Eccentric culture : a theory of Western civilization

Western culture, which influenced the whole world, came from Europe. But its roots are not there. They are in Athens and Jerusalem. European culture takes its bearing from references that are not in Europe: Europe is eccentric.What makes the West unique? What is the driving force behind its culture? Remi Brague takes up these questions in Eccentric Culture. This is not another dictionary of European culture, nor a measure of the contributions of a particular individual, religion, or national tradition. The author's interest is especially, with regard to the transmission of that culture, to articulate the dynamic tension that has propelled Europe and more generally the West toward civilization. It is this mainspring of European culture, this founding principle, that Brague calls Roman.Yet the author's intent is not to write a history of Europe, and less yet to defend the historical reality of the Roman Empire. Brague rather isolates and generalizes one aspect of that history or, one might say, cultural myth, of ancient Rome. The Roman attitude senses its own incompleteness and recognizes the call to borrow from what went before it.Historically, it has led the West to borrow from the great traditions of Jerusalem and Athens: primarily the Jewish and Christian tradition, on the one hand, and the classical Greek tradition on the other. Nowhere does the author find this Roman character so strongly present as in the Christian and particularly Catholic attitude toward the incarnation.At once an appreciation of the richness and diversity of the sources and their fruit, Eccentric Culture points as well to the fragility of their nourishing principle. As such, Brague finds in it notonly a means of understanding the past, but of projecting a future in (re)proposing to the West, and to Europe in particular, a model relationship of what is proper to it.An international bestseller (translated from the original French edition of Europe, La Voie Romaine), this work has been or is presently being translated into thirteen languages. Western culture, which influenced the whole world, came from Europe. But its roots are not there. They are in Athens and Jerusalem. European culture takes its bearing from references that are not in Europe is eccentric. What makes the West unique? What is the driving force behind its culture? Rmi Brague takes up these questions in Eccentric Culture. This is not another dictionary of European culture, nor a measure of the contributions of a particular individual, religion, or national tradition. The authors interest is especially, with regard to the transmission of that culture, to articulate the dynamic tension that has propelled Europe and more generally the West toward civilization. It is this mainspring of European culture, this founding principle, that Brague calls "Roman." Yet the authors intent is not to write a history of Europe, and less yet to defend the historical reality of the Roman Empire. Brague rather isolates and generalizes one aspect of that history or, one might say, cultural myth, of ancient Rome. The Roman attitude senses its own incompleteness and recognizes the call to borrow from what went before it. Historically, it has led the West to borrow from the great traditions of Jerusalem and primarily the Jewish and Christian tradition, on the one hand, and the classical Greek tradition on the other. Nowhere does the author find this Roman character so strongly present as in the Christian and particularly Catholic attitude toward the incarnation. At once an appreciation of the richness and diversity of the sources and their fruit, Eccentric Culture points as well to the fragility of their nourishing principle. As such, Brague finds in it not only a means of understanding the past, but of projecting a future in (re)proposing to the West, and to Europe in particular, a model relationship of what is proper to it. An international bestseller (translated from the original French edition of Europe, La Voie Romaine), this work has been or is presently being translated into thirteen languages. Western culture, which influenced the whole world, came from Europe. But its roots are not there. They are in Athens and Jerusalem. European culture takes its bearing from references that are not in Europe: Europe is eccentric.What makes the West unique? What is the driving force behind its culture? Rémi Brague takes up these questions in Eccentric Culture, now available in paper for the first time. This is not another dictionary of European culture, nor a measure of the contributions of a particular individual, religion, or national tradition. The author’s interest is especially, with regard to the transmission of that culture, to articulate the dynamic tension that has propelled Europe and more generally the West toward civilization. It is this mainspring of European culture, this founding principle, that Brague calls “Roman.” In so doing, Brague adds the third, and stabilizing, leg to the foundations of the West . . . not only reason (Athens) and revelation (Jerusalem), but tradition (Rome) as well I. The Constituent Divisions -- Ii. Romanity As Model -- Iii. Religious Romanity: Europe And Judaism -- Iv. Cultural Romanity: Europe And Hellenism -- V. Appropriation Of The Foreign -- Vi. An Eccentric Identity -- Vii. The Improper Proper -- Viii. The Roman Church -- Ix. Conclusion: Is Europe Still Roman? Rémi Brague ; Translated By Samuel Lester. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Machine generated contents note: I. The Constituent Divisions II. Romanity as Model III. Religious Romanity: Europe and Judaism IV. Cultural Romanity: Europe and Hellenism V. Appropriation of the Foreign VI. An Eccentric Identity VII. The Improper Proper VIII. The Roman Church IX. Conclusion: Is Europe Still Roman?. Cover page Title page Contents 1. The Constituent Divisions. 2. Romanity as Model. 3. Religious Romanity: Europe and Judaism 4. Cultural Romanity: Europe and Hellenism. 5. Appropriation of the Foreign 6. An Eccentric Identity 7. The Improper Proper 8. The Roman Church 9. Conclusion: Is Europe Still Roman? Postface A translation of Europe, La Voie Romaine, an international bestseller, translated into thirteen languages to date, which examines the uniqueness of European civilization and its indebtedness to the Judaic and Classical traditions.