Augustine And Postmodernism: Confession And Circumfession (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion)

281 Pages·2005·2.64 MB·English

by  John D. Caputo

Philosophy | Religion
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Caputo
While studies on and about Augustine as a and

philosopher abound, few approach his work Scanlon
from a deconstructionist point of view. Here,
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Contributors are Jacques Derrida and an international group
of philosophers add to the relatively new, but
Geoffrey Bennington
growing, philosophy of religion that is signifi ed
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Philippe Capelle by the term “postmodernism.” The newer and  
A
John D. Caputo more established voices gathered in this volume
continue a dialogue with Jacques Derrida u
Elizabeth A. Clark Postmodernism
by focusing on Augustine and questions of g
Jacques Derrida
confession and religious commitment. u
Jean Bethke Elshtain Posed at the intersection of philosophy,
s
Richard Kearney theology, and religious studies, this volume t
i
will be of interest to scholars and students of
Catherine Malabou n
Augustine as well as those interested in the
e
James O’Donnell invigorating discussion between philosophy,

Michael J. Scanlon religion, and postmodernism. a
n
Mark Vessey
JOHN D. CAPUTO is the Thomas J. Watson d
Hent de Vries Confessions
Professor of Religion and Humanities at
Syracuse University. He is also David R. Cook P
Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Villanova o
aanndd
University His most recent publications include s
 
More Radical Hermeneutics and The Prayers t
m
and Tears of Jacques Derrida. He is co-editor
of God, the Gift, and Postmodernism and
o
Circumfession
Questioning God.
d
e
MICHAEL J. SCANLON, O.S.A., is
r
Josephine C. Connelly Chair of Christian
n
INDIANA Theology at Villanova University. He is co-
i
editor of God, the Gift, and Postmodernism s
University Press and (with Mark Dooley) of Questioning m
God.
Bloomington & Indianapolis
Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion
http://iupress.indiana.edu
Merold Westphal, general editor
1-800-842-6796 Edited by
John D. Caputo and Michael J. Scanlon
INDIANA
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page i
Augustine and Postmodernism
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page ii
Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion
Merold Westphal, General Editor
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page iii
Augustine and
Postmodernism
Confessions and Circumfession
Edited by John D. Caputo and Michael J. Scanlon
Indiana University Press
Bloomington and Indianapolis
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page iv
This book is a publication of
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Manufactured in the United States of America
Augustine and postmodernism : confessions and circumfession / edited by JohnD.
Caputo and Michael J. Scanlon.
p. cm.—(Indiana series in the philosophy of religion)
Includes index.
ISBN 0-253-34507-3 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 0-253-21731-8 (pbk. : alk.
paper)
1. Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. Confessiones. 2. Derrida, Jacques.
3. Philosophy, European. I. Caputo, John D. II. Scanlon, Michael J.
III. Series.
BR65.A62A94 2005
270.2'092—dc22
2004014357
1 2 3 4 5 10 09 08 07 06 05
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page v
To Dennis M. Cook, in memoriam;to the
Cook family; and to the three thousand
victims of September 11 and their families
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page vi
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page vii
Contents
acknowledgments/ ix
Introduction: The Postmodern Augustine / 1
John D. Caputo and Michael J. Scanlon
Part I. After the Event
1. Composing “Circumfession”
Jacques Derrida/ 19
2. Confessionsand “Circumfession”: A Roundtable Discussion with
Jacques Derrida
Moderated by Richard Kearney/ 28
Part II. Confessions and Circumfession
3. Time—for the Truth
Geoffrey Bennington/ 53
4. Instances: Temporal Modes from Augustine to Derrida and Lyotard
Hent de Vries/ 68
Response by Jacques Derrida/ 88
5. Shedding Tears Beyond Being: Derrida’s Confession of Prayer
John D. Caputo/ 95
6. Heidegger: Reader of Augustine
Philippe Capelle/ 115
Response by Jacques Derrida/ 124
7. The Form of an “I”
Catherine Malabou/ 127
Response by Jacques Derrida/ 138
8. Time, Evil, and Narrative: Ricoeur on Augustine
Richard Kearney/ 144
9. Arendt’s Augustine
Michael J. Scanlon/ 159
10. Reading like Angels: Derrida and Augustine on the Book
(for a History of Literature)
Mark Vessey/ 173
Response by Jacques Derrida/ 208
11. Augustine’s Unconfessions
James J. O’Donnell/ 212
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page viii
viii Contents
12. On Not Retracting the Unconfessed
Elizabeth A. Clark/ 222
13. Why Augustine? Why Now?
Jean Bethke Elshtain/ 244
contributors/ 257
index/ 259
Caputo/Scanlon, Augustine 12/2/04 10:09 AM Page ix
acknowledgments
The editors wish to acknowledge the support of Villanova University in making
possible the conference “Religion and Postmodernism 3: Confessions,” on Sep-
tember 27–29, 2001, on which this volume is based. We thank in particular Rev.
Edmund Dobbin, O.S.A., President of the University, for his continuing support
and encouragement, Dr. John Johannes, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Dr.
Helen Lafferty, University Vice-President, and Rev. Kail Ellis, O.S.A., Dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences, without whose generous financial assistance we
would not have been able to organize this meeting.
We also thank Anna (Misticoni) Monserrate, the secretary to the David R.
Cook Chair of Philosophy and the Josephine C. Connelly Chair of Theology,
whose hard work and efficiency made this meeting such a success, and Terry Sousa,
of the Villanova Connelly Center, who met with her usual dispatch and good hu-
mor the task of scheduling the meeting rooms and providing receptions and meals
for so many visitors to our campus.
Finally, we thank Jacques Derrida for the generosity and grace with which
he has participated in this and other conferences at Villanova University. He has
been a great friend to Villanova over the years.
John D. Caputo, “Tears Beyond Being: Derrida’s Experience of Prayer,” pre-
viously appeared in Théologie négative,ed. Marco M. Olivetti (Padua: CEDAM,
2002), pp. 861–80, and is here reproduced with permission of CEDAM.