Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity

Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity

Christianity, a spirituality of dwelling critically in the world, is seen by some in late modernity to foster an otherworldly attitude, and thus to cultivate a spirituality at odds with modern identity. Especially in the wake of Nietzsche’s condemnation of Christianity on the grounds of its ascetic...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Joseph Rivera
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Blumenberg
modernity
Augustine
secularization
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/297
id doaj-e805b15fba3b4404bb448e0902167e5e
record_format Article
spelling doaj-e805b15fba3b4404bb448e0902167e5e2021-04-23T23:00:38ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-04-011229729710.3390/rel12050297Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late ModernityJoseph Rivera0School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music, Dublin City University, Dublin D9, IrelandChristianity, a spirituality of dwelling critically in the world, is seen by some in late modernity to foster an otherworldly attitude, and thus to cultivate a spirituality at odds with modern identity. Especially in the wake of Nietzsche’s condemnation of Christianity on the grounds of its ascetic abandonment of the world, some have contended that Christianity may never have overcome its early conflict with Gnosticism. Hans Blumenberg’s <i>Legitimacy of the Modern Age</i> continues to be read widely. Critics of modernity often avoid confronting the book’s lengthy endorsement of modernity in light of his critique of Augustine’s critique of <i>curiositas</i>. A central aim of this essay is to complicate Blumenberg’s influential thesis about Augustine’s supposed repudiation of “theoretical curiosity” that funded early modern science and inaugurated the modern epoch of self-assertion.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/297BlumenbergmodernityAugustinesecularization
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Joseph Rivera
spellingShingle Joseph Rivera
Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity
Religions
Blumenberg
modernity
Augustine
secularization
author_facet Joseph Rivera
author_sort Joseph Rivera
title Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity
title_short Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity
title_full Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity
title_fullStr Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity
title_full_unstemmed Blumenberg’s Problematic Secularization Thesis: Augustine, <i>Curiositas</i> and the Emergence of Late Modernity
title_sort blumenberg’s problematic secularization thesis: augustine, <i>curiositas</i> and the emergence of late modernity
publisher MDPI AG
series Religions
issn 2077-1444
publishDate 2021-04-01
description Christianity, a spirituality of dwelling critically in the world, is seen by some in late modernity to foster an otherworldly attitude, and thus to cultivate a spirituality at odds with modern identity. Especially in the wake of Nietzsche’s condemnation of Christianity on the grounds of its ascetic abandonment of the world, some have contended that Christianity may never have overcome its early conflict with Gnosticism. Hans Blumenberg’s <i>Legitimacy of the Modern Age</i> continues to be read widely. Critics of modernity often avoid confronting the book’s lengthy endorsement of modernity in light of his critique of Augustine’s critique of <i>curiositas</i>. A central aim of this essay is to complicate Blumenberg’s influential thesis about Augustine’s supposed repudiation of “theoretical curiosity” that funded early modern science and inaugurated the modern epoch of self-assertion.
topic Blumenberg
modernity
Augustine
secularization
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/5/297
work_keys_str_mv AT josephrivera blumenbergsproblematicsecularizationthesisaugustineicuriositasiandtheemergenceoflatemodernity
_version_ 1721512367058059264

Similar Items