Departing the parting – Jean-François Lyotard's 'The Hyphen' in light of Jewish and Christian studies

Anderson, Jonathan (2020) Departing the parting – Jean-François Lyotard's 'The Hyphen' in light of Jewish and Christian studies. MTh(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

History is narrated, as any good storyteller knows, and narration depends for its effects on our notions and metaphors. In their 2002 introduction to 'The Ways That Never Parted', Annette Yoshiko Reed and Adam H. Becker write “The notion of an early and absolute split between Judaism and Christianity, but also the 'master narrative' about Jewish and Christian history that pivots on this notion is being called into question” (2007, p.4). In this thesis, by bringing the philosopher Jean-François Lyotard’s 'The Hyphen' into dialogue with both the “parting of the ways” and many other voices from within Jewish and Christian studies, I continue this calling into question. This dismantling does not leave us bereft of notions, narratives, and concepts but with the beginnings of new ones; as Judith Lieu has claimed “a more flexible 'map' [is] required”, as are “different models to answer different questions or maintain different interpretations” (1995, p.101).

In a series of chapters, Lyotard’s concepts of “designators”, “idioms”, “obligation” and “differends”, are offered as some potential new models, and their interactions clarified. As well as conveying the, often implicit, sense these concepts had for Lyotard, further distinctions are layered in that he left unsaid. By way of this, a new conceptual schema for discussing religious “phrases” – encompassing both linguistic and other acts – is outlined and the areas for further elaboration within it are indicated. In each chapter, this schema is applied to specific texts from within Jewish and Christian studies, to see what new light it can cast on these debates, as well as to refine and test it. All of this is offered in support of a second level argument, that a renewed dialogue between Lyotard’s writings and Jewish and Christian studies could generate ways out of the impasses in each of their paths ahead.

• Item Type: Thesis (MTh(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: Jean-François Lyotard, Daniel Boyarin, Annette Yoshiko Reed, Differends, Idioms, Parting of the Ways.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General); B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BJ Ethics; B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BM Judaism
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > Theology and Religious Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Adams, Dr. Sean and Pattison, Professor George
• Date of Award: 2020
• Depositing User: Mr Jonathan Anderson
• Unique ID: glathesis:2020-82060
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Mar 2021 17:06
• Last Modified: 19 Mar 2021 17:30
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.82060
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/82060