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Project
Minne. A Love'above reason and without manner'. An interdisciplinary encounter between Jan van Ruusbroec, Jean-Luc Marion and the post-metaphysical imperative.
Under proposal is a critically constructive, interdisciplinary investigation, at the intersection of fundamental theology, historical theology and philosophy of religion, to come to a renewed concept of love within a contemporary, post-metaphysical context. Such investigation starts from the critique of modern metaphysics for its marginalized views of love as secondary and non-essential to the primacy of being, truth andfalsity. It will join in with calls for re-aligning philo</>-sophic reflection in terms of loves primacy to veritas </>and wisdom reflecting its erotic origins.
In this context, Jean-Luc Marion has recently called for a theologically informed, phenomenologically accessible concept of love to aid this renewal. He proposes a unified concept against metaphysical dualism,
refusing to think eros </>in opposition to caritas. </>However, he limits the reach of this love-concept by taking an apophatic and pragmatic view towards love language, arguing that such language escapesaffirmation and denial, yet performs its embodied meaning exclusively in terms of the lover pursuing its beloved.
This solution, however, is conceptually limited and found theologically problematic in view of re-engaging Christian truth-claims in a post-modern context. Therefore in a constructive/critical comparison with Marion,
retrieval isproposed of the late-medieval Flemish mystic, Jan van Ruusbroec, and his dynamic, non-hierarchical understanding of love as minne</>, a long abandoned, yet unitive concept that is intelligible, accessibly portrayed and lends itself to filling the conceptual and linguistic vacuum that currently exists. For Ruusbroecs minne not only thinks beyond the divides between eros </>and caritas</>, it does so by placing such a unified minne within the very inner-life of the Trinity itself and its perpetual loving embrace of all creation as a unity beyond</> distinction</>.
In this context, Jean-Luc Marion has recently called for a theologically informed, phenomenologically accessible concept of love to aid this renewal. He proposes a unified concept against metaphysical dualism,
refusing to think eros </>in opposition to caritas. </>However, he limits the reach of this love-concept by taking an apophatic and pragmatic view towards love language, arguing that such language escapesaffirmation and denial, yet performs its embodied meaning exclusively in terms of the lover pursuing its beloved.
This solution, however, is conceptually limited and found theologically problematic in view of re-engaging Christian truth-claims in a post-modern context. Therefore in a constructive/critical comparison with Marion,
retrieval isproposed of the late-medieval Flemish mystic, Jan van Ruusbroec, and his dynamic, non-hierarchical understanding of love as minne</>, a long abandoned, yet unitive concept that is intelligible, accessibly portrayed and lends itself to filling the conceptual and linguistic vacuum that currently exists. For Ruusbroecs minne not only thinks beyond the divides between eros </>and caritas</>, it does so by placing such a unified minne within the very inner-life of the Trinity itself and its perpetual loving embrace of all creation as a unity beyond</> distinction</>.
Date:1 Oct 2010 → 30 Sep 2014
Keywords:Jean-luc Marion, Post-metaphysical philosophy, Love, Trinitarian theology, Fundamental theology, Late-medieval Flemish mysticism, Jan van Ruusbroec
Disciplines:Theology and religious studies, General pedagogical and educational sciences, Communication sciences, Philosophy
Project type:PhD project