1st Edition
God, Politics, Economy Social Theory and the Paradoxes of Religion
The book intervenes into the contemporary debate on religion, politics, and economy, focusing on the field of formation which emerges as these seemingly autonomous spheres encounter one another.
Empirically, it concentrates on examples from literature, theatre, and cinema as well as a case study of the recent revolts in Turkey where a ‘moderate’ Islamic government is in power. Theoretically, its focus is on the contemporary ‘return’ of religion in the horizon of the critique of religion, seeking to articulate an affirmative politics that can re-evaluate the value of dominant values in religious governance and governance of religion.
Introduction: Profanation versus Sacralization Part 1: Religion as Superstition 1. Excursus I: Voltaire’s Mahomet as Despot Part 2: Love, Love of God, Intellectual Love of God 2. Excursus II: The Devils, Possession, and Truth-Telling Part 3: From Political Theology to Politics 3. Excursus III: The Emancipated City: Notes on Gezi Revolts Part 4: Capitalism as Religion, Religion as Capitalism 4. Excursus IV: The Map, the Territory, and the Impossibility of Painting a Priest 5. Instead of Conclusion: From Four Religions to Four Truth Procedures
Biography
Bülent Diken teaches Social and Cultural Theory at Lancaster University, Department of Sociology.