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rheckner 's review for:
Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason
by John Milbank
This book is intellectually demanding in both good and bad ways. On the good side, it is thought-provoking, tightly argued, well-round, and intellectually challenging. On the bad side, it is dense, at times overly scholarly, and heavy on what is essentially just name-dropping. Furthermore, the positive arguments of Milbank are until the last chapter (and even for a majority of that chapter) mostly to be gleamed from scattered insight or extremely deep reading of his manifold critiques. Personally, I would prefer a book in which Milbank lays out his arguments, clearly, concisely, and positively; as opposed to a tome that is a times obtuse, rarely concise, and composed almost entirely of critiques of previous thinkers.
However, these criticisms not withstanding, Milbank has offered a rare work of scholarship that is provoking, tightly argued, abundantly researched, profoundly erudite, and insightful. Anyone interested in serious political theology, the relationship between social science and theology, or broad theological themes in modernity should read, if not all, at least some of this book.
However, these criticisms not withstanding, Milbank has offered a rare work of scholarship that is provoking, tightly argued, abundantly researched, profoundly erudite, and insightful. Anyone interested in serious political theology, the relationship between social science and theology, or broad theological themes in modernity should read, if not all, at least some of this book.