The resounding soul : reflections on the metaphysics and vivacity of the human person

It is surely not coincidental that the term "soul" should mean not only the center of a creature's life and consciousness, but also a thing or action characterized by intense vivacity (that bike's got soul). It also seems far from coincidental that the same contemporary academic discussions that have largely cast aside the language of "soul" in their quest to define the character of human mental life should themselves be so-how to say it? -bloodless, so lacking in soul. This volume arises from the opposite premise, namely that the task of understanding human nature is bound up with and in important respects dependent upon the more critical task of learning to be fully human, of learning to have soul. The papers collected here are derived from a conference in Oxford sponsored by the Centre of Theology and Philosophy and together explore the often surprising landscape that emerges when human consciousness is approached from this angle. Drawing upon literary, philosophical, theological, historical, and musical modes of analysis, the essays of this volume vividly remind the reader of the power of the ancient language of soul over against contemporary impulses to reduce, fragment, and overly determine human selfhood. It is surely not coincidental that the term soul should mean not only the centre of a creatures life and consciousness, but also a thing or action characterised by intense vivacity (that bikes got soul!). It also seems far from coincidental that the same contemporary academic discussions that have largely cast aside the language of soul in their quest to define the character of human mental life should themselves be so bloodless, or so lacking in soul. The Resounding Soul arises from the opposite that the task of understanding human nature is bound up with the more critical task of learning to be fully human. The papers collected here are derived from a conference in Oxford sponsored by the Centre of Theology and Philosophy and explore the often surprising landscape that emerges when human consciousness is approached from this angle. Drawing upon literary, philosophical, theological, historical, and musical modes of analysis, these essays remind the reader of the power of the ancient language of soul over against contemporary impulses to reduce, fragment, and overly determine human selfhood. Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments List of Contributors Introduction Samuel Kimbriel and Eric Austin Lee Section The Soul and the Saeculum 1 The Experience of The Immortality of the Soul and the Unity of the Person in Landsberg, Scheler, and Augustine Anna Piazza 2 Bernard Stieglers Politics of the Soul and His New Otium of the People Johann Rossouw 3 Eucharistic Alexander Schmemanns Conception of Beings in Time Andrew T. J. Kaethler 4 The Psychology of Cosmopolitics John Milbank Section Fracture and Unity 5 Know Thyself: The Soul of Anatomical Dissection Kimbell Kornu 6 Persons and A Physicalist Account of the Soul K. Nicholas Forti 7 Transcending the Body/Soul Distinction through the Perspective of Maximus the Confessors Anthropology Sotiris Mitralexis 8 Nous (Energeia) and Kardia (Dynamis) in the Holistic Anthropology of St. Gregory Palamas Nichifor Tnase 9 Souls, Minds, Bodies, and Planets Mary Midgley Section Moving to Wholeness 10 The Soul in the From Daniel Defoe to David Foster Wallace Edmund Waldstein, O.Cist. 11 Difficult Shakespeare and the Soul of Religion Anthony D. Baker 12 Both, Between, and The Third Term and the Relation Constituting Being L. C. Wilson Section The Souls Regard 13 Strategies of the Body and Soul in John Paul II and Levinas Nigel Zimmermann 14 Redeeming Anthropological Split-ness and Embodied Soteriology Lexi Eikelboom 15 Music and Liminal Facilitating a Soulful Reality Frdia J. Stone-Davis Section Vivacity 16 The Soul and All Things: Contribution to a Postmodern Account of the Soul W. Chris Hackett 17 The Soul at A Reading in Catholic Romanticism Simone Kotva 18 Soul Music and Soul-less Selving William Desmond Name and Subject Index PrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of ContributorsIntroduction - Samuel Kimbriel and Eric Austin LeeSection I: The Soul and the Saeculum1 The Experience of Death: The Immortality of the Soul and the Unity of the Person in Landsberg, Scheler, and Augustine - Anna Piazza2 Bernard Stiegler's Politics of the Soul and His New Otium of the People - Johann Rossouw3 Eucharistic Anthropology: Alexander Schmemann's Conception of Beings in Time - Andrew T. J. Kaethler4 The Psychology of Cosmopolitics - John MilbankSection II: Fracture and Unity5 'Know Thyself': The Soul of Anatomical Dissection - Kimbell