
Consciousness and Transcendence
The Theology of Eric Voegelin
Michael P. Morrissey(Author)
University of Notre Dame Press
Published on 28. February 1994
Book
Hardback
370 pages
978-0-268-00793-5 (ISBN)
Description
As an introduction to the work of renowned philosopher Eric Voegelin, Consciousness and Transcendence stands out as the first book to examine Voegelin's work from a theological perspective. Although Voegelin considered himself a philosopher, the incorporation of Christian theological themes is pervasive throughout his work, and in this volume Michael P. Morrissey clearly illustrates that Voegelin's thought is as relevant to theology as it is to the disciplines (philosophy, history, and political science) in which it has traditionally been confined.
Morrissey focuses on and traces the development of Voegelin's theory of consciousness, demonstrating that it makes a tremendous theological contribution, but also presents a radical challenge to theology. This challenge is based on the nature of Voegelin's method of meditative, experiential exegesis. Voegelin's lifelong search for order, in both its transcendent and immanent dimensions, was truly an interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature of reality and, as such, it serves as an integrative model of what the human sciences are truly about in an age of dogmatism and ideology. Consequently, Morrissey illustrates, Voegelin's thought not only results in a reunification of philosophy and theology, it also succeeds in reconstructing theology on a broader and deeper scale of inquiry than is generally practiced today.
Consciousness and Transcendence includes a lengthy comparison of Voegelin's thought to that of another seminal thinker, Jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan, and is the only book that focuses on Voegelin's last writings. For those who are new to Voegelin's thought, this volume serves as an up-to-date introduction to his challenging body of work; for those already familiar with Voegelin, it provides elucidation and commentary on his most important ideas and concepts, especially in regard to his later, more "theological" writings.
Morrissey focuses on and traces the development of Voegelin's theory of consciousness, demonstrating that it makes a tremendous theological contribution, but also presents a radical challenge to theology. This challenge is based on the nature of Voegelin's method of meditative, experiential exegesis. Voegelin's lifelong search for order, in both its transcendent and immanent dimensions, was truly an interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature of reality and, as such, it serves as an integrative model of what the human sciences are truly about in an age of dogmatism and ideology. Consequently, Morrissey illustrates, Voegelin's thought not only results in a reunification of philosophy and theology, it also succeeds in reconstructing theology on a broader and deeper scale of inquiry than is generally practiced today.
Consciousness and Transcendence includes a lengthy comparison of Voegelin's thought to that of another seminal thinker, Jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan, and is the only book that focuses on Voegelin's last writings. For those who are new to Voegelin's thought, this volume serves as an up-to-date introduction to his challenging body of work; for those already familiar with Voegelin, it provides elucidation and commentary on his most important ideas and concepts, especially in regard to his later, more "theological" writings.
Reviews / Votes
In a manner accessible to upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students with little or no background in Voegelin's thoughts, Morrissey presents Voegelin's theory of consciousness developmentally as he traces the process by which Voegelin contructed his understanding of human consciousness as being the point of engagment, or conversation, between human being and eternal being." -American Journal of Theology & PhilosophyMichael Morrissey's Consciousness and Transcendence makes some special contributions to the rapidly growing literature on one of this century's most important and original thinkers. In particular, Morrissey's is the first book-length study to concentrate on the theological aspects of Voegelin's thought-a topic that is especially pertinent, since Voegelin himself, following Plato's use of the terms, believed that 'authentic theology is philosophy and authentic philosophy is theology'." -Journal of Religion
"I have no hesitation in recommending this book as an excellent survey of Eric Voegelin's thought from the per-spective of a Christian theologian. It is to be hoped that the book will encourage more theologians to engage with the richness of Voegelin's thought." -Religion
Given that modern politics has to a greater or lesser extent "replaced" religion, no student of politics today can ignore theology. Many in my generation who started out with religion, turned to politics instead for a meaning that is not to be found there. One of the most insightful commentators on Voegelin, Michael Morrissey, has shown that Voegelin was as much theologian as political scientist or political philosopher. Morrissey says that Voegelin in effect dissolved the distinction between philosophy and theology." -Voegelin View
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Notre Dame IN
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
4 tables - 4 Tables, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
754 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-268-00793-5 (9780268007935)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Professor Michael P. Morrissey is a Lecturer at St. Mary's College of California.