David Bentley Hart
Encyclopedia
David Bentley Hart is an Eastern Orthodox theologian, philosopher, and cultural commentator.
Hart was educated at the University of Maryland
, the University of Cambridge
and the University of Virginia
. He has taught at the University of Virginia, the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
, Duke Divinity School
, and Loyola College in Maryland
. He was most recently a visiting professor at Providence College
, having also previously held the Robert J. Randall Chair in Christian Culture there. He is a relative of early-20th century baseball player Jack Bentley.
and are engaged in many of the central themes of classical, modern and Continental philosophy. Rowan Williams
, John Milbank
, Geoffrey Wainwright
, Robert Jenson
, Janet Martin Soskice, Reinhard Hütter
, and others have praised his work. Many of the large themes of his work in philosophical theology are summarized in his essay "The Offering of Names" (see bibliography below). The fullest exposition of his theological vision, however, is his The Beauty of the Infinite.
In recent years, Hart has also written extensively on evil and suffering. Many of these texts are haunted by an obvious horror at the suffering of children, and at times there are hints of what might be called asceticism
, with some reproaches to Gnosticism
.
On May 27, 2011, Hart's book, Atheist Delusions, was awarded the Michael Ramsey prize in Theology.
and Maximus the Confessor
. His writings on such figures are distinctive in that they are not cast in the mold of typical patristics scholarship; Hart is quite willing, for instance, to use Maximus as a "corrective" to Heidegger's "history of Being". The emphasis is very much on ideas and "deep readings", which seek to wrest from ancient texts insights that might fruitfully be brought into living contact with contemporary questions.
Hart's work is controversial in some respects, and he has his critics, particularly among Protestant thinkers in the Reformed tradition. His defense of the classical doctrine of divine apatheia, of the analogia entis, and other aspects of Christian tradition are all worked out within the web of his own thought and elicit extensive debate. Issues of the Scottish Journal of Theology
and New Blackfriars have devoted special space to his work.
As a cultural critic, Hart appears "conservative" in many respects, but his politics are difficult to define. On a number of occasions he has called himself an "anarchist monarchist". He is as suspicious of classical liberal capitalism as of centralized state socialism, and so his criticisms of modern culture are largely free from any conspicuous partisan allegiances.
Hart was educated at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. He has taught at the University of Virginia, the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
, Duke Divinity School
Duke Divinity School
The Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina is one of thirteen seminaries founded and supported by the United Methodist Church. It has 39 full time and 18 part time faculty and over 500 full time students. The current dean of The Divinity School is Richard B. Hays, who replaced...
, and Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola College in Maryland
Loyola University Maryland is a Roman Catholic, Jesuit private university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early and eight other members of the Society of Jesus in 1852, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges...
. He was most recently a visiting professor at Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
, having also previously held the Robert J. Randall Chair in Christian Culture there. He is a relative of early-20th century baseball player Jack Bentley.
Works
Hart's work exhibits a knowledge of the Western philosophical tradition, from classical antiquity to postmodernity, as well as a knowledge of world literature, art, history, and culture. His own theology and philosophy are deeply informed by the writings of the Church FathersChurch Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
and are engaged in many of the central themes of classical, modern and Continental philosophy. Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, John Milbank
John Milbank
Alasdair John Milbank is a Christian theologian and the Professor of Religion, Politics and Ethics at the University of Nottingham where he also directs the Centre of Theology and Philosophy. Milbank previously taught at the University of Virginia and before that at the University of Cambridge...
, Geoffrey Wainwright
Geoffrey Wainwright
Geoffrey Wainwright is a British Methodist theologian.Born in Monk Bretton, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, in 1939, Geoffrey Wainwright is an ordained minister of the British Methodist Church. He received his university education in Cambridge, Geneva and Rome. He holds the Dr. Théol. degree from...
, Robert Jenson
Robert Jenson
Robert W. Jenson is a leading American Lutheran and ecumenical theologian.-Student years:Jenson studied classics and philosophy at Luther College in the late 1940s, before beginning theological studies at Luther Seminary in 1951. Due to a car accident he missed most of his first-year seminary...
