Sunday 9 November 2008

Once more with Nate Kerr: liturgy as dispossession

I was glad to hear that Nate Kerr’s new book, Christ, History and Apocalyptic: The Politics of Christian Mission, was quick to sell out at AAR last week. I’ve got one more copy to give away, so leave a comment here if you’d like a copy (I’ll just randomly choose someone from the comments-thread to receive a copy).

Here’s another quote from this remarkable book:

“Marked by the excess in history that is Jesus’ ongoing historicity, ‘church’ no longer names either a stable site of production, nor does it possess a proper place of its own. Rather, as that work which binds us ever again to the particularity of Jesus, liturgy is precisely the practiced loss of a historical ‘place’ or ‘identity’…. Such is the Spirit’s own apocalyptically irruptive work, by which we are called ever anew into subversive openness to that reality which arrives as always in excess of every social ‘site’ as such: the ‘original revolution’ of God’s reign that is Christ’s cross and resurrection” (pp. 179-80).

59 Comments:

JHG said...

I am interested in the book. Thanks.

James Grant

John B. Higgins said...

I would love the book.

John Higgins

Anonymous said...

I'm very interested in the book, and so would love a copy

Anonymous said...

Me too!

Anonymous said...

Ben,

I would love to receive this last copy.

Derek

Karl Aho said...

I too wouldn't mind the book. We don't get nearly enough politics or apocalypse in my graduate program.

Karl Aho

Marc Manera said...

I would love to have this book

tim said...

After reading ten of Yoder's books this past year, I plan to read Kerr's book and Chris Huebner's A Precarious Peace this winter. In particular, how 'unhandling' could transform not only our theologies but our shared Christian life is an exciting question to me.

Anonymous said...

How delightful it would be should you by chance pick me.

All the best, Phil Ziegler, Aberdeen

Anonymous said...

I, too, would love a copy of this book.

CJW said...

Ben, of course I also would love a copy of this book. But then, I'd also love a copy of Forte's book from the previous post, too :)

In any case, this displacement reminds me of Žižek's claim in The pupet and the dwarf that Christian communities form a kind of antipeople. For, while such a community suspend all ethnic divisions (and those of other boundary markers), by doing so "it also cuts a line of separation within each ethnic group" (130).

Erin said...

[horseshack]ooh! ooh! pick me :) [/horseshack]

David Mackinder said...

I've just been looking back at your related posts about this book, and it really does sound like an important work.

Troy Polidori said...

I also would very much like a copy of Kerr's new book, but I don't want to simply leave a comment stating simply that "I would like t he book, please...", so I'm leaving this meta-comment instead... and that is all.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear me,
There's got to be a way to convey whatever exciting ideas are contained in this book using simpler language. I know that the definition of seminal academic works is that they repay careful and repeated reading with new insights and angles, but I feel in a lot of this academic theology the jargon is swallowing up the content. And it's not just a matter of reading a single quote in isolation, either. In an earlier post you quoted from Rowan Williams' new book on Dostoevsky and I understood right away what he was saying and realized that it made very good sense. Not so with this one.

I think that what he's saying is that through the work of the Spirit in liturgy the Church is prevented from settled down to become yet another closed social system, since God is inexhaustible and cannot be confined to any particular social or historical context, along the lines of H. Richard Niebuhr's radical monotheism. But I can't be sure.

-- said...

Kerr's book looks like a very fascinating read. I would love to have a copy! All the best . . .

Zac said...

I am currently working on an essay on apocalyptic in Galatians and would love to read Kerr's anaylsis of apocalyptic!

Anonymous said...

i am very interested!

Anonymous said...

Dammit, Ben, after I lost the last contest I went out and ordered a copy! Truth is, I really need to look at this book for my thesis (and for my own personal interest, of course!). However, I'm already committed to paying for my copy, so good luck to whoever wins this freebie!

Anonymous said...

Hi Ben,

I too would love the book and imagine it will be useful toward my dissertation, provided I don't drowned in the tedium of classical Greek translation before then. And, very unselfishly, I should point out that because I'm local (in Princeton) you wouldn't have all those pesky shipping costs. In this economy, I'll do everything I can to save you a few dollars!

Hope you and your family are doing great here in town.

chad

Anonymous said...

I'll read it if I get it for free.

Drew said...

My hand is in, or up.

Anonymous said...

Ben, if you pick me, you don't have to mail it! And we could have an occasion finally to meet.

Scott Savage said...

Yoink! I'll take that.

Evan said...

I haven't really gotten into the whole apocalyptic genre as a theological focus, and you can't make a convert out of me without proper reading material.

Anonymous said...

I'm guessing that's coming out of the chapter on Yoder? Great stuff. I'll be interested to see how he actually grounds those sentiments in Yoder's texts. Consider this another raised hand for the book.

-- Brian

Anonymous said...

I will be visiting Princeton to interview on the 21st, so you could just give it to me then, if you wanted . . .

Samuel

Dave Belcher said...

Brian, this is actually from the last chapter of the book -- and though Nate does still deal with Yoder there, he is here drawing on the much-neglected Michel de Certeau.

K.M. Delport said...

