I'll call this dissatisfying because of the conclusion where Ricouer raises the white flag. But what else can he do once he refuses to deny any of theI'll call this dissatisfying because of the conclusion where Ricouer raises the white flag. But what else can he do once he refuses to deny any of the premises of the Theodicy? First, though, Ricouer tours through the various attempts made by Augustine, Pelagius, Leibniz, Kant, Hegel, and Barth before showing how they all fail. Which leaves us where? Back to Job's starting point. If you are unable or unwilling to dispense with God, or any of three premises (and thus eliminating the problem of evil), all you can do is repent your complaint about suffering. In that case, Ricouer's suggestion is to work to eliminate violence. In the last sentence of the lecture, however, he makes no mistake about his final position: " . . . once violence has been suppressed, the enigma of true suffering, of irreducible suffering, will be laid bare."
This 72-page book is divided into three sections. An introduction by Graham Ward that takes us through Ricouer's philosophic argumentation and situates it within his considerable body of work. A preface by Pierre Giselle that relates the lecture to Ricouer's protestantism and also places his task in a broader context. And finally we have Ricoeur's 39-page lecture, which is lucid, readable, and not terribly jargoned-up, except for the section discussing Hegel, where Ricouer was seemingly unable to distill Hegel's thinking in the same way as he did the others....more
Have on old marked up copy from a Philosophy of Religion class where this was the first book we read (the second was Freud's The Future of an IllusionHave on old marked up copy from a Philosophy of Religion class where this was the first book we read (the second was Freud's The Future of an Illusion). Otto starts right off by basically saying don't bother reading if you are a non-believer. Why does he do that? Because the experience of the Holy is irrational, and using it as a basis for belief (as many do) is on the same level as the argument from faith. You either accept them or you don't, no way to argue with those experiences. Moving on from that point, what Otto does is thoroughly describe what this experience of the holy consists of and what it is not. He's careful to distinguish religious experience from aesthetic experience. This used to be a point of argumentation, but do you get that creature feeling when you look at art, say Picasso's "Guernica," or whatever most moves you? Otto goes deep into the experience and this makes for fascinating reading....more
Love the structure of this book. Seven essays on Kristeva with the general themes of religion, women, and psychoanalysis. Has a pre-text (an introductLove the structure of this book. Seven essays on Kristeva with the general themes of religion, women, and psychoanalysis. Has a pre-text (an introduction) by Crownfield on Kristeva and the essays and inter-texts between the essays where Crownfield discusses how the preceding and the following essays interrelate. Crownfield has the rare ability to be fluent in the jargon and to also parse and distill it into less technical language, which greatly expands the accessibility of the essays. Great book for engaging in a wide variety of Kristeva's core concerns....more
Pollution, defilement, contagion, marginality, ambiguity, and danger are just some of the topics that Douglas illuminates in this classic of the strucPollution, defilement, contagion, marginality, ambiguity, and danger are just some of the topics that Douglas illuminates in this classic of the structuralist methodology. A field of study fecund with ideas. Stucturalists can't abide counter examples, however, so Doulgas spends a fair amount of time trying to explain the exceptions, and that bogs down the analysis in places. Sometimes the simple answer might be the lesson learned in the field of process improvement: Why do they do it that way? Because that's how it's always been done....more
Entertaining overview which looks at superstition's origins with both religious and non-religious examples. The chapter on superstition in the modern Entertaining overview which looks at superstition's origins with both religious and non-religious examples. The chapter on superstition in the modern world (since the 19th century) has a fun catalog of popular superstitions and where they came from. The fifth chapter - the psychology of superstition - summarizes in 23 pages his more academic Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition. Has a good bibliography for further reading adventures....more
Still my favorite book on religion and in the Eliadean sense my first reading of it was a threshold experience. One of the more powerful ideas that geStill my favorite book on religion and in the Eliadean sense my first reading of it was a threshold experience. One of the more powerful ideas that gets kind of buried is the way in which the non-religious can sacralize time and space, essentially converting the profane into the sacred just as the religious do. Might seem sacrilegious. but Eliade's point is that meaning resides in the experience....more
Although many of Frazer's interpretations withered under persistent structuralist and post-structuralist assaults, his immense catalog of archaic pracAlthough many of Frazer's interpretations withered under persistent structuralist and post-structuralist assaults, his immense catalog of archaic practices is nevertheless endlessly fascinating. I frequently look something up and then find a half-hour has gone by before coming up for air....more
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