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Papers by Jacob Given

Routledge eBooks, Nov 17, 2021

Schüren Verlag eBooks, 2018

This thesis aims to explore the “unconditional” character of religious experience. Through an exa... more This thesis aims to explore the “unconditional” character of religious experience. Through an examination of Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous work Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, Tillich’s concept of ultimate concern, and the deconstructive idea of the impossible, I will develop a notion of the “passion for the impossible.” This is a future-oriented striving, a structural hope, that underlies not only institutional Christianity, but also any religious or cultural structure in which one is oriented toward the ultimate. Kierkegaard’s notion of the absolute orientation toward the absolute telos, Tillich’s notion of ultimate concern, and the deconstructive idea of the impossible all point toward a similar existential structure that underlies our religious life. I will end by contrasting the senses of transcendence in the three positions, and offer my reading of the “passion for the impossible,” characterized by expectancy.

Kierkegaard Secondary Literature, 2021

In general, Kant's critique of metaphysics still holds up, especially for religious metaphysics. ... more In general, Kant's critique of metaphysics still holds up, especially for religious metaphysics. Most metaphysical arguments rest on indemonstrable assumptions. The cosmological argument for the existence of God assumes that matter is created, and that an outside force must cause it to come into existence. However, if we assume that matter is eternal, then no such unmoved mover is necessary and we may argue for atheism. For every theistic argument, there is an equally convincing (or unconvincing) atheistic one. This situation does not necessarily debunk the truth of either position, but it has produced, as Lyotard wrote, a "postmodern condition" defined by incredulity toward metanarratives. In other words, metaphysics has lost its appeal; apologetic arguments no longer sway us.

Conference Presentations by Jacob Given

This paper aims to show that Heidegger’s “formally indicative” method provides a way of understan... more This paper aims to show that Heidegger’s “formally indicative” method provides a way of understanding the nature of theological concepts in the performance hermeneutic paradigm. In Catholic theology, the “performance hermeneutic” is a theory of interpretation that claims that the fundamental concepts of the Christian tradition can only be fully understood through their application in lived performance. This paradigm rejects the idea that theological concepts are essentially static truth claims, delivered once and for all. Rather, the theological concept is most fundamentally a truth to be encountered in the Christian performance, understood in its enactment.

In this paper, I will use Heidegger’s concept of “formal indication” to more precisely analyze the status of theological concepts within the performance hermeneutic paradigm. I will first look at the situation and task of the Christian theologian, namely, that the theologian explicates the Christian life in the midst of Christian living. This is (and has always been) the task of the thinkers of the Church. From within this hermeneutic circle, the theologian can, at best, indicate theological truths as concepts to be performatively understood through their enactment in time. I will then analyze the concept of the “formal indication” in Heidegger’s early work. I will argue that the performative understanding at play in the performance hermeneutic paradigm amounts to a “formal indication,” which the young Heidegger employed phenomenologically. Last, I will demonstrate the theological relevance of the formal indication by applying it to the concept of “faith.”

If Jack Caputo and Gustavo Gutiérrez walked into a bar, what do you suppose they'd talk about? Mo... more If Jack Caputo and Gustavo Gutiérrez walked into a bar, what do you suppose they'd talk about? More generally, how should radical theologies interact with more orthodox liberationist ones? In this talk, I'll use Caputo's The Weakness of God and Gutiérrez' A Theology of Liberation as points of departure for a vital dialogue between the two discourses. Perhaps radical theology proposes a serious challenge to liberation theology's orthodoxy. Then again, perhaps an engagement with liberation theology will call for a subversion of our more radically-minded norms.

See corresponding paper. Presented at South Carolina Society for Philosophy's annual meeting, Mar... more See corresponding paper. Presented at South Carolina Society for Philosophy's annual meeting, March 28th, 2015.

This talk dealt with the interpretive difficulties in Augustine's theory of divine illumination a... more This talk dealt with the interpretive difficulties in Augustine's theory of divine illumination as outlined in De Magistro, and was presented at South Carolina Society for Philosophy's annual conference, February 15th, 2014.

This talk replied to objections to Plantinga's modal argument for the existence of God as outline... more This talk replied to objections to Plantinga's modal argument for the existence of God as outlined in God, Freedom, and Evil. In particular, I treated the idea of "absolute omnipotence," versus "qualified omnipotence," and the implications of each model for Plantinga's argument. This paper was presented at the South Carolina Society for Philosophy's annual meeting on March 9th, 2013.

