BeliefIn this highly personal book, one of Europe s foremost contemporary philosophers confronts the theme of faith and religion. He argues that there is a substantial link between the history of Christian revelation and the history of nihilism, in particular as the latter appears in the work of Nietzsche and Heidegger, Vattimo s philosophical specialty. Tracing the relation between his response to these two thinkers and his own life as a devout Catholic, Vattimo shows how his interpretation of Heidegger s work and his conceptions of "weak thought and "weak ontology can be seen as closely linked to a rediscovery of Christianity. Vattimo speaks here in the first person--a risk that results in a disarmingly open exploration of the themes of charity, truth, dogmatism, morality, and sin, viewed through the lens of his own life and his own return to Christianity. While deeply critical of institutionalized religion and the Church, Vattimo discovers in the Christian tradition a voice (not a distinct message) whose interpretation is still being played out around us. Shaped by his readings of Nietzsche and Heidegger, Vattimo s decision to affirm his formation within the Christian tradition provides an original and engaging contribution to the contemporary debate on religion. At the center of this book is the enigma of belief. Freed by modernity from its Platonic subordination to knowledge, belief is recovered as a crucial and inevitable feature of our cultural and personal lives. "Do you believe? Vattimo is asked. "I believe so, he replies. |
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Contents
Introduction by Luca DIsanto | 1 |
Return | 20 |
Christian inheritance and nihilism | 33 |
a purified faith? | 46 |
the limit of charity | 62 |
To return where? | 75 |
Postscriptum | 93 |
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Common terms and phrases
accept according announcement appears argument attitude authentic authority aware basis become believe belonging Catholic charity Christ Christian Church claim conceived conception concerning contemporary continuity course culture death dissolution divine doctrine epoch event example existence experience expression fact faith forms given God's Heidegger Heidegger's hope human idea incarnation interpretation Italy Jesus kenosis language least less limit lived logic longer matter meaning merely metaphysics morality myths natural Nietzsche nihilism object once ontology paradoxical perhaps perspective philosophy political position possible precisely present principle problem question rationalization reading reality realized reason recognition recognize reduced reference reflections relation religion religious revelation sacred salvation Scripture secularization seems sense society speak spiritual structures takes teaching theology things thinking thought tradition transcendence true truth ultimately understanding University Vattimo violence weak weakening writing
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Belief Cultural Memory in the Present Series |
| Author | Gianni Vattimo |
| Publisher | Stanford University Press, 1999 |
| ISBN | 0804739196, 9780804739191 |
| Length | 98 pages |
| Subjects | › › Philosophy / History & Surveys / General Philosophy / Religious |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |