Christian Atheism

If we want to be true atheists, do we have to begin with a religious edifice and undermine it from within? Slavoj Zizek has long been a commentator on, and critic of, Christian theology. His preoccupation with Badiou`s concept of `the event` alongside the Pauline thought of the New Testament has led to a decidedly theological turn in his thinking. Drawing on traditions and subjects as broad as Buddhist thought, dialectical materialism, political subjectivity, quantum physics, AI and chatbots, this book articulates Zizek`s idea of a religious life for the first time. Christian Atheism is a unique insight into Zizek`s theological project and the first book-length exploration of his religious thinking. In his own words, "to become a true dialectical materialist, one should go through the Christian experience." Crucial to his whole conception of `experience` is not some kind of spiritual revelation but rather the logic of materialistic thought. This affirmation of Christian theology whilst simultaneously deconstructing it is a familiar Zizekian move, but one that holds deep-seated political, philosophical and, in the end, personal import for him. Here is Zizek`s most extensive treatment of theology and religion to date.