The Trace of God Derrida and Religion [Hardcover]

Derridas writings on the question of religion have played a crucial role in the transformation of scholarly debate across the globe. The Trace of God provides a compact introduction to this debate. It considers Derridas fraught relationship to Judaism and his Jewish identity, broaches the question of Derrida's relation to the Western Christian tradition, and examines both the points of contact and the silences in Derrida's treatment of Islam.The Trace of God treats Derrida's discussion and use of religious ideas. Examining his writings both early and late, it provides accounts of his engagement with the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, offering a variety of perspectives on the meaning of his work and its implications today.Jacques Derridas most lasting legacy might well be his writings on religion, which not only restored the dialogue between religion and philosophy but also traced the entanglements of faith and knowledge, sacral and secular. If the perplexed seek a guide, they can do no better than this excellent volume. It explores Derridas engagements with religion across the entire span of his career and the vast range of his interests. Bringing together established voices and younger scholars, these essays highlight the complexity and ambiguity of Derridas thought and accentuate robust disagreements rather than harmonious consensus.

Edward Baring and Peter Gordon are to be commended for assembling such a
high-quality collection.

Edward Baring and Peter Gordon offer up to us an astonishingly fresh and vivid set of essays that not only cast new light on the work of the greatest philosophical provocateur of the late twentieth century but also provide food for reflecting today on the relations among violence, modernity, secularity, and religion.