The Trace of the Face in the Politics of Jesus: Experimental Comparisons Between the Work of John Howard Yoder and Emmanuel Levinas

by John Patrick Koyles

Overview

Taking its cue from Mark Nation's regret that John Howard Yoder refrained from a fuller engagement with the Western philosophical tradition, this book is an effort to explore the possibilities inherent in that conversation. It develops a dialogue between Yoder and the French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. The placement of Yoder's work alongside of Levinas' conception of otherness cashes out the embedded hope in Nation's remarks by demonstrating the continuing relevancy of Yoder's thought for current Christian sociopolitical discourse. This book is especially aimed at those who seek to continue exploring the themes and ideas of John Howard Yoder.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621897514
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	06/26/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

John Koyles is an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Midland College in Midland, Texas.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgment ix

Introduction 1

1 Following Jesus: Examining John Howard Yoder's Methodological Approach and Conception of Revolutionary Subordination 9

2 A Sectarian Thinker?: Critical Reflections and Questions Concerning John Howard Yoder's Thought 31

3 Yoder's Rejoinders: Evaluating the Responses of Yoder's Supporters and Their Employment of the Western Philosophical Tradition 56

4 The Kenotic Bridge: An Experimental Response Through a Levinasian Rereading of Yoder's Methodology and Revolutionary Subordination 86

Conclusion 117

Bibliography 139

Index 149

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Koyles analyzes relations between John Howard Yoder and Gustafson, SchussSteler Fiorenza, Reimer, Carter, Hauerwas, Huebner, and Levinas with incisively illuminating insights. . . . He has persuaded me to take up Levinas as a major dialogue partner. Anyone with loyalties to some of these important thinkers will want to differ somewhere, but we can all learn truly important insights from his mapping them clearly. Nobody else has done this for us."
—Glen Stassen, Professor of Christian Ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary

"I applaud Koyles's efforts to bring the thought of John Howard Yoder to a broader audience. It seems discussions on Yoder invariably drift toward confining his thought to narrow Christian pacifism or toward focusing on his personal life; neither of these approaches takes his broader implications seriously. This book is solid scholarship that begins the process of interpreting Yoder through a philosophical lens."
—J. Brabban, Professor of Bible, Chowan University

"John Howard Yoder was not inclined to engage the world of contemporary European philosophy. But a growing number of recent scholars have found it helpful to read Yoder's theology alongside philosophers commonly referred to as postmodern. Koyles's reading of Yoder and Levinas ought to be considered essential reading for anyone interested in exploring this recent turn in Yoder scholarship."
—Chris K. Huebner, Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Canadian Mennonite University

Editorial Reviews

"Koyles analyzes relations between John Howard Yoder and Gustafson, SchussSteler Fiorenza, Reimer, Carter, Hauerwas, Huebner, and Levinas with incisively illuminating insights. . . . He has persuaded me to take up Levinas as a major dialogue partner. Anyone with loyalties to some of these important thinkers will want to differ somewhere, but we can all learn truly important insights from his mapping them clearly. Nobody else has done this for us."
—Glen Stassen, Professor of Christian Ethics, Fuller Theological Seminary

"I applaud Koyles's efforts to bring the thought of John Howard Yoder to a broader audience. It seems discussions on Yoder invariably drift toward confining his thought to narrow Christian pacifism or toward focusing on his personal life; neither of these approaches takes his broader implications seriously. This book is solid scholarship that begins the process of interpreting Yoder through a philosophical lens."
—J. Brabban, Professor of Bible, Chowan University

"John Howard Yoder was not inclined to engage the world of contemporary European philosophy. But a growing number of recent scholars have found it helpful to read Yoder's theology alongside philosophers commonly referred to as postmodern. Koyles's reading of Yoder and Levinas ought to be considered essential reading for anyone interested in exploring this recent turn in Yoder scholarship."
—Chris K. Huebner, Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Canadian Mennonite University

From the Publisher