Is God a story?
A new book has just landed on my desk, and it looks remarkable: Francesca Aran Murphy, God Is Not a Story: Realism Revisited (Oxford University Press, 2007). The author offers a critique of narrative theology – especially in the work of Frei, Lindbeck, Herbert McCabe, and Robert W. Jenson – and she draws on Hegel, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and film theory to present a new “dramatic” form of Thomist realism. Sounds fantastic! Stay tuned for a review.
$120!! It'd better be good, or rather a cheap story than an extortionate metaphysic!
Yeah, tell me that Oxford is going to have a paperback version of this. Because if not, they no longer deserve to live.
What a provocative cover: David's Death of Marat!
As the cover, my mother, who of course got a freebie, and who isn't a Christian or a theologian, said 'it's obvious. It's narrative art'.
As to the price, I think OUP just got real, and sees that, outside a few really top theologians, most theology books are bought by a tiny specialist audience, like hard back books on aspects of photosynthesis in the sub-tropical tulip, and have to be priced accordingly. The publishers are getting real with us authors, too, and saying, look, if you want to write for a tiny specialist audience, you'll get priced that way.
Francesca
Dr. Murphy,
I love the cover!
But then I'm on your side: I was saddened when I visited my Jesuit alma mater a couple of years back and heard all my old profs raving about how our story intersects with the Great Story... blech.
Thank goodness for academic libraries and interlibrary loans. I'll encourage my alma mater to order a copy.
I'll just have to review it for Cultural Encouners. That's how I get all my expensive books.
Hi Francesca -- thanks for stopping by to comment. As for the price: from what I've seen so far, this book will be of interest to a lot of readers. So I reckon there's a good chance we'll see it in paperback.
Francesca! My favourite first year lecturer!
Just from the title I see that this is a book the seriously needed to be written. Can't wait to have a look.
But I'm a parish pastor, not part of the tiny specialist audience, and I'd love to read this book. Perhaps I should take OUP's hint and "get real" about my desire to practice a theologically-informed ministry. Or pray for a paperback edition.
But, my sadness about the price of this book is lessened by the outpouring of support for Joey Dela Paz.
Ben, have you had a chance to read this text yet? I'm very curious about it, but don't want to plop down $120 until I know more about it.
Thanks!
Hi Chris -- it's excellent. I haven't quite finished it yet, but I'll try to post a review soon....
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