A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul (Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics, and Culture)

A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul (Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics, and Culture) by Breton, Stanislas. Hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780231151047.

Stanislas Bretons A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul, which focuses on the political implications of the apostles writings, was an instrumental text in Continental philosophys contemporary "turn to religion." Reading Pauls work against modern thought and history, Breton helped launch a reassessment of Marxism, introduce secular interpretations of biblical and theological traditions, develop "radical negativity" as a critical category, and rework modern political ideas through a theoretical lens. Newly translated and critically situated, this edition takes a fresh approach to Bretons classic work, reacquainting readers with the remarkable ways in which an ancient apostle can reset our understanding of the political. Breton begins with Pauls biography and the texts of his conversion, which challenge common conceptions of identity. He broaches the question of allegory and divine predestination, introduces the idea of subjectivity as an effect of power, and confronts Pauls critique of Law, which leads to an exploration of the logics and limits of agency and power. Breton develops these and other insights in relation to Pauls subversive reflections on the crucified messiah, which challenge meaning and reason and upend our current world order. Neither a coherent theologian nor a stable humanist, Bretons Paul becomes a fascinating figure of excess and madness, experiencing a kind of being that transcends philosophy, secularity, and religion.