taliaferro demolish
the dogmas of naturalism.”

James K.A. Smith, Calvin College

“This little gem of a book is a bold intervention in
current discussions of naturalism that dominate philosophy and cognitive
science. Unlike so many others, it is not just a book written to make
theists comfortably smug in the face of naturalist critiques. It is
unabashedly directed to naturalists as well and seeks to engage them on
their turf and on their terms. It should be required reading not only for
theologians who sense an obligation to engage the broader cultural milieu,
but also naturalists willing to relinquish dogmatism and actually listen.
The book well fulfills its function as a ‘guide’—and more.”

J. P. Moreland, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

“The clearest and most penetrating exposition and
critique of naturalism anywhere. In accessible, nontechnical language and
brevity of style, the authors have managed to identify important versions of
naturalism and expose the Achilles’ heel of each. In a day when theologians
and Christian leaders feel bullied by scientific naturalism, this book is
a must-read.”

Paul Copan, Palm Beach Atlantic University

“Taliaferro and Goetz have written a brilliant book!
These veteran philosophers represent naturalism fairly, both allowing its
spokespersons to speak for themselves and accurately interpreting their
views. Yet the authors’ criticisms of naturalism and their defense of
theism are trenchant and insightful. Superbly done!”

Click on the names below to read blurbs for Heidegger: a (very) critical introduction

Thomas Sheehan, Stanford University

“In this elegantly written text Sean McGrath provides a
clear reading of Heidegger and an incisive critique of his ontology, ethics,
politics, and theology. McGrath anchors his critique in two positions that
Heidegger claimed to have surpassed—classical metaphysics and Christian
humanism. While it may not convince mainstream Heideggerians, this work opens
a discussion that merits serious attention from postmetaphysical and
postmodern thinkers.”

William Desmond, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

“This informed and informative book is an admirably
compact and clear introduction to the essentials of Heidegger’s thought. It
will be very helpful for the beginner, and for the more advanced reader it
offers an honorable critical interpretation. McGrath exhibits a sharp sense
for the often-recessed religious preoccupations of Heidegger: out of sight is
not quite out of mind, which sometimes leads to convoluted results in
Heidegger’s expressed thought. For the theological reader this book offers an
exemplary critical engagement, attuned to Heidegger’s religious equivocality
and what remains hidden in the Heideggerian unsaid.”

Oliva Blanchette, Boston College

“Heidegger’s entire life was an adventure in philosophy,
from phenomenology to thought, focused on a distinction between ontological be
and ontic being that he was never able to explain, but that he was also never
able to let go of in his long explorations into what he called the
metaphysical tradition. In this remarkably lucid introduction to a philosopher
notorious not only for radicalizing and obfuscating philosophical questioning
but also for bringing it back to this most radical question of being or
not-being, McGrath uses both biographical and existential information and the
writing of Heidegger himself, especially in its earlier stages, to illuminate
where this preeminent philosopher of the twentieth century was coming from in
his questioning and where he was trying to go. The life of Heidegger sheds
light on his philosophy, just as his philosophy sheds light on his life, with
all its existential ambiguities, which were as conservative as they were
radical against the inauthentic and the technological in modern mass society.
In the end we learn how or why Heidegger was unable to resolve these
ambiguities in his own philosophy, especially in axiology and in theology,
which were never entirely absent from his thinking, and why also McGrath will
not, as Heideggerians do, settle for such nihilistic ambiguities, due to the
finitizing of being in Heidegger, that affect the broader question of being as
well as the question of life for the human being or for the ever-present
Dasein.”

Click on the names below to read blurbs for Žižek: a (very) critical introduction

Gerard Loughlin, Durham University

“With clarity and humor, and in wonderfully short
compass, Marcus Pound introduces the thought of not only Slavoj Žižek but
also his guru, Jacques Lacan. Pound finds in these masters of inversion a
profound anti-theology that only needs to become more theological—more
orthodox—in order to work, to rid us of complacency. This is a book for
those new to Žižek and for those who, knowing him already, want to know him
newly—as the theologian he might almost be. It’s as enjoyable as reading
Žižek himself.”

