Consciousness and Transcendence : The Theology of Eric Voegelin

As an introduction to the work of renowned philosopher Eric Voegelin, Consciousness and Transcendence stands out as the first book to examine Voegelin's work from a theological perspective. Although Voegelin considered himself a philosopher, the incorporation of Christian theological themes is pervasive throughout his work, and in this volume Michael P. Morrissey clearly illustrates that Voegelin's thought is as relevant to theology as it is to the disciplines (philosophy, history, and political science) in which it has traditionally been confined. Morrissey focuses on and traces the development of Voegelin's theory of consciousness, demonstrating that it makes a tremendous theological contribution, but also presents a radical challenge to theology. This challenge is based on the nature of Voegelin's method of meditative, experiential exegesis. Voegelin's lifelong search for order, in both its transcendent and immanent dimensions, was truly an interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature of reality and, as such, it serves as an integrative model of what the human sciences are truly about in an age of dogmatism and ideology. Consequently, Morrissey illustrates, Voegelin's thought not only results in a reunification of philosophy and theology, it also succeeds in reconstructing theology on a broader and deeper scale of inquiry than is generally practiced today. Consciousness and Transcendence includes a lengthy comparison of Voegelin's thought to that of another seminal thinker, Jesuit theologian Bernard Lonergan, and is the only book that focuses on Voegelin's last writings. For those who are new to Voegelin's thought, this volume serves as an up-to-date introduction to his challenging body of work; for those already familiar with Voegelin, it provides elucidation and commentary on his most important ideas and concepts, especially in regard to his later, more "theological" writings.