Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
On Religion
John D. Caputo explores the very roots of religious thinking in this thought-provoking book. Compelling questions come up along the way: 'What do I love when I love my God?' and 'What can Star Wars tell us about the contemporary use of religion?' (are we always trying to find a way of saying 'God be with you'?) Why is religion for many a source of moral guidance in a postm...more
Paperback, 147 pages
Published
May 23rd 2001
by Routledge
(first published May 21st 2001)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
215)
This is a hard book for me to rate. Caputo offers some very compelling thoughts and engages the reader with a familiar tone. Yet, I found myself wishing that he would just say what he wanted to say. What I found instead was Caputo slowly talking around the topic and then suggesting later that he had covered his explanation earlier. Well, I suppose he had. But there never was any ah-ha moment for many of these points.
Of course the theology itself is very challenging to traditional Protestant theo...more
Of course the theology itself is very challenging to traditional Protestant theo...more
Finished Caputo's On Religion and in the end found it disappointing. Yes, he was trying to be provocative and his self-referential tone was humorous, but only to a point. He begins well, taking religion back from its cultured despisers, both among the modern and the post-modern - in this way he does seem to echo Schleiermacher. He defines religion as belief in the impossible (not absolute dependence as in S) and quotes Augustine's question, "what do we love when we love our God." You would thin...more
Caputo's On Religion is a beautiful testament to faith, powerful in its conviction and compelling in its wisdom. Or rather, it might be. I found myself so continually eluded by Caputo's use of language that I'm not sure I grasped his true meaning, or if his meaning is coherent enough to be grasped. In the end, this problem was my chief complaint with this book. "More matter with less art!" as Queen Gertrude might say. Once you peel away the lovely, silken layers of linguistic music and artful me...more
I liked this book. I'm not really sure what I thought of it, but I liked it. He obviously comes from the same general background as myself, obviously veers significantly further off into the hinterlands than myself, and is obviously more well-read and accomplished as a writer than myself.
He is arguing for Derrida's "Religion without Religion" and while I like what he has to say and the honesty and skill with which he says it, I am a little afraid that he leaves me to little a place to hang my h...more
He is arguing for Derrida's "Religion without Religion" and while I like what he has to say and the honesty and skill with which he says it, I am a little afraid that he leaves me to little a place to hang my h...more
Jul 02, 2010
Ellis
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in contemporary Catholic thought
Shelves:
readforschool
This book was even more enlightening the second time around. Caputo really expresses what it means to be a person of faith in the post modern or post-post modern age (whatever that means--and he really doesn't care what that means). He is so practical and easy to understand (he uses an analogy to Star Wars to express his ideas!). He is pragmatic and yet also inspiring. To Caputo, religion, loving god, being religious all comes down to love. Just read it.
Read for: Theological Questions: What is...more
Read for: Theological Questions: What is...more
A good philosophical essay for the person religious by temperament but not by conviction. Caputo argues that religion is, at best, life-affirming action. Such religion is characterized by epistemological humility, existential affirmation of life and compassion, and the risky preference for noble improbabilities over nihilism and moral paralysis. Can faith eschew certainty and claims of exclusivity and remain vibrant? I hope so.
Religion is not as easy to understand as it seems. This little book by John Caputo explores the question in conjunction with popular culture. It may seem unconventional, but stick with it to get the full impact. See more: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
Interesting exploration of what religion means in a "post-modern" world. But I think many atheists would disagree with his assumption that anyone who cares about injustice is somehow implicitly a part of God's love. I did enjoy the chapter on "The Force" though.
view all 5 comments
The introduction to this book is a uniquely accessible work on understanding post-modern religiosity. I highly, highly, highly recommend it for theologians, people in ministry, and people interested in religious studies.
Really energetic, and nuanced. He has the ability to express himself in a very concise way, but a way that opens up all sorts of other questions and discussions.
A fresh take on religion, an excellent primer (or review) of major philosophical minds, and believe it or not, a fun read!
Mar 22, 2009
Michael Harrel
marked it as to-read
Recommended by Sam
I have just started this book. It too is giving me words to explain my always changing relationship with God. So far it is focusing on the question, "What do I love when I love my God?" I can't think of a better question to contemplate.
Interesting. Love some of what the author said and disagreed with other stuff the author said. It took me awhile to get into, but enjoyed it once I got in to it.
Jun 10, 2013
Sivakumar R
added it
Jun 06, 2013
Andy Mcwhorter
added it
Jun 04, 2013
Aqeel Ali
marked it as to-read
May 18, 2013
Lance
marked it as to-read
May 04, 2013
Hevel Cava
marked it as to-read
Apr 23, 2013
Rolandas Matulaitis
marked it as to-read
Apr 09, 2013
Jinel Yap
marked it as to-read
Apr 08, 2013
Chris Baca
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
