Cross and Cosmos: A Theology of Difficult Glory

by John D. Caputo

John D. Caputo stretches his project as a radical theologian to new limits in this groundbreaking book. Mapping out his summative theological position, he identifies with Martin Luther to take on notions of the hidden god, the theology of the cross, confessional theology, and natural theology. Caputo also confronts the dark side of the cross with its correlation to lynching and racial and sexual discrimination. Caputo is clear that he is not writing as any kind of orthodox Lutheran but is instead engaging with a radical view of theology, cosmology, and poetics of the cross. Readers will recognize Caputo's signature themes--hermeneutics, deconstruction, weakness, and the call--as well as his unique voice as he writes about moral life and our strivings for joy against contemporary society and politics.

306 pages, Paperback

Published July 23, 2019

About the author

John D. Caputo is an American philosopher who is the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Syracuse University and the David R. Cook Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Villanova University. Caputo is a major figure associated with Postmodern Christianity, Continental Philosophy of Religion, as well as the founder of the theological movement known as weak theology. Much of Caputo's work focuses on hermeneutics, phenomenology, deconstruction and theology.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I struggled all the way through this book, and enjoyed doing so. Caputo's criticism of neoplatonism as expressed in theologies of glory is great. His rereading of the cross is deeply disturbing and moving. His descriptions of planetary and cosmic entanglement, and their futures, is fine. His meditation on love inspiring.
But reading Caputo is a struggle. His own writing in some ways mirrors the "theopoetic" approach to philosophical theology that he espouses. His writing is haunting and evocative, but weak on clarity as understood by most people (who are not into deconstruction). My lack of background in contemporary Continental philosophy along with Caputo's own love of engaging it and its heroes--well, that was a struggle too. But still, God insists and doesn't exist. It all could be and flowers bloom where no one sees them. This book is gravid. Full of ideas and hints and maybes that are wonderful to ponder and offer another way. What I'd really love, however, is some people (a graduate seminar?) to read Caputo with.

[Micah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good beginning point, but ultimately falls flat. Caputo proves again and again by his attempts at demythologization that he has no grasp of the analogia fides. He doesn't have faith, so he doesn't see its place. He doesn't see that theology offers hope beyond what science promises... not in contradiction to science, but in a simply incomprehensible hope. He is a philosopher, not a theologian. His "theology of the cross" gives no hope, so it is not theology, simply a brutal crucifixion.

[გიორგი წეროძე · Rating 5 out of 5]

რა კარგად ესმის ჯვარი!

[Daniel Pandolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the most lucid prose explaining his position. This was one of the easier (note…easier, not easy) of Caputo’s books.