Kornu6 Persons and Narratives: A Physicalist Account of the Soul - K. Nicholas Forti7 Transcending the Body/Soul Distinction through the Perspective of Maximus the Confessor's Anthropology - Sotiris Mitralexis8 Nous (Energeia) and Kardia (Dynamis) in the Holistic Anthropology of St. Gregory Palamas - Nichifor Tanase9 Souls, Minds, Bodies, and Planets - Mary MidgleySection III: Moving to Wholeness10 The Soul in the Novel: From Daniel Defoe to David Foster Wallace - Edmund Waldstein, O.Cist.11 Difficult Conversion: Shakespeare and the Soul of Religion - Anthony D. Baker12 Both, Between, and Beyond: The Third Term and the Relation Constituting Being - L. C. WilsonSection IV: The Soul's Regard13 Strategies of the Gift: Body and Soul in John Paul II and Levinas - Nigel Zimmermann14 Redeeming Duality: Anthropological Split-ness and Embodied Soteriology - Lexi Eikelboom 15 Music and Liminal Ethics: Facilitating a 'Soulful Reality' - Ferdia J. Stone-DavisSection V: Vivacity16 The Soul and 'All Things': Contribution to a Postmodern Account of the Soul - W. Chris Hackett17 The Soul at Work: A Reading in Catholic Romanticism - Simone Kotva18 Soul Music and Soul-less Selving - William DesmondName and Subject Index "It is surely not coincidental that the term "soul" should mean not only the center of a creature's life and consciousness, but also a thing or action characterized by intense vivacity ("that bike's got soul!"). It also seems far from coincidental that the same contemporary academic discussions that have largely cast aside the language of "soul" in their quest to define the character of human mental life should themselves be so--how to say it?--bloodless, so lacking in soul. This volume arises from the opposite premise, namely that the task of understanding human nature is bound up with and in important respects dependent upon the more critical task of learning to be fully human, of learning to have soul. The papers collected here are derived from a conference in Oxford sponsored by the Centre of Theology and Philosophy and together explore the often surprising landscape that emerges when human consciousness is approached from this angle. Drawing upon literary, philosophical, theological, historical, and musical modes of analysis, the essays of this volume vividly remind the reader of the power of the ancient language of soul over against contemporary impulses to reduce, fragment, and overly determine human selfhood."-- Provided by publisher It is surely not coincidental that the term 'soul' should mean not only the centre of a creature's life and consciousness, but also a thing or action characterised by intense vivacity ('that bike's got soul!'). It also seems far from coincidental that the same contemporary academic discussions that have largely cast aside the language of 'soul' in their quest to define the character of human mental life should themselves be so bloodless, or so lacking in soul. The Resounding Soul arises from the opposite premise: that the task of understanding human nature is bound up with the more critical task of learning to be fully human. The papers collected here are derived from a conference in Oxford sponsored by the Centre of Theology and Philosophy and explore the often surprising landscape that emerges when human consciousness is approached from this angle. Drawing upon literary, philosophical, theological, historical, and musical modes of analysis, these essays remind the reader of the power of the ancient language of soul over against contemporary impulses to reduce, fragment, and overly determine human selfhood. Contents 7 Preface 11 Acknowledgments 13 List of Contributors 15 Introduction 19 SECTION I The Soul and the Saeculum 41 The Experience of Death 43 Bernard Stiegler’s Politics of the Soul and His New Otium of the People 58 Eucharistic Anthropology 78 The Psychology of Cosmopolitics 96 SECTION II Fracture and Unity 109 “Know Thyself” 111 Persons and Narratives 132 Transcending the Body/Soul Distinction through the Perspective of Maximus the Confessor’s Anthropology 153 Nous (Energeia) and Kardia (Dynamis) in the Holistic Anthropology of St. Gregory Palamas 167 Souls, Minds, Bodies, and Planets 193 SECTION III Moving to Wholeness 215 The Soul in the Novel 217 Difficult Conversion 229 Both, Between, and Beyond 249 SECTION IV The Soul’s Regard 265 Strategies of the Gift 267 Redeeming Duality 284 Music and Liminal Ethics 303 SECTION V Vivacity 323 The Soul and “All Things” 325 The Soul at Work 348 Soul Music and Soul-less Selving 370 Name and Subject Index 409 A multidisciplinary collection of essays that seek to reclaim the concept of the soul from academic neglect, not as a dualistic hypothesis but as the vital centre of human selfhood.