This is a disgusting reactionary fraud down to its subatomic particles. Next comes another revival of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
At 02:13 PM 1/5/2010, c b wrote: >How Atheists Can Use Christianity By Nathan >Schneider, The Guardian Posted on January 5, >2010, Printed on January 5, 2010 >http://www.alternet.org/story/144931/ James >Wood, a writer who himself has lived between the >tugs of belief and unbelief, made an eloquent >call in the New Yorker last August for "a >theologically engaged atheism". Concluding a >review of Terry Eagleton's recent attack on >Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, he >imagines something "only a semitone from faith >[which] could give a brother's account of >belief, rather than treat it as some unwanted >impoverished relative." At the American Academy >of Religion meeting in Montreal last year, he >may have gotten his wish, or something >resembling it. Following an apocalyptic sermon >from "death of God" theologian Thomas J.J. >Altizer, to the podium came the ruffled >Slovenian philosopher Slavoj iek, a >self-described atheist and "materiaalist through >and through", before an audience of religion >scholars, theologians, and costumed adherents. >He spoke of truths Christianity alone possesses >and how Christ's death reveals that "the only >universality is the universality of struggle." >Atheism, he explained, is true Christianity, and >one can only be a real atheist by passing >through Christianity. "In this sense, I am >unconditionally a Christian", said iek. He is >one of several leading thhinkers in recent years >who, though coming out of a deeply secular and >often-Marxist bent, have made a turn toward >theology. In 1997, Alain Badiou published a >study of the apostle Paul, whom he took as an >exemplar of his own influential philosophy of >the "event". Three years later, Giorgio Agamben >responded in Italian with The Time That Remains, >a painstaking exegesis of the first ten words of >Paul's Letter to the Romans. The purpose of both >was not a more enlightened piety, but an inquiry >into the texture of revolution. Paul is >significant to them because he ushered in, and >in the process described, a genuinely >transformational social movement. These atheist >theologians speak from a sensation of political >atrophy; they're assembling a barricade against >the onslaught of global capitalism and the >tireless inanity of jingoistic violence. But >don't expect to find them wafting into church on >Sunday morning. Although elievers have welcomed >literary theorist Terry Eagleton's critique of >Dawkins and Hitchens, at a talk in New York this >September, he declared he has nothing to say >about prayer and is "presently distant from the >institutional dimension" of religion, even if >falling short of outright atheism. When I asked >him, in a subsequent interview, what he wants of >his readers, he replied, "I'm certainly not >urging them to go to church. I'm urging them, I >suppose, to read the Bible because it's very >relevant to radical political concerns." Yet >some "real" theologians are starting to follow >this phenomenon with interest, seeing in it an >opportunity to rejuvenate their own enterprise. >The Anglican John Milbank, in a recent book he >wrote with iek called The Monstrosity of >Christ, saidd of his co-author, "In an important >sense, he bears a theological witness". >Searching for political answers, i¾ek and the >others have unearthed some of the forgotten >radicalism of earliest Christianity, and they >insist on its relevance today. Yet they also >represent a threat to the religious status quo. >What does it mean, after all, if atheists are >doing theology better than believers? "i¾ek's >work is hazardous to the health of cardboard >theology and the church on which it rests", says >Creston Davis of Rollins College in Florida, who >edited and orchestrated The Monstrosity of >Christ. "It is time we took theology back out of >the hands of business-class freeloaders." There >is in this theological turn, also, a dangerous >desire. Nobody seems willing to die for a >secular philosophy any more, yet in today's >"post secular" religion, blood sacrifice >abounds. The suicide bombers and abortion-doctor >killers whom we all decry seem able to tap into >a well of deep conviction like what brought Paul >and other early Christians to be martyred for >their faith. A politics capable of organizing >people to resist the intrusions of capital and >ideology would certainly require that kind of >commitment. Theology, perhaps, provides a point >of access to these ambivalent powers in human >nature and the chance to carefully, thoughtfully >mobilize them anew. "It is clear that liberalism >has run out of ideas," adds Creston Davis. >Philosophy's turn to theology, he believes, is >"a step in the right direction toward taking >care of the poor and struggling for a better >future for the world." Nathan Schneider lives in >New York City and writes about religion. He >blogs at The Row Boat. © 2010 The Guardian All rights reserved. _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