Thesis Chapters by Jacob Given

We have surveyed three religious phenomenological schemes that hinge on three similar characteriz... more We have surveyed three religious phenomenological schemes that hinge on three similar characterizations of religiosity: namely, the absolute relation to the absolute telos, ultimate concern, and a passion for the impossible. Each includes an immanent, subjective disposition toward a transcendent object (loosely understood). Consequently, the larger view of transcendence that is operative in each thinker has an impact on the subsequent characterization of the transcendent object of religion. Where does the absolute telos lie? Where is the object of ultimate concern? Where is does the impossible come from? Notice, each question is framed in terms of a spatial metaphor. This is ultimately a question of metaphysics, which is the biggest divergence between our authors.

The Impossible "The point of maximum intensity is only reached at the impossible." 77

Routledge eBooks, Nov 17, 2021

Schüren Verlag eBooks, 2018

Kierkegaard Secondary Literature, 2021

The Impossible "The point of maximum intensity is only reached at the impossible." 77

This thesis aims to explore the " unconditional " character of religious experience. Through an e... more This thesis aims to explore the " unconditional " character of religious experience. Through an examination of Kierkegaard's pseudonymous work Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments, Tillich's concept of ultimate concern, and the deconstructive idea of the impossible, I will develop a notion of the " passion for the impossible. " This is a future-oriented striving, a structural hope, that underlies not only institutional Christianity, but also any religious or cultural structure in which one is oriented toward the ultimate. Kierkegaard's notion of the absolute orientation toward the absolute telos, Tillich's notion of ultimate concern, and the deconstructive idea of the impossible all point toward a similar existential structure that underlies our religious life. I will end by contrasting the senses of transcendence in the three positions, and offer my reading of the " passion for the impossible, " characterized by expectancy.

In this paper I will examine two models of devotion to the wounds of Christ in relation to the fe... more In this paper I will examine two models of devotion to the wounds of Christ in relation to the feminine subject. First I will look at Anselm’s “Prayer to Christ.” Through a reading of this prayer, I will suggest that Anselm’s key movements deal with guilt, trauma, and lack. I will then explain the dynamics of affective devotion through Elizabeth Grosz’ discussion of the “imaginary anatomy” and Kristeva’s “imaginary identification.” Next, I will discuss Irigaray’s feminist critique of the wound-as-lack by examining her turn from the feminized Son of “la Mystérique” to her suggestion that women must fashion for themselves a feminine divine. Ultimately, Anselm’s devotion to Christ, on Irigaray’s account, does not support an autonomous feminine subject. Instead, I will suggest that later side-wound devotion gives a promising counter-example of wound piety that avoids Irigaray’s critique. I will end by suggesting, against Irigaray, that the polyvalence of religious symbols and the ambiguity of embodied experience demand that both Anselm and later side-wound devotion remain options for the feminine devotee.

First, I will lay out the dynamics of boredom as presented in Kierkegaard’s Either/Or. I will sho... more First, I will lay out the dynamics of boredom as presented in Kierkegaard’s Either/Or. I will show that the basic method of the esthete, nil admirari, is a way to overcome boredom without overcoming nihilism. With this in mind, I will then discuss a few events and anecdotes from Lovecraft’s life that suggest his situation within boredom, as the esthete conceives it. I will then read his two short stories, “The White Ship” and “The Silver Key” in order to show how Lovecraft conceives of the dreaming in a meaningless reality. The dream is no more or less valuable than reality, and yet it is infinitely more pleasurable. Dreaming seems to be Lovecraft’s escape from the “prosiness of life.” However, this is not the whole story. I will then examine how in Lovecraft’s fiction, in his own fanciful dream world, the Nothing is preserved and affectively transfigured. I will read his story “Dagon” to show how the meaninglessness and futility of existence takes center stage. Lovecraft’s fictional gaze is not away from the Nothing, but rather it is into it. However, the affective register in which Lovecraft’s fiction resonates is not boredom but fascination. Lovecraft is then able to transcend boredom precisely by leaning in to meaninglessness.

I will begin with an examination of Freud’s theory of religion. The father plays a central role i... more I will begin with an examination of Freud’s theory of religion. The father plays a central role in both the phylogenetic and infantile explanations of the origin of religious feeling. I will then look at several places where Freud alludes to the mother, especially with reference to the paternal origins of religion discussed prior. With regard to the phylogenetic origin, Freud mentions the “mother-goddesses” that probably predated father-gods, and with regard to the infantile origin, the protector role of the father originally belonged to the mother. There is, then, a supersessionism in Freud. The mother is done away with, replaced by the father. I will then examine Freud’s correspondence with French writer Romain Rolland that led him to address the oceanic feeling in Civilization and its Discontents. I will suggest that this oceanic feeling represents exactly the maternal origin of religion that Freud suppressed up until that point. Ultimately, though, Freud refuses the oceanic feeling in a gesture similar to the previous refusals of the religious mother. I will end by looking at some contemporary theorizing on the oceanic feeling.