Unfinished God - (New Perspectives in Ontology) by Alina N Feld & Sean J McGrath (Hardcover)

About the Book

Eighteen essays by a team of distinguished philosophers and theologians examine and develop Ray L. Hart's key contributions to theology.

Book Synopsis

Ray L. Hart is one of the most radical and creative theologians active in contemporary speculative philosophical theology. Breaking on the scene with his immensely influential Unfinished Man in 1968, he published his magnum opus, God Being Nothing, in 2015.

This volume advances critical consideration of Hart's theological thought. The nature of time, the meaning of personhood, the being of God, and the role of the imagination in Hart's work are discussed with clarity and erudition. Hart's deep rootedness in modern speculative theology, from Boehme to Schelling, comes to the fore. The wide scope and profound depth of Hart's thought have never been more evident.

Review Quotes

Unfinished God is a timely critical engagement with the original thought of Ray Hart. The editors, Sean McGrath and Alina Feld, have done a remarkable job in marshalling a robust series of reflections on the vital liaison dangereuse between philosophy and theology. It lights bonfires in the mind.--Richard Kearney, Charles Seelig Chair of Philosophy at Boston College

From the epistemological problem of revelation in Unfinished Man and the Imagination to the metaphysical theogony of God Being Nothing, Ray Hart has eloquently argued that God is neither fully present nor wholly absent. In this collection of essays his leading interlocutors develop this idea in fascinating ways.--Andrew Cutrofello, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago

No one has done more to transform the contemporary study of religion than Ray L. Hart. Deeply grounded in, but not limited by, the western theological and philosophical tradition, Hart sets the highest standards for mutual understanding and scholarly communication among people holding different worldviews. As this important collection of essays by distinguished scholars makes clear, God Being Nothing represents the culmination of his remarkable spiritual and intellectual journey. By rigorously rethinking the seemingly obsolete tradition of speculative metaphysics, Hart and his commentators create a redemptive vision for today's nihilistic culture.--Mark C. Taylor, Professor of Religion, Columbia University

Ray Hart's theology is an underappreciated treasure, which these intrepid editors--Feld and McGrath--tirelessly labour to unearth. Assessing the trajectory of Hart's work from Unfinished Man and the Imagination to God Being Nothing, Unfinished God charts a course for radical renewal of philosophical theology in our post-orthodox and post-secular world.--Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas and Global Centre for Advanced Studies

Unfinished God is a worthy tribute to Ray Hart, an elder statesman and ground-breaking pioneer of radical theology in the United States. Hart's bold thinking ventures into the Godhead beyond God of Eckhart, the dark powers described by Böhme and Schelling, speculatively exploring the genesis of God, world, and humankind. One after another, the essays in this superb collection show the much-needed shock Hart delivers to orthodoxy and the openings he has created for a theology to come.--John D. Caputo, Professor Emeritus of Religion, Syracuse University

This is a moving tribute to Ray Hart that exhibits eloquently just how and why he is one of the most challenging as well as original theologians of our time. Eighteen eminent scholars bear out Hart's genius for articulating a meontology in which God is conceived as Nothing in his very transcendence. A must read for anyone who cares about the future of theology in this deeply troubling moment.--Edward S. Casey, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, Stony Brook University