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  "publishedAt": "2001-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
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  "textContent": "Robbins - De-Nominating Religion and Postmodernism - JCRT 2.2 \n\nDe-Nominating Religion and Postmodernism: A Conversation between Jean-Luc Marion and Jacques Derrida\n\nA review of _God, the Gift, and Postmodernism_, John D. Caputo and Michael J. Scanlon, eds. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999); $19.95.\n\nJeffrey W. Robbins  \nLe Moyne College\n\n  \n\nIn the Fall of 1997 at Villanova University, a major international conference devoted to the theme of 'Religion and Postmodernism' was held. A record of the proceedings from this conference has been published recently in _God, the Gift, and Postmodernism,_ a collection of essays edited by John Caputo and Michael Scanlon_._ This volume includes twelve essays from a distinguished body of philosophers and theologians, as well as responses from Jacques Derrida. The introduction states that the purpose of the conference was \"to discuss the question of religion at the end of the millennium\" (1); and while many contributors of note are included in this volume (e.g., John Caputo, Richard Kearney, Merold Westphal, David Tracy, Mark C. Taylor, Edith Wyschogrod, Fran'oise Meltzer, and John Dominic Crossan), clearly the significance and chief value of this text lies in the clarity it gives to what has become an entrenched debate between Jacques Derrida, Jean-Luc Marion, and their followers. In fact, the dialogue that took place between Derrida and Marion at this conference was the first public exchange between these two enormously significant thinkers in the field of religion and postmodernism. The review that follows, therefore, will focus exclusively on this exchange, which is represented in the collection by Marion's essay, \"In the Name: How to Avoid Speaking of 'Negative Theology'\" with a response from Derrida (20-53), and a roundtable discussion between Marion and Derrida, moderated by Richard Kearney (54-78). Through these various exchanges, what will become evident is that the differences between Marion and Derrida do not represent choices either for or against religion, but rather, two distinct denominations of religion in the spirit of postmodernism.\n\n  \n\n> Is the impossible lodged in a givenness that can never be intended or in an intention that can never be given? Depending on the answer, the transgression of the old Enlightenment, the movement beyond the constraints imposed by modernity's conditions of possibility, the apology for the impossible, will take either of two very different forms which bear the proper names Marion and Derrida (\"Introduction,\" 7-8).\n\n  \n\n> For neither the Alexandrian nor Cappadocian Fathers, nor Irenaeus nor Augustine, nor Bernard, Bonaventure, nor Thomas Aquinas'all of whom resort to negations when naming God and build a theory of this apophasis'none of them use the formula \"negative theology.\" As a result, it can reasonably be supposed that this formula is nothing but modern. 'Consequently, we will from now on no longer consider the phrases \"metaphysics of presence\" and \"negative theology,\" if by chance we have had to use them, as anything but conceptual imprecision to be overcome or as questions awaiting answers'never as secure bases (21).\n\n  \n\nNotes\n\n  \n\n> Jeffrey W. Robbins teaches part-time in the Philosophy department at both Le Moyne College and Cayuga Community College. He received a M.Div. from Brite Divinity School in 1997 and his Ph.D. in Religion from Syracuse University in 2001. He has published articles in the _CSSR Bulletin_ (vol 28/4, 29/2) and the _Journal for Christian Theological Research_ (vol 5/5). His interests are in Continental Philosophy of Religion.\n\n  \n\n> \n\n  *\n\n ' 2001 Jeffrey W. Robbins. All rights reserved.  \nUpdated 07/28/21.   \nhttp://jcrt.org/archives/02.2/robbins/\n\n---",
  "title": "God, the Gift, and Postmodernism"
}