Jean-Luc Marion and Gianni Vattimo’s Contributions for the Postmodern Faith

<p>Catholic theology in the postmodern era has encountered various cultural or narrative shifts—both negative and positive—which have helped shape the Roman Catholic Church and Christianity at large. Negatively, the Church has been affected by external factors (e.g., globalization, immigration/emigration, increased access to technology, etc.) and internal struggles (e.g., reduced church attendance, an aging population, etc.). Positively, as others have suggested, postmodernity has ushered in a return to religion through new philosophical and theological ideas (e.g., phenomenology, existentialism, post-metaphysics, etc.). This dissertation aims to contribute to the ongoing postmodern concerns addressed in the cultural and narrative shifts, by focusing on the work of Jean-Luc Marion and Gianni Vattimo. The emphasis of this project focuses on the use of metaphysics as the foundational tool of theology and its corresponding limitations. This project also illuminates a central tenet of Christianity, <em>caritas</em>. Marion and Vattimo address <em>caritas </em>as that which should be the focal point of postmodern theology. Addressing this attribute of Christianity, this project observes the possibility of a ‘return to religion,’ one that reflects the postmodern exploration of religion by the several philosophers addressed herein. While this dissertation avoids offering a reconstruction of theology or, more specifically ecclesiology, it aims to re-establish the importance of philosophy, metaphysics, and <em>caritas </em>in the postmodern context.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Immediate Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Theology

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• McGravey, Michael

Contributors dc:contributor

• Marie L. Baird
• Sebastian Madathummuriyil
• George Worgul

• Jean-Luc Marion
• Gianni Vattimo
• Theology
• Philosophy of Religion
• metaphysics
• postmodernism
• phenomenology
• Catholic Studies
• Christianity
• Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1421

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-2449