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The Later Heidegger and Contemporary Theology of God Daniel Martino Duquesne University Duquesne Scholarship Collection Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fall 2004 The Later Heidegger and Contemporary Theology of God Daniel Martino Follow this and additional works at: https://dsc.duq.edu/etd Recommended Citation Martino, D. (2004). The Later Heidegger and Contemporary Theology of God (Doctoral dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/884 This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Duquesne Scholarship Collection. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Later Heidegger and Contemporary Theology of God A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Theology McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts Duquesne University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Daniel J. Martino November 2004 Director: William M. Thompson-Uberuaga, Ph.D. Reader: Marie L. Baird, Ph.D. Reader: Anne M. Clifford, C.S.J., Ph.D. Reader: George S. Worgul, Jr., S.T.D., Ph.D. i Abstract Martin Heidegger was a central figure in 20th century Western philosophy. In evaluating his work from the perspective of the early 21st century it is clear that his influence crossed disciplinary lines. This work aims to address one area where Heidegger’s thinking has had tremendous impact – theology. Specifically, Heidegger’s later writings are selectively examined in order to determine the bearing they have on the issue of God. The route to God, in a strict confessional sense, is neither easy nor direct in the Heideggerian corpus. As a result, the first methodological tack used throughout this study establishes Heidegger’s abiding thematic interests. Only after appreciating the continuity and context of his work can tentative and cautious theological applications be made as the second methodological tack. This approach simultaneously upholds the integrity of Heidegger’s thought and protects the theological discipline from speculative forays antithetical to its mission. The hope is that the later Heidegger will be seen as a productive and engaging dialogue partner for theology. His voice deepens theology’s traditional discourse about God as well as challenges modes of expression that are exclusivistic and ineffectual in the postmodern era. The following structure exposes the outreach of the later Heideggerian oeuvre to theological thought regarding God. The first two chapters contextualize Heidegger. Chapter one situates Heidegger on the stage of Western philosophy with the distinction of having creatively raised the question of the meaning of Being to a new level of urgency. Chapter two identifies two formative influences from Heidegger’s very early career – phenomenology and a course load involving religious topics. ii The third and fourth chapters make connections between the later texts and God. Chapter three introduces the importance of poetry (Hölderlin and Trakl) and the dynamics of poetics. The venturesome poet inhabits the “between” and restores authentic human dwelling as measured against the Godhead. Chapter four further develops Hölderlin’s significance and introduces Nietzsche’s importance for exposing the challenge of godlessness (elusiveness and absence) during the needy time: the gods have fled and God is dead. The Reprise recapitulates the salient themes presented and recommends promising areas for future research. iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements vi Introduction ix Chapter One: 1 The Later Heidegger and His Unique Philosophical Contributions to Western Thinking Hans-Georg Gadamer, Karl Löwith, Walter Biemel 3 Heidegger’s Interpretation of Western Philosophy 13 What Is Philosophy? 16 The Forgetfulness of Being 23 “Being Loves to Hide Itself” 30 Being and the Embarrassment of the Nothing 39 Authentic and Inauthentic Nihilism 51 Overcoming Metaphysics Nietzsche’s “Will to Power” 60 Heidegger’s Meditative “Step Back” 65 Notes 85 Chapter Two: 90 The Abiding Influence of Heidegger’s Early Theological Interests: “Introduction to the Phenomenology of Religion” Theological Beginnings: Personal and Professional Ambiguity 92 The Early Freiburg Period: 1915-1923 100 “Introduction to the Phenomenology of Religion”(Winter Semester 1920-21): The Confluence of Phenomenology and Theology 110 The Human Experience of Factical Life: Part One – “Introduction to the Phenomenology of Religion” 122 The Early Christian Experience of Factical Life as Temporalized Struggle: Part Two – “Introduction to thePhenomenology Religion” 130 The Pauline-Thessalonian Relationship: A Phenomenology of Intersubjectivity 137 “Living Time” in Light of the Parousia: The Thessalonian Experience of Anticipatory Alertness and the Phenomenology of Temporality 157 To a God “Unseen” – The Struggle of Uncertainty in Hope and Faith 173 Notes 179 iv Chapter Three: 185 Authentic Rooted Dwelling and Measured Poetic Openness to the Godhead Recapitulation 185 Poetizing in a “Needy Time” and the God of Theology 186 The Pained Between of the Ontological