Radical Political Theology: Religion and Politics After LiberalismIn the 1960s, the strict opposition between the religious and the secular began to break down, blurring the distinction between political philosophy and political theology. This collapse contributed to the decline of modern liberalism, which supported a neutral, value-free space for capitalism. It also deeply unsettled political, religious, and philosophical realms, forced to confront the conceptual stakes of a return to religion. Gamely intervening in a contest that defies simple resolutions, Clayton Crockett conceives of the postmodern convergence of the secular and the religious as a basis for emancipatory political thought. Engaging themes of sovereignty, democracy, potentiality, law, and event from a religious and political point of view, Crockett articulates a theological vision that responds to our contemporary world and its theo-political realities. Specifically, he claims we should think about God and the state in terms of potentiality rather than sovereign power. Deploying new concepts, such as Slavoj Žižek's idea of parallax and Catherine Malabou's notion of plasticity, his argument engages with debates over the nature and status of religion, ideology, and messianism. Tangling with the work of Derrida, Deleuze, Spinoza, Antonio Negri, Giorgio Agamben, Alain Badiou, John D. Caputo, and Catherine Keller, Crockett concludes with a reconsideration of democracy as a form of political thought and religious practice, underscoring its ties to modern liberal capitalism while also envisioning a more authentic democracy unconstrained by those ties. |
Contents
The Parallax of Religion | 26 |
Sovereignty and the weakness of God | 43 |
a Radical Political Theology | 60 |
Carl Schmitt Leo Strauss and the TheoPolitical | 77 |
Elements for Radical Democracy | 93 |
Agamben Deleuze and the Unconscious Event | 108 |
St Paul with Deleuze | 126 |
Conclusion | 160 |
Other editions - View all
Radical Political Theology: Religion and Politics After Liberalism Clayton Crockett Limited preview - 2011 |
Radical Political Theology: Religion and Politics After Liberalism Clayton Crockett Limited preview - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
According actual affirms Agamben Alain Badiou American Antonio Negri argues attributes becomes bio-political calls Caputo Carl Schmitt Catherine Malabou chapter Chicago claims concept concerns constitutes contemporary critique culture death deconstruction deconstruction of Christianity Deleuze’s democratic Difference and Repetition discussion divine economic emphasis in original essay event faith freedom Gianni Vattimo Gilles Deleuze Giorgio Agamben global capitalism God’s Heidegger Heidegger’s Hent de Vries human Ibid ideology impotentiality Islam Jacques Derrida Jean-Luc Nancy Keller Lacan law beyond law Leo Strauss Logic of Sense mediation messianic modern liberal modes monotheism Nancy Nietzsche notion ofthe parallax Paul Paul’s plane of immanence plasticity political philosophy possibility postmodern postsecular potentiality potestas problem production pure radical democracy Radical Orthodoxy radical political theology radical theology reading relation religion religious resurrection secular simply Slavoj Žižek social sovereign power sovereignty Spinoza substance temporality theo-political thought tion traditional trans unconscious understanding violence virtual York