Wednesday 22 December 2010

On going public

Oh yes. I've written a review of The Monstrosity of Christ, which is a theological rap battle between Slavoj Žižek, the twitchy Slovenian philosopher, and John Milbank, theologian of the 'Big Society'. It's my first ever piece of academic work to be published. Check it out here in the latest (theological) issue of the International Journal of Žižek studies, and let me know what you think. It's hopefully not totally obtuse, and, I flatter myself, a lot easier to read than Monstrosity itself.

Next on the to do list: grow a beard for extra gravitas, and acquire a tweed jacket with leather elbow patches.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You might ask your editor why they left your otherwise thoughty piece unpolished. With a missing "to" in the paragraph beginning "The two also disagree..." and a sentence fragment beginning your final paragraph, it makes me wonder if they even read it before printing.
This is symbolic of the problem I have with much intellectual literature: we often get so wrapped up in our big words and weighty arguments that we forget how and why we started talking in the first place. At the end of the day, the entire debate between Zizek and Milibank boils down to the same thing it has always been: whether we are walking with or apart from God. As a species, we've spent many, many words restating this same thing, a rewording of a question that each individual is currently in the process of answering. You obviously have a strong mind. Don't allow yourself to lose sight of that basic question in the midst and mist of the world of lofty words. It may be the only question that ends up meaning anything at all.

Anonymous said...

P.S. I'm not just a critic. I also think that you write extremely well. Your insights are sharp and your playful, provacative style is fun to read. So thank you for putting in the time to pound that keyboard.

Anonymous said...

*provocative.

Obviously, I also need an editor.

Anonymous said...

Marika,

Don't let veiled anti-intellectual pieties above discourage you from exploring contemporary theological debate, no matter where it leads you.

--An American reader of the Episcopalian sort.

Anonymous said...

And congrats on the review.

a A R o t E s.