David Bentley Hart est un spécialiste orthodoxe oriental de la religion, ainsi qu'un philosophe, écrivain et commentateur culturel. Son travail plonge dans des questions profondes de foi, de raison et de la nature de la réalité. À travers ses écrits, il explore l'intersection de la théologie et de la philosophie, cherchant à éclairer la dimension spirituelle de l'existence humaine. La capacité distinctive de Hart à allier profondeur savante et prose accessible en fait une voix importante dans la pensée contemporaine.
A Translation
The second edition of this acclaimed New Testament translation features a compelling new preface and over a thousand textual revisions, enhancing its clarity and impact. David Bentley Hart invites readers to rediscover the texts with a fresh perspective, emphasizing their originality and relevance.
The Beauty of the Infinite is a splendid extended essay in "theological aesthetics." David Bentley Hart here meditates on the power of a Christian understanding of beauty and sublimity to rise above the violence -- both philosophical and literal -- characteristic of the postmodern world. The book begins by tracing the shifting use and nature of metaphysics in the thought of Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Lyotard, Derrida, Deleuze, Nancy, Levinas, and others. Hart pays special attention to Nietzsche's famous narrative of the "will to power"--A narrative largely adopted by the world today -- and he offers an engaging revision (though not rejection) of the genealogy of nihilism, thereby highlighting the significant "interruption" that Christian thought introduced into the history of metaphysics. This discussion sets the stage for a retrieval of the classic Christian account of beauty and sublimity, and of the relation of both to the question of being. Written in the form of a dogmatica minora, this main section of the book offers a pointed reading of the Christian story in four moments, or parts: Trinity, creation, salvation, and eschaton. Through a combination of narrative and argument throughout, Hart ends up demonstrating the power of Christian metaphysics not only to withstand the critiques of modern and postmodern thought but also to move well beyond them. Strikingly original and deeply rewarding, The Beauty of the Infinite is both a constructively critical account of the history of metaphysics and a compelling contribution to it--Publisher
One of America's most eminent contemporary writers on religion reflects on the state of theology at the borders of other fields of discourse. The book advances many of David Bentley Hart's larger theological projects, developing and deepening numerous dimensions of his previous work.
This collection of essays, reviews, and columns published in popular journals and newspapers over the past few years comprise observations on culture, religion, and society at large--the virtuosic prose that readers expect from Hart.
Set in a clockwork universe marked by oppressive surveillance, the story follows Michael Ambrosius as he navigates a coming-of-age journey disrupted by a mysterious child from the stars. Drawing inspiration from the Gnostic Hymn of the Pearl, the narrative delves into themes of good versus evil, reality versus illusion, and the quest for truth in a deluded world. Hart's imaginative tale combines dark fantasy with humor and adventure, exploring friendship, loyalty, and the rescue of true goodness amidst chaos.
A stunning reexamination of one of the essential tenets of Christian belief from one of the most provocative and admired writers on religion today
Exploring the intersection of theology and narrative, this collection features four short stories and one novella by David Bentley Hart, a renowned scholar and wordsmith. Hart challenges traditional notions of divine presence, suggesting that the essence of God may be more vividly expressed through poetry and fiction than through theology. This thought-provoking volume invites readers to engage with profound themes through Hart's imaginative storytelling.
From one of the most revered scholars of religion, an incisive explanation of how the word "God" functions in the world's great faiths Despite the recent ferocious public debate about belief, the concept most central to the discussion--God--frequently remains vaguely and obscurely described. Are those engaged in these arguments even talking about the same thing? In a wide-ranging response to this confusion, esteemed scholar David Bentley Hart pursues a clarification of how the word "God" functions in the world's great theistic faiths. Ranging broadly across Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Vedantic and Bhaktic Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, Hart explores how these great intellectual traditions treat humanity's knowledge of the divine mysteries. Constructing his argument around three principal metaphysical "moments"--being, consciousness, and bliss--the author demonstrates an essential continuity between our fundamental experience of reality and the ultimate reality to which that experience inevitably points. Thoroughly dismissing such blatant misconceptions as the deists' concept of God, as well as the fundamentalist view of the Bible as an objective historical record, Hart provides a welcome antidote to simplistic manifestoes. In doing so, he plumbs the depths of humanity's experience of the world as powerful evidence for the reality of God and captures the beauty and poetry of traditional reflection upon the divine.
In The Story of Christianity, acclaimed theologian David Bentley Hart provides a sweeping and informative portrait of a faith that has shaped the western world and beyond for over 2,000 years. From the persecutions of the early church to the papal-imperial conflicts of the Middle Ages, from the religious wars of 16th- and 17th-century Europe to the challenges of science and secularism in the modern era, and from the ancient Christian communities of Africa and Asia to the 'house churches' of contemporary China, The Story of Christianity triumphantly captures the complexity and diversity of Christian history.
As news reports of the horrific December 2004 tsunami in Asia reached the rest of the world, commentators were quick to seize upon the disaster as proof of either God s power or God s nonexistence, asking over and over, How could a good and loving God if such exists allow such suffering? In The Doors of the Sea David Bentley Hart speaks at once to those skeptical of Christian faith and to those who use their Christian faith to rationalize senseless human suffering. He calls both to recognize in the worst catastrophes not the providential will of God but rather the ongoing struggle between the rebellious powers that enslave the world and the God who loves it wholly.