, Janet Martin Soskice, Reinhard Hütter
Reinhard Hütter
Reinhard Hütter or Reinhard Huetter is a formerly Lutheran, now Catholic, theologian who is currently Professor of Christian Theology at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC.He was born at 1.11.1958 in Lichtenfels ....
, and others have praised his work. Many of the large themes of his work in philosophical theology are summarized in his essay "The Offering of Names" (see bibliography below). The fullest exposition of his theological vision, however, is his The Beauty of the Infinite.
In recent years, Hart has also written extensively on evil and suffering. Many of these texts are haunted by an obvious horror at the suffering of children, and at times there are hints of what might be called asceticism
Asceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
, with some reproaches to Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
.
On May 27, 2011, Hart's book, Atheist Delusions, was awarded the Michael Ramsey prize in Theology.
Patristics
As a patristics scholar, Hart is especially concerned with the Greek tradition, with a particular emphasis on Gregory of NyssaGregory of Nyssa
St. Gregory of Nyssa was a Christian bishop and saint. He was a younger brother of Basil the Great and a good friend of Gregory of Nazianzus. His significance has long been recognized in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic branches of Christianity...
and Maximus the Confessor
Maximus the Confessor
Maximus the Confessor was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar. In his early life, he was a civil servant, and an aide to the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius...
. His writings on such figures are distinctive in that they are not cast in the mold of typical patristics scholarship; Hart is quite willing, for instance, to use Maximus as a "corrective" to Heidegger's "history of Being". The emphasis is very much on ideas and "deep readings", which seek to wrest from ancient texts insights that might fruitfully be brought into living contact with contemporary questions.
Hart's work is controversial in some respects, and he has his critics, particularly among Protestant thinkers in the Reformed tradition. His defense of the classical doctrine of divine apatheia, of the analogia entis, and other aspects of Christian tradition are all worked out within the web of his own thought and elicit extensive debate. Issues of the Scottish Journal of Theology
Scottish Journal of Theology
Scottish Journal of Theology is a peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal of systematic, historical and biblical theology. Founded in Scotland in 1948, it provides an ecumenical forum for debate, and engages in extensive reviewing of theological and biblical literature...
and New Blackfriars have devoted special space to his work.
As a cultural critic, Hart appears "conservative" in many respects, but his politics are difficult to define. On a number of occasions he has called himself an "anarchist monarchist". He is as suspicious of classical liberal capitalism as of centralized state socialism, and so his criticisms of modern culture are largely free from any conspicuous partisan allegiances.
Books
- The Devil and Pierre Gernet: Stories. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans: 2012.
- Atheist DelusionsAtheist DelusionsAtheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies is a 2009 book by Professor David Bentley Hart that sets out to explore many of the historical and popular misconceptions of Christianity's detractors....
: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009. - In the Aftermath: Provocations and Laments. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans: 2008.
- The Story of Christianity: An Illustrated History of 2000 Years of the Christian Faith. London: Quercus: 2007.
- The Doors of the Sea. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans: 2005.
- The Beauty of the Infinite: The Aesthetics of Christian Truth. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans: 2003.
Articles
- Response to critiques of The Beauty of the Infinite by Francesca Murphy and John A. McGuckin, Scottish Journal of Theology 60 (February 2007): 95-101.
- "Daniel Dennett Hunts the Snark", First Things 169 (January 2007).
- Contribution to Theology as Knowledge: A Symposium, First Things 163 (May 2006): 21-27.
- "The Lively God of Robert Jenson", First Things 156 (October 2005): 28-34.
- "The Anti-Theology of the Body", The New Atlantis 9 (Summer 2005): 65-73.
- "The Soul of a Controversy", The Wall Street Journal (April 1, 2005).
- "Tsunami and Theodicy", First Things 151 (March 2005): 6-9.
- "The Laughter of the Philosophers", First Things 149 (January 2005): 31-38. A review loosely structured around The Humor of Kierkegaard by Thomas C. OdenThomas C. OdenThomas Clark Oden is an American United Methodist theologian and religious author associated with Drew University in New Jersey. He was born in Altus, Oklahoma, and holds a Doctor of Literature from Asbury College....
