The Exorbitant: Emmanuel Levinas Between Jews and Christians (Perspectives in Continental Philosophy)

"We are exorbitant, and rightly so, when we cut any link we may have to cosmological powers. Levinas invites us to be exorbitant by distancing ourselves from visions of metaphysics, epistemology, and theology. We begin to listen well to Levinas when we hear him inviting us to break completely with the pagan world in which the gods are simply the highest beings in the cosmos and learn to practice an adult religion in which God is outside cosmology and ontology. God comes to mind neither in our attempts to think him as the creator of the cosmos nor in moments of ecstasy but in acts of genuine holiness, such as sharing a piece of bread with someone in a time of desperate need. Levinas, in short, enjoins us to be exorbitant in our dealings with one another. This book asks how the "between" of Levinas's thinking facilitates a dialogue between Jews and Christians. In one sense, Levinas stands exactly between Jews and Christians: ethics, as he conceives it, is a space in which religious traditions can meet. At the same time, his position seems profoundly ambivalent. No one can read a page of his writings without hearing a Jewish voice as well a a philosophical one. Yet his talk of substitution seems to resonate with Christological themes. On occasion, Levinas himself sharply distinguishes Judaism from Christianity--but to what extent can his thinking become the basis for a dialogue between Christians and Jews? This book, with a stellar cast of contributors, explores these questions, thereby providing a snapshot of the current state of Jewish-Christian dialogue."-- Provided by publisher Frontmatter Acknowledgments (page xi) Introduction: Levinas the Exorbitant (Kevin Hart, page 1) Levinas between German Metaphysics and Christian Theology (Leora Batnitzky, page 17) The Disincarnation of the Words: The Trace of God in Reading Scripture (Robert Gibbs, page 32) Secrecy, Modesty, and the Feminine: Kabbalistic Traces in the Thought of Levinas (Elliot R. Wolfson, page 52) Against Theology, or "The Devotion of a Theology Without Theodicy": Levinas on Religion (Richard A. Cohen, page 74) Is the Other My Neighbor? Reading Levinas Alongside Hermann Cohen (Dana Hollander, page 90) "Love Strong as Death": Levinas and Heidegger (Jeffrey L. Kosky, page 108) On Levinas's Gifts to Christian Theology (Robyn Horner, page 130) The Prevenience and Phenomenality of Grace; or, The Anteriority of the Posterior (Michael Purcell, page 150) Prolifigacy, Parsimony, and the Ethics of Expenditure in the Philosophy of Levinas (Edith Wyschogrod, page 171) Excess and Desire: A Commentary on Totality and Infinity, Section I, Part D (Jeffrey Bloechl, page 188) The Care of the Other and Substitution (Jean-Luc Marion, page 201) Should Jews and Christians Fear the Gifts of the Greeks? Reflections on Levinas, Translation, and Atheistic Theology (Paul Franks, page 211) Thinking about God and God-Talk with Levinas (Merold Westphal, page 216) Words of Peace and Truth: A-Dieu, Levinas (Michael A. Signer, page 230) Notes (page 243) Contributors (page 301) Index (page 307) Introduction: Levinas The Exorbitant / Kevin Hart -- Levinas Between German Metaphysics And Christian Theology / Leora Batnitzky -- The Disincarnation Of The Word : The Trace Of God In Reading Scripture / Robert Gibbs -- Secrecy, Modesty, And The Feminine : Kabbalistic Traces In The Thought Of Levinas / Elliott R. Wolfson -- Against Theology, Or The Devotion Of A Theology Without Theodicy : Levinas On Religion / Richard A. Cohen -- Is The Other My Neighbor? : Reading Levinas Alongside Hermann Cohen / Dana Hollander -- Love Strong As Death : Levinas And Heidegger / Jeffrey L. Kosky -- On Levinas's Gifts To Christian Theology / Robyn Horner -- The Prevenience And Phenomenality Of Grace, Or, The Anteriority Of The Posterior / Michael Purcell -- Prolifigacy, Parsimony, And The Ethics Of Expenditure In The Philosophy Of Levinas / Edith Wyschogrod -- Excess And Desire : Commentary On Totality And Infinity, Section I, Part D / Jeffrey Bloechl -- The Care Of The Other And Substitution / Jean-luc Marion -- Should Jews And Christians Fear The Gifts Of The Greeks? : Reflections On Levinas, Translation, And Atheistic Theology / Paul Franks -- Thinking About God Andgod-talk With Levinas / Merold Westphal -- Words Of Peace And Truth : A-dieu, Llevinas / Michael A. Signer. Edited By Kevin Hart And Michael A. Signer. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.