Badiou and Theology (Philosophy And Theology Series)

The French philosopher Alain Badiou (born 1937), is one of the main representatives of a recent philosophical homage to Saint Paul. Yet, Badiou is not a believer in the traditional sense, let alone a Christian philosopher. On the contrary, he rejects transcendence and pleads for a radical this-worldliness. ? ?This does not mean however that his work is of no use for theologians, though a theological engagement with him will necessarily take some time. This book takes the first steps in that direction. It focuses on Badiou's ontology because his challenge to theology, and more in particular to the doctrine of God, is to be found at this level of his system. ? ?The starting point is Badiou's claim that nowadays true religion and true faith are no longer possible. This claim is evaluated in three parts: first the theological context in which ontology becomes necessary, second why we should turn to Badiou as a plausible source for such an ontology, and third, Badiou's atheist stance and its implications. Depoortere shows that Badiou's atheist ontology can nevertheless be opened towards God.Read less