Eclipse of Grace: Divine and Human Action in Hegel

In order to gain an understanding of the great twentieth century theologians – anyone from Barth and Balthasar to Moltmann and Pannenberg – it is crucial to first grasp the ideas and influence of Hegel. The Eclipse of Grace brilliantly introduces systematic theologians and Christian ethicists to Hegel through a focus on three of the German theologian philosopher’s seminal texts: Phenomenology of Spirit, Science of Logic , and Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion .  Acknowledging that Hegel is often taken to be a liability for contemporary theological study, the author takes a groundbreaking new approach to an understanding of the roots of theology. He argues that Hegel’s importance for modern theology is best appreciated if one ignores his theological proposals and instead seeks to discern the logic that he develops out of an engagement with Christian doctrines. This logic is one in which false oppositions – between thinking and being, subject and object, individual and community, and faith and reason – are overcome. Innovative and scholarly, The Eclipse of Grace reveals how a close scrutiny of the works of Hegel remains vital for the study of contemporary theology and theologians.

Acknowledgments ix Preface xi 1 Introduction 1 2 Absolute Knowing 17 3 The Absolute Idea 117 4 God Existing as Community 166 5 Eclipse of Grace 220 Bibliography 228 Index 235

Nicholas Adams is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author of Habermas and Theology (2006).