Matthew Sharpe, author of Žižek: A Little Piece of the Real

“Slavoj Žižek’s work, always iconoclastic, has since
1997 embraced the seemingly scandalous project of a materialist theology.
Marcus Pound’s new book is a long-called-for response, from within the field
of theology, that takes Žižek’s theological turn seriously, testing it
against its sources, and situating it within wider theological debates. In
doing so, Pound achieves a very searching examination of Žižek’s oeuvre,
significantly recasting the reception of Žižek’s work. Pound’s theological
perspective also allows him to pose searching questions about what he
provocatively calls Žižek’s ‘politics of abandonment’ and about the wider
situation of the post-Enlightenment Left today.”

“This is a timely book that traverses twentieth century theology to develop a distinctive understanding of church engagement with the world. Finely executed and acutely discerning it opens up an ecclesiology that is neither culturally accommodating nor counter-cultural. Conceiving the church as fundamentally dispossessive and missionary, Kerr announces a genuinely apocalyptic Christian politics. This is excellent theology for the up and coming generation.”

Graham Ward, Head of the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures University of Manchester

“This is a really exciting book: engaging, provocative, and – above all – constructive. Kerr seeks to reaffirm the Christian claim that Jesus Christ is the Lord of history in the face of modernity’s attempts to subsume Christ into our history. He sets up the issues by means of a lucid and penetrating analysis of Troeltsch’s universalist historicism, which attempts to place Christ and Christianity in the service of the political and social projects of modernity, a form of ‘Constantianism’. The subsequent struggle to reaffirm Christ’s Lordship without abstracting from Christ’s own singular historicity is recounted in chapters on Barth and Hauerwas. Both are treated masterfully, with trenchant yet fair critical analysis, and always with a constructive intent. The critique of Hauerwas will surprise some, since in spite of his intent Hauerwas ends up looking much more Troeltschian than one would expect. The book culminates in a Yoder-inspired case for ‘apocalyptic historicism’, an original and satisfying proposal that draws together elements of all the thinkers he discusses.

“In spite of the complexity of its material, this fascinating book is so remarkably clear throughout that I found it hard to put down. Kerr’s sophisticated description of ‘apocalyptic historicism’ addresses a multitude of significant issues in Christology, ecclesiology and missiology. It should not be ignored, for it provides an excellent point of departure for further inquiry into the relation between Christ and church, and church and world.”

Nicholas M. Healy, Professor, Theology and Religious Studies and Associate Dean, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, St. John’s University, Queens, NY

“A rare gift-a critic from whom you learn. Though I do not agree with all of his criticisms of my work, Kerr–drawing imaginatively and creatively on the work of Troeltsch and Barth– has rightly framed the questions central to my and Yoder’s project. We are in his debt for having done so. In this book, Kerr not only establishes himself as one of the most able readers of my and Yoder’s work, but he is clearly a theologian in his own right. We will have much to learn from him in the future.”

Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC

At this year’s AAR in Chicago, a panel is being held on the recently-released Belief and Metaphysics volume in the Veritas series entitled “The Return of Metaphysics: A dialogue on the occasion of the publication of Belief and Metaphysics.” The panel is graciously sponsored by SCM Press‘ Veritas Series and The Centre of Theology and Philosophy. Please click on the poster above to see the larger version which lists all the details for the event, including the list of panelists.

Listed below are the blurbs that have arrived for the respective books:

“This informed and informative book is an admirably compact and clear introduction to the essentials of Heidegger’s thought. It will be very helpful for the beginner, and for the more advanced reader it offers an honorable critical interpretation. McGrath exhibits a sharp sense for the often-recessed religious preoccupations of Heidegger: out of sight is not quite out of mind, which sometimes leads to convoluted results in Heidegger’s expressed thought. For the theological reader this book offers an exemplary critical engagement, attuned to Heidegger’s religious equivocality and what remains hidden in the Heideggerian unsaid.”
- William Desmond, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

