Christ in Postmodern Philosophy Gianni Vattimo, Rene Girard, and Slavoj Zizek [Paperback]

In the wake of Heidegger's announcement of the end of onto-theology and inspired by both Levinas and Derrida, many contemporary continental philosophers of religion search for a post-metaphysical God, a God who is often characterized astout autre, wholly other.Christ in Postmodern Philosophyinvestigates the Christological ideas of three contemporary thinkers, Gianni Vattimo, Rene Girard and Slavoj }i~ek. In doing so, Frederiek Depoortere focuses on the relation between transcendence and the event of the Incarnation on the one hand, and the uniqueness of Christianity on the other.

Introduction: The Question of Christology after the Death of God
1. Gianni Vattimo
1.1. The Background of Vattimo's Christology: How the Return of Religion Became Possible (Nietzsche, Heidegger)1.2. Vattimo's Christology: Kenosis and Caritas
2. Slavoj }i~ek
2.1. The Background of }i~ek's Christology: Reading Hegel's Christology with Lacan
2.2. }i~ek's Christology
2.2.1. The Deadlock of the Sacrificial Interpretation of Christ's Death on the Cross
2.2.2. From God as 'Wholly Other Thing' to God as 'Barely Nothing'
2.2.3. The Coming of Christ, the Death of the Divine Thing
2.2.4. The Crucified Christ, the Ultimate objet petit a

3. Ren? Girard
3.1. The Background of Girard's Christology: Mimesis and the Scapegoating Mechanism
3.2. Girard's Christology
3.2.1. Girard's Account of the Christ Event
3.2.2. Girard vs. Nietzsche: Dionysus and the Crucified One - on the impact of the Christ Event in World History

4. Evaluations & Confrontations
4.1. Vattimo's Christology, a Return of 'God Is Dead'-Theology
4.2. Girard vs. Vattimo
4.3. The Shared Inspiration of }i~ek and Girard
4.4. The Fate of Transcendence in the Work of }i~ek
4.5. Girard vs. }i~ek
4.6. General Conclusion: On the Transcendence of Love and the Uniqueness of Christianity