Edinburgh University Press, 2011.  

Drawing on the work of Alain Badiou, Jean-Luc Nancy and Quentin Meillassoux, Watkin explores the themes of atheism and the death of God, probing the limits of any atheistic politics. Difficult Atheism argues that rigorous atheism is elusive and that Continental thought, even in its most stridently atheistic guises, has yet to fully come to terms with the death of God.

 

This book is a brilliant presentation of debates between key figures in the recent turn to religion (even in the shape of an insistent atheism or a-theism) in continental philosophy. Chris Watkin positions his work very precisely between philosophies of the finite (Nancy) and of the infinite (Badiou). The author could not have his finger more firmly on the pulse of contemporary discussion of these matters. I cannot think of a book on such difficult material written with more sparkle or clarity.

–David Wood, Centennial Professor of Philosophy, Vanderbilt University

Reviews

John D Caputo, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

‘We can be especially grateful to Watkin for providing exemplary expositions of these authors, especially Nancy, an exceptionally elusive and allusive writer who requires a reading in French. The book is filled with subtle and complex commentaries to which no review can do justice.’

‘The problem is interesting, the question is very nicely framed, and the architecture of the book is impeccable’

‘Difficult Atheism represents a sophisticated contribution to the debates that have arisen in the wake of the “theological turn”, and it merits careful study by anyone interested in these issues.’

Jason Harman, Symposium

‘It should be noted upfront that for sheer breadth and depth Watkin’s work is astounding. Watkin, I am led to suspect, feels perfectly at ease inhabiting the minds of Badiou, Nancy and Meillassoux.’

‘where contemporary French philosophy often dallies in the obscure, Watkin’s rendering—with ample citations from a wide selection of primary texts—both clarifies and sharpens. Throughout this text, Watkin ushers the reader into the intimate circle of philosophy’s leading minds—certainly no small feat.’

‘I can offer nothing short of praise for the text’s descriptive and explanatory qualities’

Michael Syrotinski, French Studies

‘Watkin offers an excellent and lucid account, written with real brio, of the work of the three major contemporary French ‘post-theological’ thinkers in his title, and he does full justice to the complexity of their thought.’

‘Each of the strategies the three philosophers espouse in order to move beyond the theological as such is charted with extreme care, and with attention to the detailed nuances of their articulations.’

‘Watkin’s own interventions reveal a keen awareness of the pitfalls around the edges of their thinking, and he provides an assured and insightful running commentary on the subtleties and trenchancy of the various key exchanges and reciprocal critiques among the three thinkers.’

‘a major contribution to contemporary debates on atheism, as well as to our understanding of these thinkers.’

C B Kerr, Choice

‘Christopher Watkin takes readers on a fascinating journey into contemporary post-theological philosophy. He shows with admirable clarity how each writer articulates a new position beyond the innate problems of parasitism and asceticism, and he sharpens focus on post-theological integration, whether in the form of Badiou’s axiomatic atheism, Nancy’s deconstructive antheology, or Meillassoux’s argument that philosophy believes in God because God does not exist. As Watkin proves quite brilliantly, atheism is not as easy as it seems.’

Fabio Gironi, ‘Assessing the Atheistic Turn’, in Speculations

‘Throughout the book, Watkin displays in-depth familiarity of the whole corpus of published work by the three French philosophers he examines, and he is well up-to-date with (and often critical of) the most significant pieces of secondary literature.’

‘Watkin does an excellent job in unpacking for the reader the nuances of both Meillassoux’s argument for a rational belief in a non-existent (or inexistent) God, and his defense of the “principle of factiality” offering critical commentary of central nodes of this thought (often employing a Nancean deconstructive line).’

‘Watkin’s argument-counterargument structure in presenting the positions of the three French philosophers is thorough and unforgiving. I believe that Difficult Atheism will be a precious contribution to the contemporary discussion regarding “atheism” (inverted commas are now of order) precisely by stimulating a more nuanced understanding of this term, and that many of its insightful critiques on particular aspects of the thought of the three French thinkers will need to be taken in consideration as serious challenges by all those interested in pursuing a secular thought impermeable to re-appropriation by post-modern or post-secular theologians.’

Daniel Tutt, ‘Is Philosophy Finally without God?’, Berfrois.com

‘Watkin possesses a deep understanding of all three thinkers and he pulls from an impressive set of rare unpublished interviews, lectures, discussions, and books not translated into English. Readers that are intimate with these philosophers will find a rewarding and deeply penetrating read, and readers less familiar with them will walk away challenged and a whole lot smarter.’

‘In the last two chapters of the book, Watkin brings to light the decades long and highly nuanced debates on ethics, justice and politics between Badiou and Nancy. By translating rare primary sources: original interviews, essays and exchanges never before translated into English, Watkin provides an excellent service not only to the field of post-theology, but also to politics and ethics.’

‘Watkin is appreciative of Meillassoux’s originality, but he points out many holes in thought, particularly as it relates to universal justice. Watkin asks some very pertinent questions’

Brian Harding, International Journal for Philosophy of Religion

‘For at least a century continental philosophers have been debating the death of God; the debate is equally interminable since it turns on what precisely one means in claiming that God is dead. In this admirable book Christopher Watkin presents the latest turn in that debate’

 

‘Watkin’s discussion of Meillassoux stands out from other similar discussions because of his reliance on Meillassoux’s unpublished doctoral dissertation in addition to his published works. Since Meillassoux’s well-known After Finitude is taken from part of the dissertation (albeit expanded a bit for publication), Watkin is able to give a
richer account of Meillassoux’s claims in After Finitude than other commentators.’

 

‘It is perhaps in his discussion of Meillassoux’s account of necessity and contingency that Watkin is at his strongest. Meillassoux’s system requires the necessity of contingency, i.e., that it is necessary that everything be absolutely contingent. Watkin points out that Meillassoux fails to include his own thinking in this claim: i.e., he claims a kind of permanence for his conclusion that runs contrary to his claim that everything could be otherwise than it is.’

 

‘the virtues of this book are many: he provides clear, careful and charitable expositions of each position and the important secondary literature. It is a solid piece of scholarship; Watkin works from the original French texts, giving translations in the endnotes. However, he goes beyond mere exposition to engage and criticize each thinker’s arguments such that the book becomes more than a mere exposition of three currently famous French thinkers to become a argumentative work of philosophy in its own right, albeit an argument that comes down decisively in favor of Nancy’s position.’