I'm interested, I've been wondering how preaching could be conceived apocalyptically

the don said...

ben,

i've already got a copy on order and headed my way... i've been eagerly awaiting to read this after the conference in rome.

but i'd be interested in any other books you wanna chuck my way :)

Josh
www.joshfurnal.com

Anonymous said...

I would be delighted to get your last copy Ben. The citation reminded me that I think I have been seduced once again by the very unapocalyptic business of an election. The news that our country foolish right turn (as if no one heard Alan Greenspan's confession) and the failure of the green vote to increase nearly as significantly as we need, left me feeling quite depressed. I need to be apocalyptically irrupted. Pick me.

Anonymous said...

I always read your blog and never really understand it, but I wish I could. But maybe i'll understand this?

I got to a very conservative theological college, so maybe it'll be good to have another author on my shelf outside Don Carson and Calvin

Mike W said...

Wow, I don't even have to be witty, or know anyhing about Dylan. What an amazing opportunity

Anonymous said...

I have blown all my worthless US dollars on a European education and would appreciate a freebie.

Tommy said...

very interested!

Unknown said...

Nate's explanation of Yoder in some commentary was extremely helpful to me. I'd like love the chance to read his book, especially since I'm not yet on board with his theological project.

coemergentco said...

I would also like to throw my name in the hat. Thanks for the blog and this opportunity.

-seth

Brian Lugioyo said...

Please..

Brian

jstamps said...

Moi Aussi! I'd love a copy. Especially since I'm broke after buying John Betz's most recent book on Johann Hamann.

Anonymous said...

The more the merrier...
Andy, Aberdeen

Anonymous said...

well, i might as well join the fray -- i'd love a copy of the book!

--daniel

Anonymous said...

I'm all about free books.

Josh said...

I thought Yoder was Amish, so I have the most to gain by being randomly selected to receive a copy of this intriguing work.

Joshua said...

Please give it to the guy who only has Carson on his shelf.

Anonymous said...

I'd like a copy. It would be useful for my own graduate research in political theology.

Patrick McManus said...

Hi Ben,
I'd love a copy of this one!
Patrick+

Anonymous said...

Wow. You would think books are gold.

I thought the quote was interesting. The notion of the disruption of the sacred is appealing. It is something we cannot contain and renders our liturgies that invite to be almost obsolete when revelation happens.

And I am not interested in another book today.
There seems to be a strange kinship to charismatic worship when thought this way... Interesting. A friend of mine went from charismatic to high-Anglican so for him the connection is palpable, but in reverse...

Anonymous said...

Ben, for what it is worth, I would give the copy to Mr Hunsinger! ;-)

Anthony Paul Smith said...

If you think it might help save my lost soul you may consider sending it to me.

Szaszi Bene said...

No Hungarian person has left any comment yet. So maybe I stand a chance.

Anonymous said...

*the internal dialogue*
Self1: Wow, free book! Book, Book, Book!
Self2: You haven't even read half of what's on your shelf.
S1: I don't have anything like Christ, History and Apocalyptic on my shelf.
S2: Yeah, but you need to be working on your thesis on Paul, not chumming about with theologians.
S1: But isn't this the perfect way to overcome the ugly ditch between biblical studies and theology?
S2: Well, even if you decide to leave a comment begging for the book, why shouldn't it go to someone more deserving, maybe some poor soul in Princeton or even someone with only Carson to keep him company?
S1: *Sigh* I guess you're right.
S2: Of course I'm right. Now get back to your thesis!

Andrew Crome said...

I would also love a copy of the book... even if I use it to procrastinate, it will be positive procrastination!

shadowofjune said...

I'm interested!

Unknown said...

Umm yes. Send book. Do not base on creativity of responses. Stick to your guns, random! Or I suppose you could find something endearing about this response.

Matt said...

Ben, count me among the interested. Thanks!

Unknown said...

Fuller Theological Seminary charges FAR too much for me to afford buying books on my own.

Anonymous said...

Three reasons (sorry about the 'trinitarian' pattern) to give me the last copy:

1. Like most others, I have an insatiable desire to 'have' books. This is a basic consumerist desire created by smart adverstising (yes, even this awesome site is a tool of the gods of christian publishing). So even if I do not recieve this copy I will likely order it in the near future; some evening when I am tired and weak, staring at the Amazon screen, justifying the purchase as a Christmas gift no one will ever think of. Please keep a brother from sinning.

2. Yet, like most others, I truly love books, and even if (or when) printed books fall out of use for electronic verions, I will still love to cuddle up in a favourite chair and bask in the pages practical intelligence.

3. But why this book? Well, I am currently finishing my dissertation on time in Barth and Nate seems to be suggesting something quite similar to Barth. So this could really help me out, or perhaps mess up my whole arguement.

Wait ... maybe I don't need this book.

No... I actually I do.

Cheers,
Adrian Langdon
McGill University

Unknown said...

Hey Ben, I'm starting a M.A. in philosophy in a month after just finishing a M.A. from a seminary. I am interested in the intersection between Continental Thought and Biblical Studies. I'm interested in his book. THanks

Unknown said...

My hat is certainly in the ring for a chance at this marvelous work.

David Hansen

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