Hope in a Secular Age
Deconstruction, Negative Theology, and the Future of Faith

Uses premodern theology and postmodern theory to show the endurance of religious and political commitments through the practice of hope.

David Newheiser (Author)

9781108724395, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 3 March 2022

187 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.1 cm, 0.285 kg

'… this book is valuable for anyone who is interested in the fields of political theology and negative theology, as well as for those with interest in ethics, secularization theory, and theologies of hope. Hope in a Secular Age skillfully draws from an eclectic and rich well of sources spanning across time and philosophical commitments, envisioning a new way forward through uncertain times.' Regan Hardeman, Reading Religion

This book argues that hope is the indispensable precondition of religious practice and secular politics. Against dogmatic complacency and despairing resignation, David Newheiser argues that hope sustains commitments that remain vulnerable to disappointment. Since the discipline of hope is shared by believers and unbelievers alike, its persistence indicates that faith has a future in a secular age. Drawing on premodern theology and postmodern theory, Newheiser shows that atheism and Christianity have more in common than they often acknowledge. Writing in a clear and engaging style, he develops a new reading of deconstruction and negative theology, arguing that (despite their differences) they share a self-critical hope. By retrieving texts and traditions that are rarely read together, this book offers a major intervention in debates over the place of religion in public life.

Introduction
1. Deconstruction: the need for negativity
2. Negative theology: critique and commitment
3. The discipline of hope
4. Beyond indeterminacy and dogma
5. Atheism and the future of faith
6. Negative political theology
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of religion [HRAB], Philosophy [HP], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW]