About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherSeagull Books

ISBN-101803093641

ISBN-139781803093642

eBay Product ID (ePID)2333991618

Product Key Features

Book TitleKingdom and the Garden

Number of Pages164 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2024

TopicChristian Theology / Systematic, Christian Theology / General, Religious, General

GenreReligion, Philosophy

AuthorGiorgio Agamben

Book SeriesThe Italian List Ser.

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.5 in

Item Weight7.1 Oz

Item Length7.7 in

Item Width5.5 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

ReviewsThe English-language reader, whether political theorist, philosopher, or theologian (or some creative combination of these), can only rejoice at this profound little fire-starter that challenges our sacred and secular polities, and the all-too-narrow, unimaginative, unhopeful conceptions of the human community, wearingly proposed by three extrinsic, alienated disciplines., By means of a meticulously researched argument, Agamben presents a genealogy of the shifting understanding of Christian paradise and its impact on the conception of human nature. Because Agamben has indisputably achieved the status of one of the major philosophers of the 21st century, this slim, focused volume has interest beyond its explicit topic. . . . Highly recommended.

Dewey Edition23

TitleLeadingThe

Dewey Decimal128

SynopsisIn a tour-de-force reinterpretation of the Christian tradition, Giorgio Agamben shows that the Garden of Eden has always served as a symbol of humanity's true nature. Where earlier theologians viewed the expulsion as temporary, Augustine's doctrine of original sin makes it permanent, reimagining humanity as a creature completely alienated from its own nature. Yet there have always been thinkers who rebelled against this idea, and Agamben highlights two major examples: the early medieval philosopher John Scotus Eriugena, who rejected Augustine's doctrine of original sin in favour of a radical unity of humanity with all living things: and Dante, whose vision of the earthly paradise points towards the possibility of genuine human happiness in this world. In place of the messianic kingdom, which has provided the model for modern revolutionary movements, Agamben contends that we should place our hopes for political change in a return to our origins, by reclaiming the earthly paradise., In a tour-de-force reinterpretation of the Christian tradition, Agamben shows that the Garden of Eden has always served as a symbol for humanity's true nature. What happened to paradise after Adam and Eve were expelled? The question may sound like a theological quibble, or even a joke, but in The Kingdom and the Garden , Giorgio Agamben uses it as a starting point for an investigation of human nature and the prospects for political transformation. In a tour-de-force reinterpretation of the Christian tradition, Agamben shows that the Garden of Eden has always served as a symbol of humanity's true nature. Where earlier theologians viewed the expulsion as temporary, Augustine's doctrine of original sin makes it permanent, reimagining humanity as the paradoxical creature that has been completely alienated from its own nature. From this perspective, there can be no return to paradise, only the hope for the messianic kingdom. Yet there have always been thinkers who rebelled against this idea, and Agamben highlights two major examples. The first is the early medieval philosopher John Scotus Eriugena, who argued for a radical unity of humanity with all living things. The second is Dante, whose vision of the earthly paradise points towards the possibility of genuine human happiness in this world. In place of the messianic kingdom, which has provided the model for modern revolutionary movements, Agamben contends that we should place our hopes for political change in a return to our origins, by reclaiming the earthly paradise.

LC Classification NumberBT846.3.A3 2024