Nietzsche versus Paul

233 Pages·2015·0.67 MB·English

by  Azzam

A B E D A Z Z A M
NIETZSCHE VERSUS PAUL
INSURRECTIONS: CRITICAL STUDIES IN RELIGION, POLITICS, AND CULTURE
INSURRECTIONS: CRITICAL STUDIES IN RELIGION, POLITICS, AND CULTURE
Slavoj Žižek, Clayton Crockett, Creston Davis, Jeffrey W. Robbins, Editors
The intersection of religion, politics, and culture is one of the most discussed areas in
theory today. It also has the deepest and most wide-ranging impact on the world. Insur-
rections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics, and Culture will bring the tools of phi-
losophy and critical theory to the political implications of the religious turn. The series
will address a range of religious traditions and political viewpoints in the United States,
Europe, and other parts of the world. Without advocating any specifi c religious or
theological stance, the series aims nonetheless to be faithful to the radical emancipatory
potential of religion.
For a complete list of books in the series, see page 210
N I E T Z S C H E
V E R S U S

ABED AZZAM
PA U L
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW YORK
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
cup.columbia.edu
Copyright © 2015 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Azzam, Abed.
Nietzsche versus Paul / Abed Azzam.
pages cm.—(Insurrections: critical studies in religion, politics, and culture)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-231-16930-1 (cloth: alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-231-16931-8
(pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-231-53897-8 (e-book)
1. Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1844–1900. 2. Christanity—
Philosophy. 3. Christanity and atheism. 4. Dionysus (Greek deity)
5. Paul, the Apostle, Saint. I. Title.
B3318. C35A99 2015
193—dc23
2014010861

Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper.
This book is printed on paper with recycled content.
Printed in the United States of America

c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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cover image: comet hale-bopp © bernd nies
cover design: chang jae lee

References to websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing.
Neither the author nor Columbia University Press is responsible for URLs that may have
expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
FOR BALKIS

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
List of Abbreviations xi
Introduction xiii
1. From Dionysian Tragedy to Christianity 1
2. From Judaism to Christianity 25
3. Jesus-Christ and the Two Worlds of Early Christianity 52
4. Paul: The First Christian 82
5. Science and Art After the Death of God 105
6. Beyond Modern Temporality 131
Notes 151
Bibliography 185
Index 197
vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
During the several years I spent researching and writing this manu-
script, I was surrounded by colleagues and friends who pushed this
project toward its successful fi nalization each in his own way. I want to
thank Adi Ophir for his stimulating responses and unceasing encour-
agement. I direct my thanks to Alfred Tauber for his extraordinary
support and insightful notes on an earlier version of this manuscript. I
am also tremendously thankful to Oded Schechter for his reading of
the major parts of the manuscript and the countless conversations
from which I learned enormously. Special thanks to Judith Butler for
her generous and attentive reading of the manuscript. Also thanks to
CUP’s two anonymous readers for their thoughtful notes which left
their stamp on the last version of this book.
I was lucky for being granted the help, support, advice, notes, and
thoughts of all those who led the early versions of this manuscript to
wear the form of this book. My distinctive thanks go to Amnon Raz-
Krakotzkin, Christiane Aurich, Christoph Schmidt, Eliav Brand,
Georges Khalil, Gideon Freudenthal, Kamal Aljafari, Samah Selim,
Samera Esmeir, Uta Ruge, Yizhak Melamed, and Yossef Schwartz.
ix