After Enlightenment: The Post–Secular Vision of J. G. Hamann

Hamann is gradually being recognized as one of the most important and original critics of the Enlightenment. This much–needed, comprehensive introduction to his fascinating life and controversial works explores his views on a range of topics – including faith, reason, history, hermeneutics, aesthetics, politics, the origin of language, and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Focusing upon his engagements with famous contemporaries and friends, such as Kant, Herder, and Mendelssohn, it also offers a unique perspective on the intellectual debates of the time. Moreover, in and through these debates, Betz presents Hamann as the prophetic founder of a distinctly post–modern, post–secular theology, and as such, an alternative to the postmodern philosophies of Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Derrida. After Enlightenment demonstrates the continued relevance of Hamann today, reprising the debate between those defending his views and those labeling him the bête noir of the Enlightenment.

Preface xi Acknowledgments xiv Abbreviations xvi Introduction 1 Notorious Darkness: Reading Sibylline Leaves 8 A Brief History of Scholarship 13 Hamann and Modern Theology 18 Aim and Overview 19 Part I The Making of a Christian Socrates 23 1 Life and Writings 1730–1788 25 The Making of a Philologist 26 Hamann′s Conversion 29 Hamann′s Falling Out with Berens 32 Hamann′s Relationship with Kant 34 2 The London Writings: On the Glory of Trinitarian Condescension 38 Night Thoughts: On the Interpretation of Scripture 39 Glory in the "Rags" of Scripture 43 Biblical Meditations 45 "Reflections on church hymns" 53 "Fragments" and "Prophecies" 55 3 A Typological Re–reading of Socrates: On Faith, Reason, and History 63 The Prophet and the Idol 65 From Socratic Irony to Christian Humor 68 Toward a Philosophy of History 71 A Propaedeutic to Real Enlightenment 76 Converting Hume: Knowledge "By Faith Alone" 82 Kant, Hamann, and the So–called " Kinderphysik Fiasco" 84 Part II Crusades of the Philologist 89 4 Life and Writings 1760–1774 91 Against the Purification of Language 91 The Magi and "The Knight of Faith" 93 Crusades of the Philologist 96 On "Solomon of Prussia" and High School Drama 103 The Hamann–Herder Connection 104 A Satirical Masterpiece and Other Writings 109 5 Toward a Christological Poetics: A New Aesthetics of Scripture and Creation 113 Cloverleaf of Hellenistic Letters : On the Style of Scripture 117 Aesthetica in nuce : On the Language of Creation 123 The Dithyrambs of a Christian Dionysus 128 Seeing All Things in Christ 133 Toward a Christological Poetics 136 6 Correcting a Disciple: Hamann and Herder on the Origin of Language 141 Hamann′s Review of Herder′s Preisschrift 144 The Return of Aristobulus 147 Philological Ideas and Doubts 149 The Crusading Knight′s Last Will and Testament 158 The Mystery of Language: The Alpha and Omega 163 Part III Masks and Mystery Writings 165 7 Life and Writings 1775–1780 167 Hierophantic Letters 167 Family Life: Portrait of a Christian Sensualist 170 Two Mites : On the Tabernacle of Language 173 8 The Sibyl Speaks: On the Protological and Eschatological Mystery of Marriage 178 The Mystery of Marriage: A verum signaculum Creatoris 179 Essay of a Sibyl on Marriage 182 "Aprons of fig leaves": On Reason’s Inveterate Shame 184 9 Fragments of an Apocryphal Sibyl: On Rational and Apocalyptic Religion 189 Doubts (about Reason) and Ideas (about the Mystical Body of Christ) 191 Konxompax : An Apocryphal Letter to Lessing 197 Part IV Metacritique: of Reason, Natural Religion, and Secular Politics 217 10 Life and Writings 1780–1784 219 Hamann′s "Twins" of 1784 220 Hamann and Jacobi 222 Divestment and Transfiguration 222 "Metacritical tubs"? 228 11 Hamann’s Metacritique of Kant: Deconstructing the Transcendental Dream 230 Transcendental "Mystique": The First Review of the Critique of Pure Reason 234 The Metacritique : A Brief History of the Purisms of Reason 242 The "Genealogical Priority" of Language 248 Language as a Sacrament 253 12 Metacritical Politics: On Mendelssohn’s Jerusalem and the Modern Secular State 258 A Synopsis of Mendelssohn′s Jerusalem 262 Golgotha and Scheblimini : By a Preacher in the Desert 270 Built upon Sand: The Babel of Modern Natural Rights 273 Defending Judaism against Secular Reason, or the Real Content of the Real Jerusalem 280 Prospect for Jewish–Christian Dialogue 290 Part V A Final Journey: Hamann′s Last Will and Testament 291 13 Life and Writings 1785–1788 293 The Münster Circle 294 The "Dictators of Pure Reason" 296 Portrait of a Christian: Greatness in Knechtsgestalt 297 Una Sancta Ecclesia 300 A Cryptic Final Testament 301 The Journey Home 308 Conclusion. After Postmodernity: Hamann before the Postmodern Triumvirate 312 Hamann and Postmodernity 313 Hamann before Nietzsche 319 Hamann before Heidegger 326 Hamann before Derrida 331 A Concluding Postscript to Postmodernity 337 Biblical Index 341 Index 343

John R. Betz is Associate Professor of Systematic and Philosophical Theology at the University of Notre Dame, having previously taught theology at Loyola University Maryland. He has published several articles on Hamann, including Hamann′s London Writings and on his significance to Kierkegaard.

"This is a scholar′s book, breaking new ground in the study of eighteenth–century philosophy, and those responsible for teaching modern philosophy and theology should be warned: on picking up this book, you risk having to revise substantial portions of your lectures. This is the sort of book that ought to change the way we think about Europe′s so–called Enlightenment, and the intellectual paths that we have walked ever since." (Anglican Theological Review, 2012) "Simply put, Betz’s accomplishment is superb. He comprehensively introduces the entire span of Hamann’s work in its theological and philosophical significance … though much remains to be done in thinking with Hamann, Betz’s work is a major accomplishment that deserves wide readership.” — Lutheran Quarterly “This is an important book for at least two reasons. On the one hand, it is a complete, reliable, and agreeably written introduction to Johann Georg Hamann’s life, work and world. On the other hand, it contributes substantially to the ongoing discussion in contemporary theology and philosophy about the seemingly ineradicable tension between modernity and Christianity.” — Modern Theology “After Enlightenment has much to offer those who are familiar with Hamann, as well as those who are not. The way Betz handles Hamann’s difficult writings and communicates his thought is a clear and precise manner is praiseworthy … The comprehensiveness of the study is enhanced by the ease of Betz’s prose, offering a tremendous tool for understanding the enigmatic yet fruitful ‘Magus of the North’.” — Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society “[Betz] has produced the best and fullest survey of the life and writings of Johann Georg Hamann in a generation, helpfully including many passages from Hamann’s letters and publications and commenting intelligently on the style, theology, philosophy, and (to a lesser extent) historical context of Hamann’s notoriously obscure oeuvre; second, he has written an intellectual history covering Hamann’s relation to the major figures of his time as well as his subsequent influence on and reception by philosophers and theologians down to our own day.” — Church History