Difference and the Wandering Stranger-Poet 191 The Equilibrium of Human Existence and the Phenomenology of the Body 209 The Wandering Stranger-Poet: From Being-in-the-World as Dasein to Dwelling on Earth as a Mortal 231 The Phenomenon of Earth 241 The Earthly Character of Artwork to Conceal and the Sheltering of Genuine Dwelling 245 The Affinity between Humanity and Mystery 256 Meditative Thinking: Openness to the Mystery and Restored Rooted Dwelling 265 Openness to the Mystery as Openness to God 270 The Poetic Measure of the Human-Divine Encounter 276 Notes 287 Chapter Four: 293 Theological Possibility in the Godlessness of Nietzsche and Hölderlin Introduction: Assuming the Nietzschean and Hölderlinian Perspectives 293 The Existential Anxiety of Godless Nothingness 300 The Venturesome Poet and the Traces of the Divine 305 Essential Poetic Activity 308 The Dark Holy Night of Reverential Shelter for Past and Future Gods 313 Poetic and Nautical Night Watch 314 The Dark Light Wine 319 Nietzsche’s Mad Search for the Dead God 330 Remembering-Thinking: A Thankful Gesture that Receives the Greeting of the Holy 358 Notes 379 Reprise 383 Appendices 401-405 Bibliography 406 v Acknowledgements While Aristotle was the first to recognize humanity’s inherent social nature – “man is a social animal” – Heidegger went to great lengths to show that our being-with- others (Mitsein) is an indispensable component of the very being of human kind (Dasein). No where does the importance of others realize itself as a formative influence than in the dissertation process. The author becomes a fully human author and brings the task to completion only as a result of being in relationship with significant others who assume varied roles. One of Heidegger’s aims in highlighting the importance of being-with- others in his existential analytic of the being of the human person was to prevent its influence from not being properly acknowledged. To avoid any such oversight in the important contributions that my being-with-others has had, I am fully aware that I could not have completed this lengthy project without the interaction of others who offered unflinching direction, support and encouragement throughout the process. First and foremost, I must acknowledge and thank the members of my dissertation committee. Dr. William M. Thompson-Uberuaga, the director, offered the original inspiration for the topic. In his hermeneutics course and in several personal conversations he opened my eyes to the value of Heidegger for theology. As the draft of each chapter was submitted, he gave invaluable insight and always encouraged me to continue. He trusted in my abilities to effectively wade through Heidegger’s density when it is easy to get so lost that it becomes hard to tell the Black Forest from the trees. Dr. Marie Baird’s work as a Holocaust scholar and as an expert on Emmanuel Lévinas made me ever conscious of Heidegger’s human foibles. As I wrote, her work offered the necessary challenge surrounding Heidegger’s affiliation with Nazism and the use of his philosophy vi for theological purposes. Dr. Clifford’s work in feminist theology and ecotheology influenced my research and writing. There is an ongoing need to be sensitive to any sexist bias present in Heidegger as well as a need to maximize the theological potential lurking in his critique of technology and fascination for the concept of earth. Dr. Worgul has provided numerous insights over the years to make sure that Heidegger’s phenomenology keeps pace with the contemporary intellectual climate of postmodernism and post- structuralism. He also challenged me to find practical outlets for the use Heidegger. Aside from the committee, I would also like to acknowledge the support and love that I have received from family and friends. My wife, Christine, has stood beside through out every phase of the project. Though the absorption and dissemination of Heidegger’s thought does not readily lend itself to the engineering techniques familiar to her profession, she has nonetheless become a closet Heideggerian and phenomenologist. She patiently sifted through my hieroglyphic handwritten manuscripts and miraculously converted them into polished Word documents. On a vacation in Europe one summer, she kindly indulged me by figuring out a way to devote two entire days to Heideggeriana – one day visiting his hometown of Meβkirch and another at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau and Todnauberg, home of Heidegger’s famous “hut.” I am also grateful to my mother, Gaye, who provided encouragement and allowed me to take over an entire spare room in her home to use as a work space for the dissertation. That room can now return to a state of normalcy free of books and photocopied periodical literature strewn about and aired out from the remnants of dank cigar smoke. My extended family, the Marmos, must also be acknowledged for the right amount of teasing they provided regarding the vii pace of my progress. Their humor lightened the density of the topic and spurred me on to finish.
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