Theology After Deleuze

169 Pages·2012·1.095 MB·English

by  Kristien Justaert

Theology After
Deleuze
Deleuze Encounters
Series Editor: Ian Buchanan, Professor of Critical and Cultural Theory,
University of Wollongong, Australia
The Deleuze Encounters series provides students in philosophy
and related subjects with concise and accessible introductions to
the application of Deleuze’s work in key areas of study. Each book
demonstrates how Deleuze’s ideas and concepts can enhance
present work in a particular field.
Series titles include:
Cinema After Deleuze
Richard Rushton
Philosophy After Deleuze
Joe Hughes
Political Theory After Deleuze
Nathan Widder
Space and Place After Deleuze
Arun Saldanha
Theology After
Deleuze
Kristien Justaert
Deleuze Encounters
Continuum International Publishing Group
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© Kristien Justaert 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
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Author has asserted his/her right under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: HB: 978-1-4411-9183-0
PB: 978-1-4411-5890-1
e-ISBN: 978-1-4411-3736-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Justaert, Kristien.
Theology after Deleuze/Kristien Justaert.
pages cm. – (Deleuze encounters)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4411-5890-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) –
ISBN 978-1-4411-9183-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) –
ISBN 978-1-4411-0217-1 (ebook epub : alk. paper) –
ISBN 978-1-4411-3736-4 (ebook pdf : alk. paper)
1. Deleuze, Gilles, 1925–95.
2. Political theology.
3. Feminist theology. I. Title.
B2430.D454J87 2012
230–dc23
2011047330
Typeset by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
Contents
Acknowledgements vi
Abbreviations vii
Introduction: On life 1
1 Immanent life 11
Immanent Deleuze 12
The problem of immanence in theology and the future of
immanent theologies 32
2 Spiritual life 39
Spiritual Deleuze 41
Becoming-divine with Meister Eckhart and the Chinese 59
3 Creative life 71
Creative Deleuze 72
Theologies of creation – creative theologies 86
4 Ethical life 101
Political Deleuze 104
Liberation theologies 119
Conclusion: The ‘evangelical power’ of Deleuze –
towards a theology of life 131
Notes 135
Bibliography 149
Index 155
Acknowledgements
i’m extremely grateful to my colleague and friend Colby Dickinson
who was so kind to read the complete manuscript of this book. His
corrections, comments and support were absolutely indispensable.
Also Trevor Maine’s contributions to the text were enriching and
incredibly helpful. Without the encouragement and support from
Ian Buchanan, I would have never had the chance to even write this
book – my debt to him is invaluable. I am grateful to the people at
Continuum who did a wonderful job in following up on the progress
of the manuscript and editing it afterwards. My collaboration with
Jacques Haers at the Centre for Liberation Theologies has provided
a permanent and fertile breeding ground for many ideas that emerge
in this book and I am very grateful for all the chances that he gives
me. A grant from the Research Foundation in Flanders, Belgium
(FWO-Vlaanderen) has made the writing of this book possible. Finally,
thank you Tom and Juno for creating a wonderful home and way of
living together.
Abbreviations
to increase the readability of this book, I have chosen to cite the
works of Deleuze (and Guattari) in their English translations where
possible. Where it was necessary to clarify the meaning of a particular
word or phrase, I have also mentioned the French term(s).
AO Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. (2004), Anti-Oedipus. Capitalism
and Schizophrenia (trans. R. Hurley, M Seem, H. R. Lane).
London: Continuum.
ATP Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. (2004), A Thousand Plateaus.
Capitalism and Schizophrenia (trans. B. Massumi). London:
Continuum.
B Deleuze, G. (1991), Bergsonism (trans. H. Tomlinson & B.
Habberjam). New York: Zone Books.
C2 Deleuze, G. (1989), Cinema 2. The Time-Image (trans. H.
Tomlinson & R. Galeta). London: The Athlone Press.
D Deleuze, G. and Parnet, C. (2006), Dialogues II (trans. H.
Tomlinson & B. Habberjam). London: Continuum.
DI Deleuze, G. (2004), Desert Islands and Other Texts 1953–74
(trans. M. Taormina). Los Angeles: Semiotext(e).
DR D eleuze, G. (2004), Difference and Repetition (trans. P. Patton).
London: Continuum.
EP Deleuze, G. (1992), Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza
(trans. M. Joughin). New York: Zone Books.
F Deleuze, G. (2006), The Fold (trans. T. Conley). London:
Continuum.
K Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. (1986), Kafka. Toward a Minor
Literature (trans. D. Polan). Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press.
viii abbreviations
LS Deleuze, G. (1990), The Logic of Sense (trans. M. Lester).
New York: Columbia University Press.
N Deleuze, G. (1995), Negotiations 1972–90 (trans. M. Joughin).
New York: Columbia University Press.
NP Deleuze, G. (2006), Nietzsche and Philosophy (trans. H.
Tomlinson). New York: Columbia University Press.
PP Deleuze, G. (1988), Spinoza: Practical Philosophy (trans. R.
Hurley). San Francisco: City Light Books.
TRM D eleuze, G. (2007), Two Regimes of Madness. Texts and
Interviews 1975–95 (trans. A. Hodges & M. Taormina). Los
Angeles: Semiotext(e).
WP Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. (1994), What is Philosophy?
(trans. H. Tomlinson & G. Burchell). New York: Columbia
University Press.
Introduction:
On life
I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).
A free man thinks of nothing less than of death,
and his wisdom is a meditation, not on death, but on life
(Spinoza, Ethics IV, 67).
Life. A simple, one-word summary of what constitutes, in my opinion,
the most important key to the connection between Deleuze and
theology. Deleuze and theology, it could be said, share a passion for life,
for a specific kind of life even. The importance of ‘life’ as a theological
and religious category can hardly be overestimated: no matter how we
define who or what God or the divine is, what counts in the end is to
what extent believers succeed in attuning their lives to the divine life, in
fact by living a divine life. Christian theologians, for example, interpret the
life of Jesus Christ as the ultimate expression of who God is; they call
for an Imitatio Christi as an authentic following of Christ (‘discipleship’).
The divine life is the eternal life, and Christ’s resurrection three days
after his death reveals how a divine life always surmounts death. In
Deleuze’s works too, the concept of life becomes a key term for any
interpretation of his philosophy that wishes to offer an encompassing
view of his thought. This fact can be glimpsed by the manner in which
his metaphysics is inspired by Spinoza, whom he reads as a practical
philosopher, as well as by a vitalist like Bergson and someone like
Nietzsche who actually lived his philosophy. Moreover, it seems as if
Deleuze considers his own thinking as practical (or political or ethical),
even before it could be considered as metaphysical: ‘politics comes
before being’ (ATP, 203).