What is the place for religion in our postmodern society, if any? While new atheists spar with fundamentalisms of various stripes over concerns of exclusivity and violence, there has been a quieter proposal for a "pure" postmodern religion offered by figures as diverse as Jacques Derrida and Mark Johnston. These voices suggest a religion purified of particulars (dogma, institutions, authoritative texts), offering us an alternate hope. But is such a proposal "postmodern" enough, or is there better way to understand God in our conflicted time?
James K.A. Smith is Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. He specializes in contemporary continental philosophy, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of social science. He is the author and editor of a number of books, including Jacques Derrida: Live Theory and After Modernity? Secularity, Globalization, and the Re-enchantment of the World.
This lecture was recorded at the University of Ottawa, October 2010
For a copy of the full dvd, visit www.the-house.ca
Beyond Atheism: Postmodernity and the Future of God - James K.A. Smith from David Robinson on Vimeo.
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Shorter excerpts/teasers here.
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