For You Alone
Emmanuel Levinas and the Answerable Life
- Philosophy
- Publisher: Cascade Books (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2014
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Publisher's Description
The works of Emmanuel Levinas, a survivor of the Nazi horror, are striking in the constancy of their thought and the strength of their appeal. We are not condemned to evil and hatred; rather, we are called to be-for-each-other. For You Alone explores the relational and religious quality of Levinas' work. Our lives are always twofold rather than "one and the same." A relational life is dependent on encounters that are revelatory. Revelation means that life is no mere sameness but is tied to the revelation of the other, to you. Here is transcendence par excellence. Here is what the name of God signifies, the relational and ethical bond that takes us outside ourselves toward the other in our midst. What could be more natural, more human, or more divine than to speak of the relational quality of life? An answerable life means that we are asked after, called, required. "Here I am under your gaze," Levinas writes, "obliged to you, your servant. In the name of God."
Endorsements (7)
“For You Alone is a tour de force. . . . Veling has written the most comprehensive introduction to the work of Emmanuel Levinas that also resonates with the deep goals of that work in re-enlivening the meaning of the religious. His ability to bring together Levinas's so-called philosophic and 'confessional' writings and thereby get to the heart of Levinas's project is not something I have seen anyone able to do; and to do it so clearly and in such an accessible way is a marvel. Veling achieves a wholeness of approach that few have achieved or even thought to attempt.”
“Veling's deep love for the work of Levinas makes for an elegant and probing conversation. In a world where fear of the other seems to dominate personal and global relationships, Veling challenges the reader to imagine no other window to God than the body and face of the other. This is a book to be savored.”
“Terry Veling's beautiful book offers a refined philosophical and theological meditation on 'the answerable life.' He makes Levinas's texts resonate in a catholic context. He is sensitive to the difference in Levinas's Jewish thought, while at the same time developing a dialogical attitude that allows for communication between the Jewish and the Christian world. This spiritual book introduces Levinas's philosophical and Jewish writings to a broad public. More generally, it is inspired by the Jewish experience, especially as it comes to expression in Levinas's reading of Talmudic literature.”
“For You Alone pays homage to Levinas by offering a deeply appreciative reading that interweaves Levinas's texts with contributions from other Jewish and Christian thinkers and with Veling's own reflections. It is a meditation on Levinas's insight that the other is the 'Most High,' the image of the unseen God, an insight that Veling communicates with personal commitment, interpretive skill, and an illuminating range of philosophical and theological reference.”
“Drawing upon a range of Jewish and Christian sources, Veling finds in Levinas the universal thinker who is nevertheless rooted in Jewish particularity. At once a personal reflection and a scholarly account, both learned and accessible, this book makes an important contribution to understanding why Levinas matters.”
“Levinas is a complex and elusive writer. Veling rightly tells his readers that he can only supply one reading. But what a reading it is! Veling offers a fresh and penetrating take on Levinas's central theme. Both those new to Levinasian ethics and more experienced readers will benefit enormously from Veling's profound and poetic interpretation.”
“In this splendid book, Jews and Christians meet as part of one family. Terry Veling explains the writings of the post-war Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas with skill and with deep respect. It is a lucid introduction to contemporary theology that transcends traditional denominational boundaries. It is both illuminating and inspiring.”
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