Reading Derrida/Thinking Paul: On Justice

by Theodore W. Jennings Jr.

This book explores the interweaving of several of Derrida’s characteristic concerns with themes that Paul explores in Romans. It argues that the central concern of Romans is with the question of justice, a justice that must be thought outside of law on the basis of grace or gift. The many perplexities that arise from thus trying to think justice outside of law are clarified by reading Derrida on such themes as justice and law, gift and exchange, duty and debt, hospitality, cosmopolitanism, and pardon. This interweaving of Paul and Derrida shows that Paul may be read as a thinker who wrestles with real problems that are of concern to anyone who thinks. It also shows that Derrida, far from being the enemy of theological reflection, is himself a necessary companion to the thinking of the biblical theologian. Against the grain of what passes for common wisdom this book argues that both Derrida and Paul are indispensable guides to a new way of thinking about justice.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2005

Reviews

[James Taunton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caught my eye because of the provocative comparison between an Apostle and the father of Deconstruction. This confirmed some intuition I felt about deconstruction’s potential affiliation with Christianity. What I love about this book is it’s look into themes of justice, hospitality, forgiveness and promise. Jennings is at his best when he employs a Derridian like movement by exposing the natural tensions between law/justice or gift/grace. Many passages are enlightening to an open mind by engaging with age-old biblical themes in a new way.

Where Jennings betrays himself, as far as I am concerned, is when he seems to abandon his own discoveries with this Paul/Derrida analysis. There seems to be a resentment built within his writing against a more traditional or evangelical reading of Paul. He seems insistent that this line of thinking is not just another valid interpretation, but is represented absolutely as a form of totalitarian oppression in the search for truth (he goes so far as to compare classical theology to a “ghetto”). Not to mention his poignant critique of America and the West in general. This was surprising for someone who values forgiveness and grace. Of course there is a natural contradiction in his critique, and as he points out later in the book, much of our thought is built upon Judeo-Christian principles (“all men created equal,” made in the “image of God”). So to vilify the West with principles emphasized (not perfectly of course) in the West seems disingenuous. Constructive critique is always welcome, but, as is so often the case, people tend to fall on either side of the spectrum (certainly in politics) between worship and hatred.

[Charles Puskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's dense reading but this professor of theology at Chicago Theological Seminary has located some interesting reflections by French philosopher, Jacques Derrida, to underscore his thesis that justice is based on gift outside of law in Paul's Letter to the Romans. For example to illustrate the complexities of justice (dikaios) and law (nomos), Derrida writes "the Paul of the Epistle to the Romans who speaks according the the law, of the law and against the law..." (p. 15). Jennings also includes (to amplify his thesis) discussions on Justice as Gift, Force, Violence, and the Cross, Duty Beyond Debt and/or Obedience of Faith, Hospitality, Ethics, and Politics, and Pardon. Perhaps the skeptical Derrida can prove to be helpful dialogue partner for the biblical theologian after all!