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Zusatztext Michael Murphy's "A Theology of Criticism" is a remarkable and eye-opening book precisely because it fulfills the bold interdisciplinary promise of its title. It is at one and the same time an illuminating exposition of Balthasar's aesthetic theology and an equally illuminating explication of a number of modern texts Informationen zum Autor Michael Murphy earned his doctorate in theology and literature from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. He resides in the Bay Area with his wife and two daughters. Klappentext A number of critics and scholars have argued for the notion of a distinctly Catholic quality or character of imagination: not a matter of doctrine or even necessarily of belief, but a sensibility, a complex of intellectual, emotional, spiritual and ethical assumptions and proclivities that proceed from Catholic belief and constitute a stance towards reality that informs imaginative expression. In this book Michael Murphy brings to bear Hans Urs von Balthasar'sperspectives on theology and literary criticism to put this concept to the test and give it greater specificity and definition. The works examined range from fiction by such authors as Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, and Jack Kerouac, to poetry from Denise Levertov and William Everson and the films ofLars von Trier. Zusammenfassung A number of critics and scholars argue for the notion of a distinctly Catholic variety of imagination, not as a matter of doctrine or even of belief, but rather as an artistic sensibility. They figure the blend of intellectual, emotional, spiritual and ethical assumptions that proceed from Catholic belief constitutes a vision of reality that necessarily informs the artist's imaginative expression. The notion of a Catholic imagination, however, has lacked thematic and theological coherence. To articulate this intuition is to cross the problematic interdisciplinary borders between theology and literature; and, although scholars have developed useful methods for undertaking such interdisciplinary "border-crossings," relatively few have been devoted to a serious examination of the theological aesthetic upon which these other aesthetics might hinge. In A Theology of Criticism, Michael Patrick Murphy proposes a new framework to better define the concept of a Catholic imagination. He explores the many ways in which the theological work of Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) can provide the model, content, and optic for distinguishing this type of imagination from others. Since Balthasar views art and literature precisely as theologies, Murphy surveys a broad array of poetry, drama, fiction, and film and sets it against central aspects of Balthasar's theological program. In doing so, Murphy seeks to develop a theology of criticism. This interdisciplinary work recovers the legitimate place of a distinct "theological imagination" in critical theory, showing that Balthasar's voice both challenges and complements contemporary developments. Murphy also contends that postmodern interpretive methodology, with its careful critique of entrenched philosophical assumptions and reiterated codes of meaning, is not the threat to theological meaning that many fear. On the contrary, by juxtaposing postmodern critical methodologies against Balthasar's visionary theological range, a space is made available for literary critics and theologians alike. More important, the critic is provided with the tools to assess, challenge, and celebrate the theological imagination as it is depicted today....
Sommario
- 1: Locating Difference: Theological Imagination, Narrative Expression, and Critical Discourse
- 2: Hans Urs von Balthasar: Transmodernist
- 3: Sacred Arrangements: Balthasar, OConnor, and The Glory of the Lord
- 4: Breaking the Waves: The Cry that Finds the Ear of the Heart
- 5: Therapy: No Creature Stands Alone Before God
- 6: CODA: On the Theological Imagination
Info autore
Michael Murphy earned his doctorate in theology and literature from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. He resides in the Bay Area with his wife and two daughters.
