Merold Westphal Book order

The book delves into the complexities of postmodern philosophy of religion, challenging the notion of human reason as universal and neutral. Merold Westphal asserts that philosophy is intrinsically linked to faith, emphasizing that theological encounters stem from the act of thinking. Drawing on the works of Spinoza, Kant, and Hegel, he highlights their conflicting theologies and questions the validity of claims to autonomous reason. Westphal advocates for a historical and phenomenological approach to understanding divine appeals, reflecting on the plural nature of human thought.

In this book renowned philosopher Merold Westphal unpacks the writings of nineteenth-century thinker Søren Kierkegaard on biblical, Christian faith and its relation to reason.Across five books — Fear and Trembling , Philosophical Fragments , Concluding Unscientific Postscript , Sickness Unto Death , and Practice in Christianity — and three pseudonyms, Kierkegaard sought to articulate a biblical concept of faith by approaching it from a variety of perspectives in relation to one another. Westphal offers a careful textual reading of these major discussions to present an overarching analysis of Kierkegaard’s conception of the true meaning of biblical faith.Though Kierkegaard presents a complex picture of faith through his pseudonyms, Westphal argues that his perspective is a faithful and illuminating one, making claims that are important for philosophy of religion, for theology, and most of all for Christian life as it might be lived by faithful people.

In this volume, renowned philosopher Merold Westphal introduces current philosophical thinking related to interpreting the Bible. Recognizing that no theology is completely free of philosophical "contamination," he engages and mines contemporary hermeneutical theory in service of the church. After providing a historical overview of contemporary theories of interpretation, Westphal addresses postmodern hermeneutical theory, arguing that the relativity embraced there is not the same as the relativism in which "anything goes." Rather, Westphal encourages us to embrace the proliferation of interpretations based on different perspectives as a way to get at the richness of the biblical text.

Seeks to rethink divine transcendence in relation to modes of human self- transcendence. Touching upon Spinoza, Hegel, Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, Aquinas, Barth, Kierkegaard, Levinas, Derrida, and Marion, this work centres around a critique of onto-theology, the importance of alterity, the decentered self, and the autonomous transcendental ego.

Kierkegaard's philosophy, particularly his assertion that "truth is subjectivity," is explored in this comprehensive guide. Merold Westphal examines the text within Kierkegaard's broader work, emphasizing the theory of existence stages and his critique of Hegel. He argues that Kierkegaard's insights can enrich religious thought within postmodernism, revealing that a decentered self can still embody responsibility and community. This volume positions Kierkegaard's ideas as a critique of modern complacency, challenging the notion that individualism leads to isolation.

"This fairly small book must take its place as the best introductorystudy of Hegel's Phenomenology available." -- Philosophy and PhenomenologicalResearch "Westphal's book is a comprehensive guide to theargument of the entire phenomenology.... will repay close study by seriousundergraduate and graduate students of philosophy." --Choice This detailed interpretation of Hegel's Phenomenology ofSpirit seeks to show that the unity of this classic work may be found in theintegration of its transcendental and sociological-historical themes.

Features examples from the writings of Kierkegaard, Freud, Heidegger, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, and Tolstoi that illuminates the author's thesis that guilt and death are the central problems of human existence.