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A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul

Stanislas Breton author Joseph Ballan translator Ward Blanton editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Columbia University Press

Published:23rd Sep '11

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul cover

Stanislas Breton's A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul, which focuses on the political implications of the apostle's writings, was an instrumental text in Continental philosophy's contemporary "turn to religion." Reading Paul's work against modern thought and history, Breton helped launch a reassessment of Marxism, introduce secular interpretations of biblical and theological traditions, develop "radical negativity" as a critical category, and rework modern political ideas through a theoretical lens. Newly translated and critically situated, this edition takes a fresh approach to Breton's classic work, reacquainting readers with the remarkable ways in which an ancient apostle can reset our understanding of the political. Breton begins with Paul's biography and the texts of his conversion, which challenge common conceptions of identity. He broaches the question of allegory and divine predestination, introduces the idea of subjectivity as an effect of power, and confronts Paul's critique of Law, which leads to an exploration of the logics and limits of agency and power. Breton develops these and other insights in relation to Paul's subversive reflections on the crucified messiah, which challenge meaning and reason and upend our current world order. Neither a coherent theologian nor a stable humanist, Breton's Paul becomes a fascinating figure of excess and madness, experiencing a kind of being that transcends philosophy, secularity, and religion.

This translation of Stanislas Breton's A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul was an excellent decision. Breton's book is timely and, as an already established classic, it will without a doubt receive a wide reading. Ward Blanton's introduction also provides a value-added component. -- Todd Penner, coauthor of Contextualizing Gender in Early Christian Discourse: Thinking Beyond Thecla

ISBN: 9780231151047

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

184 pages