Exercises in New Creation from Paul to Kierkegaard

This book unfolds a vision for philosophical theology centered on the practices of the care of the self, the city, and creation. Rooted in Paul's articulation of the wisdom of the cross, and in conversation with ecological, radical, and political theologies; continental philosophy; and political ecology, it addresses the challenge of injustice and ecological catastrophe. Part one reads 1 Corinthians as an exercise in reading and writing that shapes and changes relationships and capabilities. Part two follows this alternative path for theology through Derrida and Kierkegaard, and neglected trajectories in Origen, Augustine, and Luther. Along the way, reading and writing are explored as exercises that transform selves, communities, and even habitats. They are creaturely acts that can scandalize the dominant orders of consumption and competition for the ends of love and justice. This is a philosophical theology engaged with political ecology, exercises that help cultivate new creation.

Auteur

T. Wilson Dickinson teaches theology and is Director of the Doctor of Ministry and Continuing Education Programs at Lexington Theological Seminary, USA.

Contenu

Chapter 1 Introduction: Care of the Self, City, and Creation

PART ONE: The Wisdom of the Cross

Chapter 2 Reading Paul in Radical, Late Ancient, and Prophetic Perspective

Chapter 3 Wisdom: Paul's Exercises of Care for a Commercialized Corinth

Chapter 4 The Cross: The Slow Violence of Gentlemen and the Wisdom of Self-Giving Love

Chapter 5 Exercises: Paul's Practices of Reading and Writing for Social Transformation

Chapter 6 New Creation: Pauline Social Experiments for Love and Justice

PART TWO: The Wisdom of Crossings

Chapter 7 Pauline Resonances in Luther, Derrida, and Kierkegaard

Chapter 8 The Writing of Creatures: The Environmentality of Confessions in Derrida and Augustine

Chapter 9 The Caregiver of Copenhagen: Kierkegaard's Re-Education of the Age of Information

Chapter 10 Caring for Creatures: Kierkegaard's Exercises for a Simple Way of Life

Chapter 11 Conclusion: Reading and Writing for Sustainability