“Heidegger’s entire life was an adventure in philosophy, from phenomenology to thought, focused on a distinction between ontological be and ontic being that he was never able to explain, but that he was also never able to let go of in his long explorations into what he called the metaphysical tradition. In this remarkably lucid introduction to a philosopher notorious not only for radicalizing and obfuscating philosophical questioning but also for bringing it back to this most radical question of being or not-being, McGrath uses both biographical and existential information and the writing of Heidegger himself, especially in its earlier stages, to illuminate where this preeminent philosopher of the twentieth century was coming from in his questioning and where he was trying to go. The life of Heidegger sheds light on his philosophy, just as his philosophy sheds light on his life, with all its existential ambiguities, which were as conservative as they were radical against the inauthentic and the technological in modern mass society. In the end we learn how or why Heidegger was unable to resolve these ambiguities in his own philosophy, especially in axiology and in theology, which were never entirely absent from his thinking, and why also McGrath will not, as Heideggerians do, settle for such nihilistic ambiguities, due to the finitizing of being in Heidegger, that affect the broader question of being as well as the question of life for the human being or for the ever-present Dasein.”
- Oliva Blanchette, Boston College

“With clarity and humor, and in wonderfully short compass, Marcus Pound introduces the thought of not only Slavoj Žižek but also his guru, Jacques Lacan. Pound finds in these masters of inversion a profound anti-theology that only needs to become more theological—more orthodox—in order to work, to rid us of complacency. This is a book for those new to Žižek and for those who, knowing him already, want to know him newly—as the theologian he might almost be. It’s as enjoyable as reading Žižek himself.”
Gerard Loughlin, Durham University

“Slavoj Žižek’s work, always iconoclastic, has since 1997 embraced the seemingly scandalous project of a materialist theology. Marcus Pound’s new book is a long-called-for response, from within the field of theology, that takes Žižek’s theological turn seriously, testing it against its sources, and situating it within wider theological debates. In doing so, Pound achieves a very searching examination of Žižek’s oeuvre, significantly recasting the reception of Žižek’s work. Pound’s theological perspective also allows him to pose searching questions about what he provocatively calls Žižek’s ‘politics of abandonment’ and about the wider situation of the post-Enlightenment Left today.”
- Matthew Sharpe, author of Žižek: A Little Piece of the Real

Reviews:

“This compact study makes a significant contribution to the question of whether, in an age of science, reasonable people need to resign themselves to a naturalistic understanding of the world. Is the intellectually respected assumption that ‘nature is all there is’ intellectually coherent? In this ‘intervention’ Goetz and Taliaferro provide a readable, critical response to this important question.”
- John F. Haught, Georgetown University

“Demonstrates with succinctness, brilliance, and precision that modern Anglo-Saxon naturalists are not rationalists but . . . are, in fact, the enemies of reason, which can only have any reality if the physical world has a spiritual, rational source.”
- John Milbank, University of Nottingham

“More than a few people seem to regard it as a mark of sophistication to hold that nothing exists that transcends the natural order. But, as Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro show in their splendid new book, ‘naturalism’ is anything but a sophisticated view of reality. Under rigorous philosophical scrutiny, it isn’t even a plausible one. . . . Patiently, gently, but in the end decisively, Goetz and Taliaferro demolish the dogmas of naturalism.”
- Robert P. George, Princeton University

“This little gem of a book is a bold intervention in current discussions of naturalism that dominate philosophy and cognitive science. Unlike so many others, it is not just a book written to make theists comfortably smug in the face of naturalist critiques. It is unabashedly directed to naturalists as well and seeks to engage them on their turf and on their terms. It should be required reading not only for theologians who sense an obligation to engage the broader cultural milieu, but also naturalists willing to relinquish dogmatism and actually listen. The book well fulfills its function as a ‘guide’–and more.”
- James K.A. Smith, Calvin College

“The clearest and most penetrating exposition and critique of naturalism anywhere. In accessible, nontechnical language and brevity of style, the authors have managed to identify important versions of naturalism and expose the Achilles’ heel of each. In a day when theologians and Christian leaders feel bullied by scientific naturalism, this book is a must-read.”
- J. P. Moreland, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

“Taliaferro and Goetz have written a brilliant book! These veteran philosophers represent naturalism fairly, both allowing its spokespersons to speak for themselves and accurately interpreting their views. Yet the authors’ criticisms of naturalism and their defense of theism are trenchant and insightful. Superbly done!”
- Paul Copan, Palm Beach Atlantic University

The first book in the Interventions series entitled Naturalism, co-authored by Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro, is now complete! Expect this to be out through Eerdmans by the end of 2007.

Click on the cover to the right to see the full cover spread which includes a couple of blurbs.

In other related series news, all five of the Veritas volumes will be out in October.