Christianity, Truth, and Weakening Faith

Two of the most brilliant minds of our time, Gianni Vattimo, the foremost representative of postmodernity, and Rene Girard, the famed French anthropologist, engage in an enthralling discussion on the cultural significance of Christianity. Both agree that Christianity's originality lies in its unheard-of repudiation of violence in the name of caritas, yet the Nietzschean in Vattimo draws relativistic consequences whereas Girard does not. Vattimo sees in this caritas the dissolution of every strong truth claim, while Girard stresses that this caritas remains a vital veritas for our time. For Girard there are truths, not only interpretations. -- Jean Grondin, Universite de Montreal, and author of Introduction to Metaphysics

The debate over the place of religion in secular, democratic societies dominates philosophical and intellectual discourse. These arguments often polarize around simplistic reductions, making efforts at reconciliation impossible. Yet more rational stances do exist, positions that broker a peace between relativism and religion in people's public, private, and ethical lives. Christianity, Truth, and Weakening Faith advances just such a dialogue, featuring the collaboration of two major philosophers known for their progressive approach to this issue. Seeking unity over difference, Gianni Vattimo and Rene Girard turn to Max Weber, Eric Auerbach, and Marcel Gauchet, among others, in their exploration of truth and liberty, relativism and faith, and the tensions of a world filled with new forms of religiously inspired violence. Vattimo and Girard ultimately conclude that secularism and the involvement (or lack thereof) of religion in governance are, in essence, produced by Christianity. In other words, Christianity is "the religion of the exit from religion," and democracy, civil rights, the free market, and individual freedoms are all facilitated by Christian culture. Through an exchange that is both intimate and enlightening, Vattimo and Girard share their unparalleled insight into the relationships among religion, modernity, and the role of Christianity, especially as it exists in our multicultural world.