The Fidelity of Betrayal: Towards a Church Beyond Belief - Softcover

Rollins, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1557255601 ISBN 13: 9781557255600

Publisher: Paraclete Press, 2008

Synopsis

"About 30 years ago, I came across the evocative phrase 'religionless Christianity' in Dietrich Bonhoeffer's later writings, and it has stayed with me ever since. In his new book The Fidelity of Betrayal, Peter Rollins has teased out - as Bonhoeffer never had the chance to do - profound possibilities hidden in the phrase. As a huge fan of Peter's first book, I find his second no less thoughtful, stimulating, and at times unsettling - always in a most (de)constructive way. His subversive parables, his clever turns of phrase, and his beguiling clarity all conspire to tempt the reader into that most fertile and terrifying of activities - to think to the very rim of one's understanding, and then to faithfully imagine the Truth that lies far beyond."

- Brian McLaren, author/activist (www.brianmclaren.net)

What if one of the core demands of a radical Christianity lay in a call for its betrayal, while the ultimate act of affirming God required the forsaking of God? And what if fidelity to the Judeo-Christian Scriptures demanded their renunciation? In short, what would it mean if the only way of finding real faith involved betraying it with a kiss?

Employing the insights of mysticism and deconstructive theory, The Fidelity of Betrayal delves into the subversive and revolutionary nature of a Christianity that dwells within the church while simultaneously undermining it.

About this title

About the Author

Peter Rollins is the author of the much-talked-about, How (Not) to Speak of God. He is a working philosopher, has a B.A. in Scholastic philosophy, an M.A. in political theory and criticism, a Ph.D. in postmodern theory, and is the founder of the Ikon community in Northern Ireland. He frequently lectures throughout the United States.

From Publishers Weekly

Rollins possesses the freshest theological voice of the emerging church movement. The leader of an ecclesial community called Ikon that meets in pubs in his native Northern Ireland came out of nowhere with his How (Not) to Speak of God in 2006, where he made the tools of postmodern philosophy accessible to nonspecialists. That book's virtues are again on display: clarity (rare enough for an academically trained philosopher), wit and playful, counterintuitive readings of Christian scripture. He argues that the most faithful response to Christianity may be Judas's betrayal of Jesus over against fundamentalists who would violently defend Jesus and academics who would imprison Jesus. Rollins paints with an overly broad brush—not every theologian since Descartes has been boxed in by his categories. At times an academic degree would be helpful to understand his use of Zizek or Nietzsche. All the same, Rollins puts postmodern philosophy to work for those trying to rethink their faith for a new day without stifling modern categories. Even those who disagree will find the pages turning themselves. (June)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Paraclete Press
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1557255601
• ISBN 13: 9781557255600
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 196