If we want to be true atheists, do we have to begin with a religious edifice and undermine it from within?Slavoj i ek has long been a commentator on, and critic of, Christian theology. His preoccupation with Badiou’s concept of ‘the event’ alongside the Pauline thought of the New Testament has led to a decidedly theological turn in his thinking. Drawing on traditions and subjects as broad as Buddhist thought, dialectical materialism, political subjectivity, quantum physics, AI and...
If we want to be true atheists, do we have to begin with a religious edifice and undermine it from within?Slavoj i ek has long been a commentator on, and critic of, Christian theology. His preoccupation with Badiou’s concept of ‘the event’ alongside the Pauline thought of the New Testament has led to a decidedly theological turn in his thinking. Drawing on traditions and subjects as broad as Buddhist thought, dialectical materialism, political subjectivity, quantum physics, AI and chatbots, this book articulates i ek’s idea of a religious life for the first time. Christian Atheism is a unique insight into i ek’s theological project and the first book-length exploration of his religious thinking. In his own words, "to become a true dialectical materialist, one should go through the Christian experience." Crucial to his whole conception of ‘experience’ is not some kind of spiritual revelation but rather the logic of materialistic thought. This affirmation of Christian theology whilst simultaneously deconstructing it is a familiar i ekian move, but one that holds deep-seated political, philosophical and, in the end, personal import for him.Here is i ek’s most extensive treatment of theology and religion to date.