, containing a long excursus on Johann Georg HamannJohann Georg HamannJohann Georg Hamann was a noted German philosopher, a main proponent of the Sturm und Drang movement, and associated by historian of ideas Isaiah Berlin with the Counter-Enlightenment.-Biography:...
. - "God or Nothingness" in I Am the Lord Your God: Christian Reflections on the Ten Commandments Carl E. Braaten and Christopher Seitz, eds. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005: 55-76.
- "The Offering of Names: Metaphysics, Nihilism, and Analogy" in Reason and the Reasons of Faith. Reinhard Hütter and Paul J. Griffiths, eds. London: T. & T. Clark, 2005: 55-76.
- "Tremors of Doubt", The Wall Street Journal (December 31, 2004). This article was the seed for the book The Doors of the Sea.
- "Ecumenical Councils of War", Touchstone (November 2004).
- "The Pornography Culture", The New Atlantis 6 (Summer 2004): 82-89.
- "Freedom and Decency", First Things 144 (June/July 2004): 35-41.
- "An Orthodox Easter", The Wall Street Journal (April 9, 2004) (in "Houses of Worship").
- "Religion in America: Ancient & Modern", The New Criterion (March 2004).
- "A Most Partial Historian", First Things 138 (December 2003): 34-41. A review of Religion and Public Doctrine in Modern England Volume III: Accommodations by Maurice CowlingMaurice CowlingMaurice John Cowling was a British historian and a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge.-Life:Cowling was born in Norwood, South London, to a lower middle-class family. His family then moved to Streatham, where Cowling attended an LCC elementary school, and from 1937 the Battersea Grammar School...
. - "Christ and Nothing", First Things 136 (October 2003): 47-57.
- "The Bright Morning of the Soul: John of the Cross on Theosis", Pro Ecclesia (Summer 2003): 324-45.
- "Thine Own of Thine Own: the Orthodox Understanding of Eucharistic Sacrifice" in Rediscovering the Eucharist: Ecumenical Considerations Roch A. Kereszty, ed. (Paulist Press, 2003): 142-169.
- "A Gift Exceeding Every Debt: An Eastern Orthodox Appreciation of Anselm's Cur Deus Homo", Pro Ecclesia 7.3: 333-348.
- "The Mirror of the Infinite: Gregory of Nyssa on the Vestigia Trinitatis", Modern Theology 18.4 (October 2002): 542-56
- "No Shadow of Turning: On Divine Impassibility", Pro Ecclesia (Spring 2002): 184-206.
- Contribution to The Future of the Papacy: A Symposium, First Things 111 (March 2001): 28-36.
- "The 'Whole Humanity': Gregory of Nyssa's Critique of Slavery in Light of His Eschatology", Scottish Journal of Theology 54.1 (2001): 51-69.
- "Analogy" in Elsevier Concise Encyclopaedia of Religion and Language (Elsevier Press, 2001).
- "The Writing of the Kingdom: Thirty-Seven Aphorisms towards an Eschatology of the Text", Modern Theology (Spring 2000): 181-202.
- "Matter, Monism, and Narrative: An Essay on the Metaphysics of Paradise Lost" Milton Quarterly (Winter 1996): 16-27.
Book reviews
- "Inside the mind of the Archbishop of Canterbury", The Times Literary Supplement (March 2008). A review of Rowan Williams's "Wrestling with Angels," edited by Mike Higton.
- "Con Man", The New Criterion (September 2006): 124. A review of "The Theocons: Secular America under Siege" by Damon Linker.
- "Beyond Disbelief", The New Criterion (June 2005): 78-81. A review of "The Twilight of Atheism" by Alister McGrathAlister McGrathAlister Edgar McGrath is an Anglican priest, theologian, and Christian apologist, currently Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at Kings College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture...
