Description
Book SynopsisWhat is revelation? Is it still relevant in the twenty-first century? In the twentieth century, radical theologian Rudolf Bultmann sought an answer by demythologizing scripture and Christian tradition. Most philosophers and theologians agree that he failed adequately to demythologize revelation through his notion, the kerygma. In this book, Chester O’Gorman corrects this shortcoming to continue Bultmann’s project. He demythologizes Jesus Christ as revelation through the philosophy of Slavoj Žižek. Drawing support from other notable thinkers including Judith Butler, Thomas Altizer, Albert Camus, Rene Girard, and Martin Luther, O’Gorman proffers a non-supernatural account and theory of revelation. This theory enables both Christians and atheists to identify sites of revelation today so that all might better understand and participate in its ongoing liberation of humanity from sin and oppression, for the sake of all of creation.
Trade ReviewBultmann was right: ‘God does not intend that we wander around as living mummies of the ancient world.’ Nor should we mummify Bultmann. In this book, Chester O’Gorman brings the full theoretical weight of Slavoj Žižek’s work to bear upon the project of demythologization and resolve the central dilemma: Can we demythologize the Bible without undermining Christian fidelity to the historical occurrence of Christ? By addressing Bultmann with Žižek’s ontology, the author cleverly problematizes the very idea of an original as such, whilst maintaining nonetheless the exclusivity of Christ qua event, in a way that will answer both conservative and liberal theological concerns. This is a marked, original, indeed fascinating contribution to Bultmann studies and theology more generally. -- Marcus Pound, Durham University
Rudolf Bultmann has been an under-utilized resource for radical theology. In this extremely smart book, O'Gorman confronts Bultmann with Slavoj Žižek in a powerful encounter. Here what Lacan and Žižek call the object a of the drive generalizes Christ as the demythologized object of revelation that liberates humanity from sin in a universal--not a sectarian--manner. -- Clayton Crockett, Professor and Director of Religious Studies, University of Central Arkansas
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Sin and Liberation in Bultmann’s Theology Chapter 3: The Critique of Bultmann’s Kerygmatic Christology Chapter 4: The Ontology of Objet A Chapter 5: Christ as Objet A of Drive Chapter 6: Repeating the Law in the Present Chapter 7: Repeating Grace in the Present Chapter 8: Concluding Remarks
