Wednesday, January 31, 2007

...And another!

More books arrived today! Two of the Williams, the Hart and the Jenson (see here for details). There was also a second package containing another lovely suprise (see here and here) from yet another friend whom I am yet to meet. Thank you, Tracy!

Graven Ideologies: Nietzsche, Derrida & Marion on Modern Idolatry by Bruce Ellis Benson (IVP: 2002)
How can we talk about God without just projecting our own wishes and fears? Might not a lot of what passes for theology really just be anthropology writ large, as Feuerbach claimed? Perhaps surprisingly for some, Nietzsche, Derrida and Marion are three philosophers with a lot to say to theology on this matter. Benson explores these three thinkers against the background of Descartes, Locke, Hume, Husserl and Heidegger in order to expose our idolatrous tendency to make God in our own image.

This book sounds reminiscent of Faith and Suspicion: the religious uses of modern atheism by Merold Westphal and comes with high praise from Drew. I'm looking forward to it - how I will decide on a reading order for all these new books, I'm not sure. At the moment, I'm still plugging through Bleak House while I dip into each and try to decide...

5 comments:

michael jensen said...

When can we start reading the Hart? Got a plan for how we should tackle it?

byron smith said...

I thought you'd already started. I've skimmed the first five pages. How quickly do you want to get through it? I'm flexible - though probably have a slight preference for not going super-fast as I'm also trying to get through a few other things.

michael jensen said...

well, I already startd, but I stopped again so I could wait for you.

chapter a week?

byron smith said...

Sure - how many chapters have you already read?

michael jensen said...

I am up to p. 28.

I am sure you can meet me there!