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Philosophy Religious

Bonhoeffer and Continental Thought

Cruciform Philosophy

edited by Brian Gregor & Jens Zimmermann

Publisher
Indiana University Press
Initial publish date
Jul 2009
Category
Religious, Philosophy
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780253220844
    Publish Date
    Jul 2009
    List Price
    $32.95

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Description

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, best known for his involvement in the anti-Nazi resistance, was one of the 20th century's most important theologians. His ethics have been a source of guidance and inspiration for men and women in the face of evil. Today, Bonhoeffer's theology is being read by Continental thinkers who value his contributions to the recent "religious turn" in philosophy. In this volume, an international group of scholars present Bonhoeffer's thought as a model of Christian thinking that can help shape a distinctly religious philosophy. They examine the philosophical influences on Bonhoeffer and explore the new perspectives his work brings to the perennial challenges of faith and reason, philosophy and theology, and the problem of evil. These essays add Bonhoeffer's voice to important contemporary debates in the philosophy of religion.

About the authors

Brian Gregor's profile page

Jens Zimmermann, professor of English at Trinity Western University and Canada Research Chair in Religion, Culture, and Interpretation, is the author of Recovering Theological Hermeneutics: An Incarnational-Trinitarian Approach to Interpretation, The Passionate Intellect: Incarnational Humanism and the Future of University Education (with Norman Klassen), and Theologische Hermeneutik.

Jens Zimmermann's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"This essay collection explores relationships between the theology of 20th-century Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whom the Nazis executed for his participation in armed struggle against Hitler, and philosophy. Some essays explore the philosophical roots of Bonhoeffer's project and the ways he employed philosophy to do theological work or corrected philosophical assumptions with theological ends. Other essays show the ways Bonhoeffer's theology, especially concerning interactions between human beings, resonates with the philosophy of later Continental philosophers such as Emmanuel Levinas. This collection is insightful and its essays largely careful explorations. However, the essays are also works of fairly technical philosophy and theology that would be most useful to specialists in the field and graduate students working on original research. Libraries with faculty who regularly teach classes on Bonhoeffer or other topics in philosophical theology may wish to consider this volume. Despite its outstanding essays, it is probably too narrow and specialized to be useful in collections that do not support significant programs in theology. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and researchers/faculty. — Choice"?A. W. Klink, Duke University, March 2010

"After decades of focusing on Bonhoeffer's theological oeuvre, recent Bonhoeffer scholarship is finally discovering the philosophical richness that has shaped Bonhoeffer's theology in the first place. This volume is a praiseworthy effort in this respect."?Modern Theology

"This is an outstanding collection of essays that aims to read and introduce Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a philosophical theologin."?Heythrop Journal

"This collection is insightful and its essays largely careful explorations. ...Recommended. “ChoiceMarch 2010"?A.W. Klink, Duke University

"Bonhoeffer and Continental Thought . . . is an important contribution to the philosophical understanding and application of the thought of the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer."?Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

"Long before the authors of the Radical Orthodoxy movement sought to move beyond the hegemony of secular reason and the false humility of theology, Bonhoeffer was pressing these very same issues."?Barry Harvey, Baylor University

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