Description: Liane Carlson historicizes contingency by tying it to its theological and etymological roots in "touch," contending that its disruptive power is specific to our current moment. A strikingly original reconsideration of one of continental philosophy and critical theory's most cherished concepts, this book reveals the limits of historicist accounts.
Brief description: Liane Carlson (PhD, Religion, Columbia) is Lecturer and Stewart Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Religion Department at Princeton University. She has published articles in the journals Critical Research in Religion, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Journal of Religion, and Journal of the American Academy of Religion and is a founding and steering committee member of the Religion, Affect, and Emotion Group of the American Academy of Religion. This is her first book.
Review Quotes: In this genuinely interdisciplinary study, Liane Carlson argues compellingly that the history of Christian theology is necessary for understanding modern debates about the historical, political, ethical, and existential meanings of contingency. With special attention to the role of human suffering within these debates, Carlson grapples with fundamental questions about time, the body, and human finitude. Anyone interested in the study of religion as well as the humanities more broadly has much to learn from this elegantly written, deeply learned, and truly original book.--Leora F. Batnitzky, Ronald O. Perelman Professor of Jewish Studies, Princeton University