God / Terror
Ethics and Aesthetics in Contexts of Conflict and Reconciliation
1st Edition
Published on 1. September 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
112 pages
978-1-80050-093-8 (ISBN)
Description
In late modernity, theology has to perform an aesthetic turn if it wants to break out of its current isolation. Theologians cannot limit themselves to biblical texts and Christian tradition as a frame of reference, but also have to search for traces of God's presence in cultures and religions.
God/Terror addresses the quest for God in the context of oppression, violence and terror from an aesthetic perspective. It looks at how artists and writers approach the relationship between God and terror. Statements such as that from composer Karl Heinz Stockhausen, "9/11 was the greatest work of art ever," or from South African writer Adam Small, "Only literature can perform the miracle of reconciliation," are occasions to reflect again about the relationship between ethics and aesthetics, theology and the arts.
As in a medieval diptych, the theme mirrors God talk in memory of 9/11 and in the context of political conflicts in Germany, South Korea and South Africa.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
30 colour and black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Weight
257 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80050-093-8 (9781800500938)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Volker Küster, Rev. Prof. Dr., born 1962, studied theology in Heidelberg and Seoul / South Korea (1982-1990); 1990-1997 lecturer at the Theological Faculty, University of Heidelberg, 1994 Dissertation, 1998 Habilitation, ordained as minister 1999; research fellow Theological University Kampen 1999-2001 and researcher IIMO, University of Utrecht 2001-2002; 2002-2012 Professor of Cross-cultural Theology, Protestant Theological University, Kampen, The Netherlands; since Oct. 2012, Professor of Comparative Religion and Missiology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany.Prof. Küster explores the interconfessional, intercultural and interreligious dimensions of Christian faith by employing methods such as hermeneutics, aesthetics, communication theory, postcolonial critic and globalization theory. Perspectives of culture, religion, race, class, gender and inclusion intersect in this multi-axial approach. His research in contextual and intercultural theology evolves along two lines: dialog, conflict and reconciliation and visual art and religion.
Content
Prologue I. Terror, War and Violence: God Talk in Memory of September 11th, 2001 1. The Power of Images 2. Apocalypse Now - Does 9/11 Mark an Epochal Boundary? 3. Conflicting Images of God II. Guilt, Reconciliation and Grace: God Talk in the Context of Political Conflicts in Germany, South Korea and South Africa 4. The Powerlessness of Images 5. Beyond Apocalypse - Dealing with Guilt in Societal Transformation Processes 6. In Conflict with God Epilogue