. - "Roland Redivivus", First Things 150 (February 2005): 44-48. A review of Orlando InnamoratoOrlando InnamoratoOrlando Innamorato is an epic poem written by the Italian Renaissance author Matteo Maria Boiardo. The poem is a romance concerning the heroic knight Orlando .-Composition and publication:...
by Matteo Maria BoiardoMatteo Maria BoiardoMatteo Maria Boiardo was an Italian Renaissance poet.Boiardo was born at, or near, Scandiano ; the son of Giovanni di Feltrino and Lucia Strozzi, he was of noble lineage, ranking as Count of Scandiano, with seignorial power over Arceto, Casalgrande, Gesso, and Torricella...
, translated by Charles Stanley Ross. - "The Laughter of the Philosophers", First Things 149 (January 2005): 31-38. A review loosely structured around The Humor of Kierkegaard by Thomas C. OdenThomas C. OdenThomas Clark Oden is an American United Methodist theologian and religious author associated with Drew University in New Jersey. He was born in Altus, Oklahoma, and holds a Doctor of Literature from Asbury College....
, containing a long excursus on Johann Georg HamannJohann Georg HamannJohann Georg Hamann was a noted German philosopher, a main proponent of the Sturm und Drang movement, and associated by historian of ideas Isaiah Berlin with the Counter-Enlightenment.-Biography:...
. - "When the Going was Bad", First Things 143 (May 2004): 50-53. A review of Waugh Abroad: Collected Travel Writing by Evelyn WaughEvelyn WaughArthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
. - "Sheer Extravagant Violence", First Things 139 (January 2004): 64-69. A review of Taras BulbaTaras BulbaTaras Bulba is a romanticized historical novel by Nikolai Gogol. It tells the story of an old Zaporozhian Cossack, Taras Bulba, and his two sons, Andriy and Ostap. Taras’ sons studied at the Kiev Academy and return home...
by Nicolai Gogol, translated by Peter ConstantinePeter ConstantinePeter Constantine is a British and American award-winning literary translator who has translated literary works from German, Russian, French, Modern Greek, Ancient Greek, Italian, Albanian, Dutch, and Slovene.-Biography:...
. - "A Most Partial Historian", First Things 138 (December 2003): 34-41. A review of Religion and Public Doctrine in Modern England Volume III: Accommodations by Maurice CowlingMaurice CowlingMaurice John Cowling was a British historian and a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge.-Life:Cowling was born in Norwood, South London, to a lower middle-class family. His family then moved to Streatham, where Cowling attended an LCC elementary school, and from 1937 the Battersea Grammar School...
. - Review of Gianni VattimoGianni VattimoGianteresio Vattimo, also known as Gianni Vattimo is an internationally recognized Italian author, philosopher, and politician. Many of his works have been translated into English.-Biography:...
's Belief, The Journal of Religion 82.1 (Jan. 2002): 132–133. - "Israel and the Nations", First Things 105 (August/September 2000): 51-54. A review of Church and Israel After Christendom: The Politics of Election by Scott Bader–Saye.
- "Review Essay: On Catherine Pickstock's After Writing", Pro Ecclesia (Summer 2000): 367-372.
- "Beyond Reductionism", First Things 87 (November 1998): 55-57. A review of Religious Mystery and Rational Reflection by Louis DupreLouis DupreLouis Dupre is a Catholic phenomenologist and religious philosopher. He was the T. Lawrason Riggs Professor in Yale University's religious studies department from 1973 to 1998, after which he became Professor Emeritus...
.
See also
- HesychasmHesychasmHesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Byzantine Rite, practised by the Hesychast Hesychasm is an eremitic tradition of prayer in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and some of the Eastern Catholic Churches,...
- N.O. Lossky
- Vladimir LosskyVladimir LosskyVladimir Nikolayevich Lossky was an influential Eastern Orthodox theologian in exile from Russia. He emphasized theosis as the main principle of Orthodox Christianity....
- John BehrJohn BehrJohn Behr is a contemporary Eastern Orthodox priest and theologian, and Dean of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, where he teaches Patristics . He was ordained to the diaconate on September 8, 2001 and the priesthood on September 14, 2001...
