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  • From: "Given, Mark Douglas" <mdg421f AT smsu.edu>
  • To: "Corpus-Paul" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Corpus-Paul] Saint Paul: The Foundation of Universalism
  • Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2004 18:28:14 -0600

Here's the back cover:

In this bold and provocative work, French philosopher Alain Badiou
proposes a startling reinterpretation of St. Paul. For Badiou, Paul is
neither the venerable saint embalmed by Christian tradition, nor the
venomous priest execrated by philosophers like Nietzsche: he is instead
a profoundly original and still revolutionary thinker whose invention of
Christianity weaves truth and subjectivity together in a way that
continues to be relevant for us today.
In this work, Badiou argues that Paul delineates a new figure of
the subject: bearer of a universal truth that simultaneously shatters
the strictures of Judaic Law and the conventions of the Greek Logos.
Badiou shows that the Pauline figure of the subject still harbors a
genuinely revolutionary potential today: the subject is that which
refuses to submit to the order of the world as we know it and struggles
for a new one instead.

I admit that I have only read some sections carefully and skimmed the
rest (it's only 111 pages), but I didn't see much that would contradict
what I imagine many list members would say in response to this blurb:
"This constitutes a 'startling reinterpretation?'" Badiou seems to be
oblivious to all recent scholarship that would bear on his thesis, let
alone the similarity of his approach to Baur. (In his Prologue he
recommends two books, one by Breton and one by Bornkamm for further
reading, period, and there are no footnotes anywhere.) But I guess when
one admits that "My intention, clearly, is neither historicizing nor
exegetical. It is subjective through and through," all is excused. Cf.
Zizek, who has been appropriating Paul occasionally as of late, but
mostly a Paul unrecognizable in current critical scholarship. On the
bright side, I suppose it's a good thing that philosophers and cultural
theorists are rediscovering Paul, and there are some intriguing
observations here and there. But on this particular issue, one's time is
best spent with Boyarin.

I get really opinionated with I'm tired. (-;

Apologies to all,

Mark

Mark D. Given
Associate Professor
Southwest Missouri State University



-----Original Message-----
From: corpus-paul-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:corpus-paul-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Loren Rosson
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 3:53 PM
To: Corpus-Paul
Subject: [Corpus-Paul] Saint Paul: The Foundation of Universalism

List members --

What have folks heard about this book?

Saint Paul: The Foundation of Universalism. By Alain
Badiou. ISBN 0-8047-4470-X. July 2003.

Here are snips from the blurb in latest issue of
Choice: "Badiou is one of the most refreshing
contrarian voices coming out of France today.
Challenging the banal relativism of the
poststructuralist establishment, his work is bent on
retrieving a notion of universal truth... [Yet] his
investigation of Paul should not be construed as
Badiou's flirtation with faith. As he puts it, 'I care
nothing for the Good News he declares.'...Recommended.
Graduate students and researchers/faculty." (Jan 04,
p. 924)

This is the first I've heard of it. It sounds more
philosophical than historical.

Loren Rosson III
Nashua NH
Rossoiii AT yahoo.com


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