God Returns as Nihilist Caritas
Gianni Vattimo refers his weak interpretation of metaphysics to its Christian provenance. He argues that his nihilist secularization theory divulges the full and ultimate meaning of Christianity. This model understands Christianity as God who returns, not as an eternal (pre-modern) substance but a...
| Published in: | Sophia |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Springer Netherlands
[2015]
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| In: |
Sophia
Year: 2015, Volume: 54, Issue: 3, Pages: 363-379 |
| RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism NBC Doctrine of God TK Recent history VA Philosophy |
| Further subjects: | B
Weak Thought
B Return of Religion B Secularization B Gianni Vattimo B Nihilism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Gianni Vattimo refers his weak interpretation of metaphysics to its Christian provenance. He argues that his nihilist secularization theory divulges the full and ultimate meaning of Christianity. This model understands Christianity as God who returns, not as an eternal (pre-modern) substance but as one who in his return reveals himself as becoming the current nihilist hermeneutic flux that is reality. Vattimo takes kenosis as the model of the destiny of ontology. God takes a distance from the eternal origin and lets go of his transcendent divinity. From this, Vattimo learns that truth becomes a purely wordly matter without any external, c.q. metaphysical or sacred reference. The Good message is: there are only messages, no facts. Gods return has to be understood epistmo-theologically. Revelation is now completely accomplished in a nihilist, endless way: Christianity means keeping thought away from petrifying into truth, fact, and reality. This is pure Christian caritas in that it does away with the violence of metaphysics and the sacred and thereby discourages all human attempts toward violence. Redeeming though this may sound, perhaps Vattimo is too naïve (as Girard claims) and too theologically shallow. |
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| ISSN: | 1873-930X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Sophia
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1007/s11841-015-0479-8 |