Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event, The
The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event. By John D. Caputo. Bloomington and Indianapolis, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 2006. 299 pp. $24.95 (paper).
The concept of the event has been gaining currency in philosophical circles in recent years, most notably in the work of Jacques Derrida, Alain Badiou, and Jean-Luc Marion. What marks a new development in this concept is its application to theology. In The Weakness of God, John D. Caputo "crosses the wires" of deconstructionist philosophy and deft biblical hermeneutics to offer a profoundly refreshing and persuasive theology of the event.
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In philosophy, the event is something that occurs, that happens, and by its very happening remains unanticipated, unlooked for, and unaccountable. Since all thought is driven more or less by metaphysics-by the desire to systematize and to classify-the event becomes a disruptive or deconstructive force that shocks us into new ways of thinking. Importantly for theology, Caputo and others have identified God with the event, since God cannot be classified according to the logic of human systems.
If the name of God contains an event, then traditional depictions of God as "the overarching governor of the universe" (p. 9) do us a disservice. Since un event has an ethereal, uncontrollable quality, theological metaphors that place God in a logic-driven economy (as in subject/ruler) fall short of the event. The desire for these names is "strong theology," which means a theology that seeks, and thereby recognizes, only power. However, even a cursory reading of the biblical texts shows us that God's "power" manifests itself amongst those who lack power: the slave, the widow, the orphan.
Caputo thus argues that God is best understood as a "weak force," which is the force of a call, a promise, a "powerless power" that can radically alter our lives, even as it can be easily ignored. This weak force is "foolishness" and a "stumbling block" to the world as Paul argued, since it is what is most contrary to the world. But how can we understand God as a weak force when the tradition undeniably dresses God up in power?
Caputo approaches this question by masterfully reading the creation stories (the Elohist and the Yahwist), alongside the work of Catherine Keller. He shows that the hallmark of God's power, creatio ex nihilo, contradicts the biblical account. Creation is not a grand metaphysical endeavor, but the bringing to life of the world, and the blessing of this new life as good. Furthermore, the Yahwist version suggests that there is something in creation left open to chance, something out of God's control, as the "fall" in the garden attests. Creation is an unfinished product: it is fragile, capable of unpredictable events, and yet it is good because Elohim has blessed it so.
The weak force of God thus permeates creation in the goodness of things, and this event manifests itself as the kingdom. This is where Caputos development of the event really shines. Crossing the kingdom stories with Immanuel Levinas and Derrida, the kingdom unfolds as a "sacred anarchy," where anarchy is the condition opposite the world. In the world, economic relationships are the rule-credits and debits must balance, and gilts must be repaid-whereas in the kingdom reversals of expectation are the norm-the sinner is favored over the elect; Jesus ministers to the pour and not the elite.
Further, the kingdom stories disclose several important traits that belie the event. There is the renewal of the heart and mind (metanoetics), and keeping time holy by focusing on the present ("give us our daily bread"). Forgiveness, a pure gift, is new time since the forgiven get a new start. Salvation is understood as repaired time, where the finality of "ruined time" is transformed by Jesus into something new. And finally, the currency of the kingdom is hospitality, which is the primary way in which we respond to the event. These traits allow Caputo to conclude that the kingdom is a way of living in the world, attuned to the weakness of God that we hear in the event of a call.
All told, Caputos effort shows us that contemporary critical thought and theology can be employed together in the service of uncovering theological truth. At its best, this book reminds us that the event of God is not in the power of the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. Rather, God is heard in a still, small voice that culls us forth to the kingdom. And for those of us who see in the state of the world the demand to think and to name God anew, Caputo's work is indispensable.
DANIEL W. KYNASTON
University of Chicago Divinity School
Chicago, Illinois
Copyright Anglican Theological Review, Inc. Fall 2006
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
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