- Essence-Energies distinctionEssence-Energies distinctionA real distinction between the essence and the energies of God is a central principle of Eastern Orthodox theology. Eastern Orthodox theology regards this distinction as more than a mere conceptual distinction...
- Pseudo-Dionysius the AreopagitePseudo-Dionysius the AreopagitePseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, also known as Pseudo-Denys, was a Christian theologian and philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century, the author of the Corpus Areopagiticum . The author is identified as "Dionysos" in the corpus, which later incorrectly came to be attributed to Dionysius...
- NeoplatonismNeoplatonismNeoplatonism , is the modern term for a school of religious and mystical philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century AD, based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists, with its earliest contributor believed to be Plotinus, and his teacher Ammonius Saccas...
- ApotheosisApotheosisApotheosis is the glorification of a subject to divine level. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.In theology, the term apotheosis refers to the idea that an individual has been raised to godlike stature...
- TheophanyTheophanyTheophany, from the Ancient Greek , meaning "appearance of God"), refers to the appearance of a deity to a human or other being, or to a divine disclosure....
- Michael PomazanskyMichael PomazanskyProtopresbyter Michael Pomazansky was a Russian theologian.He was born in the village of Korist, in the province of Volhynia. His father was Archpriest Ioann Pomazansky who was the son of Father Ioann Ambrosievich. Fr. Michael's mother, Vera Grigorievna, was the daughter of a protodeacon and later...
- John S. RomanidesJohn S. RomanidesJohn Savvas Romanides was a Greek Orthodox priest, author and professor who, for a long time, represented the Greek Church to the World Council of Churches. He was born in Piraeus, Greece, on 2 March 1928 but his parents emigrated to the United States when he was only two months old. He grew up in...
- SobornostSobornostSobornost is a term coined by the early Slavophiles, Ivan Kireevsky and Aleksey Khomyakov, to underline the need for cooperation between people at the expense of individualism on the basis that the opposing groups focus on what is common between them. Khomyakov believed the West was progressively...
- PhilokaliaPhilokaliaThe Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox hesychast tradition. They were originally written for the guidance and instruction of monks in "the practise of the contemplative life". The collection was compiled in...
- PhronemaPhronemaPhronema is a transliteration of the Greek word φρόνημα, which has the meanings of "mind", "spirit", "thought", "purpose", "will", and can have either a positive meaning or a bad sense ....
- Uniatism
- Praxis
- Archimandrite SophronyArchimandrite SophronyArchimandrite Sophrony , also Elder Sophrony, was best known as the disciple and biographer of St Silouan the Athonite and compiler of St Silouan's works, and as the founder of the Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England...
- John MeyendorffJohn MeyendorffJohn Meyendorff was a modern Orthodox scholar, writer and teacher. He was born into the Russian nobility as Ivan Feofilovich Baron von Meyendorff , but was known as Jean Meyendorff during his life in France.Fr John Meyendorff retired as Dean of St Vladimir's Seminary on June 30, 1992...
- Rowan WilliamsRowan WilliamsRowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
- Dumitru StăniloaeDumitru StaniloaeDumitru Stăniloae was a Romanian Eastern Orthodox priest, theologian, academic, and professor. Father Stăniloae worked for over 45 years on a comprehensive Romanian translation of the Philokalia, a collection of writings by the Church Fathers, together with the hieromonk, Arsenie Boca, who brought...
- Seraphim RoseSeraphim RoseSeraphim Rose, born Eugene Dennis Rose , was an American hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia who co-founded the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, California. He also translated Orthodox Christian texts and authored several polemical works...
- John ZizioulasJohn ZizioulasJohn Zizioulas is the Eastern Orthodox metropolitan of Pergamon. He is the Chairman of the Academy of Athens and a noted theologian.-Academic Education and Career:...
- Catholic–Orthodox theological differencesCatholic–Orthodox theological differencesThis article discusses Catholic–Orthodox theological differences, based on the views of some Eastern Orthodox Church and Catholic Church theologians on what they see as differences between their theologies, along with ecclesiastical differences...