Contesting Spirit: Nietzsche, Affirmation, Religion

245 Pages·1998·0.79 MB·English

by  Tyler T. Roberts

CONTESTING SPIRIT
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CONTESTING SPIRIT
NIETZSCHE, AFFIRMATION, RELIGION
TYLER T. ROBERTS
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
Copyright1998byPrincetonUniversityPress
PublishedbyPrincetonUniversityPress,41WilliamStreet,
Princeton,NewJersey08540
IntheUnitedKingdom:PrincetonUniversityPress,
Chichester,WestSussex
AllRightsReserved
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Roberts,TylerT.,1960–
Contestingspirit:Nietzsche,affirmation,religion/TylerT.Roberts.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-691-05937-3(alk.paper).—ISBN0-691-00127-8(pbk.:alk.paper)
1.Nietzsche,FriedrichWilhelm,1844–1900—Religion.
2.Religion—Philosophy—History—19thcentury.I.Title
B3318.R4R63 1998 200'.92—dc21 98-14875 CIP
“Heaven”wordsandmusicbyDavidByrne.1979SireRecordsCo.,
p.1979IndexMusic,Inc./BleuDisqueMusicCo.,Inc.
ThisbookhasbeencomposedinSabon
PrincetonUniversityPressbooksareprinted
onacid-freepaperandmeettheguidelinesfor
permanenceanddurabilityoftheCommitteeon
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oftheCouncilonLibraryResources
http://pup.princeton.edu
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
(Pbk.)
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
Alexander S. T. Roberts
1965–1993
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CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
NOTEONTEXTSANDCITATIONS xi
INTRODUCTION
NietzscheandReligion 3
CHAPTERONE
TooMuchofNothing:Metaphysicsandthe
ValueofExistence 24
CHAPTERTWO
FiguringReligion,ContestingSpirit 48
CHAPTERTHREE
Nietzsche’sAsceticism 77
CHAPTERFOUR
TheProblemofMysticisminNietzsche 103
CHAPTERFIVE
EcstaticPhilosophy 138
CHAPTERSIX
Nietzsche’sAffirmation:APassionfortheReal 164
CONCLUSION
AlterityandAffirmation 202
BIBLIOGRAPHY 215
INDEX 225
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A
FIRST BOOK carries with it more debts of gratitude than it is
possibleto remember,much lessacknowledge ina pageor two.
This book is a revision of my dissertation, so I will begin by
thanking my advisers at Harvard: Gordon Kaufman, Francis Fiorenza,
and Fred Neuhouser. Each provided detailed, rigorous responses to my
work.IwouldliketothankGordonKaufmaninparticular,notonlyfor
the support he gave me throughout my years as a doctoral student, but
also for the generosity and guidance he has continued to offer as I have
workedtorevisethedissertation.Otherswhodeservethanksforhelpful
comments on drafts and stimulating conversation include Margaret
Miles, Sharon Welch, David Lamberth, Alec Irwin, Charlie Stang, Brad
Cullin, Mark Taylor, Charles Hallisey, and Anne Monius. Charles Win-
quist,LesliePaulThiele,andJohnLysakereachreadthepenultimatedraft
andofferedinsightfulchallengesthathavemadethisabetterbook.Ialso
wouldliketothankthefollowingforopportunitiestopresentanddiscuss
portionsofthebook:theHarvardDivinitySchoolTheologyColloquium
andtheMysticism,Nineteenth-CenturyTheology,andPhilosophyofRe-
ligiongroupsoftheAmericanAcademyofReligion.AnnWaldatPrince-
ton University Press has been an informative and encouraging guide
through the world of publishing. Lucinda Schutzmann was a great help
inputtingtogethertheindex.
Inadditiontothosedirectlyinvolvedinthewritingofthebook,many
othershaveofferedsupportandinspiration.Earlyinmygraduatestudies,
Sharon Welch demonstrated for me, and, I know, for many others,
themodel ofanimpassionedand affirmativescholarand teacher.Diana
Eck and my colleagues at the Committee for the Study of Religion at
Harvard provided a stimulating and challenging environment for a new
teacher and young scholar. Throughout the years, Richard Wright,
BillZieff,RooneyandSarahSelf,andJackandAudreyBerryhavebeen
great friends. I have to give special thanks to Rooney and Sarah for a
quietspotinthehillsofNewHampshire,whereIfirstsketchedthebasic
ideas for this book. I also want to thank my family, particularly my
mother, Jane Roberts, and mygrandfather, Charles Tillinghast. They in-
stilledinmeandcontinuetoexemplifyintheirlivesthesynergyofdreams
anddiscipline.
Finally,Ithankmycolleague,friend,andwife,KathleenRobertsSker-
rett.Shehasbeenmymostcherishedintellectualcompanion:apartnerin