The Political Theology of Schelling

'This important book represents a sea-change in our understanding of Schelling. Das shows how Schelling's positive philosophy is already part of Schelling's thought from early on, and his interpretation develops Schelling's actuality without potentiality in the context of modern and contemporary political theology. A major achievement!' Clayton Crockett, University of Central Arkansas A study of Schelling in the light of issues about contemporary political theology Saitya Brata Das rigorously examines the theologico-political works of F. W. J. von Schelling and sets his thought against his contemporary, G. W. F. Hegel. He argues that Schelling inaugurates a new thinking outside of Occidental metaphysics, by a paradoxical manner of exit, which prepares for the post-metaphysical philosophy of Martin Heidegger, Franz Rosenzweig and Jacques Derrida. This groundbreaking new work, outside of the Universal world-historical politics of modernity is achieved by re-thinking religion as eschatology. Intervening in contemporary debates concerning the post-secular, the return of religion, and political theology, Das shows that religion, in an essential sense, can open up infinitude from the heart of finitude to an irreducible outside of the profane order of worldly hegemonies. Religion here assumes a negative political theology of exception without sovereign power. Schelling's late political theology - far from being a conservative relic of the 19th century, as critics have sometimes suggested - opens up avenues for thinking our common being-together and for forming a political theology worthy of the new millennium. Saitya Brata Das is Associate Professor of English Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Cover image: Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (c) ullstein bild/Getty Images Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN: 978-1-4744-1690-0 Barcode