James H. Olthuis

In the twenty-first century, amid globalized violence, rising demagogues, and the climate emergency, contemporary philosophers and theologians have begun to debate a fundamental question: Is our reality the result of the overflowing, ever-present creativity of Love, or the symptom of a traumatic rupture at the heart of all things? Drawing on decades of research in postmodern philosophy and experience as a psychotherapist, James H. Olthuis wades into this discussion to propose a radical ontology of Love without metaphysics. In dialogue with philosophers like John D. Caputo, Slavoj Žižek, Luce Irigaray, and others, Olthuis explores issues from divine sovereignty and the problem of evil to trauma and social ethics. Experience in therapeutic work informs these investigations, rooting them in journeys with individuals on the path to healing. Olthuis makes the bold claim that while trauma, pain, and suffering are significant parts of our human lives, nevertheless Love is with us to the very end. Creation is a gift that comes with a call to make something of it ourselves, a risky task we must take on with the promise that Love will win. We are all dancing in the wild spaces of Love: ex amore, cum amore, ad amorem.

A Theopoetics of Gift and Call, Risk and Promise

Dancing in the Wild Spaces of Love

James K. A. Smith

In this work, leading scholars compare the differences and points of intersection between the growing Radical Orthodoxy (RO) movement and the Reformed tradition. This timely discussion deals with many of the hot topics currently being debated in theological and philosophical circles, including the material world's participation in transcendence, aesthetics, politics, covenant, and cultural theory. It represents an emerging willingness among proponents of RO to examine and engage the Dutch Reformed tradition, and also reflects the growing influence of RO on the Reformed tradition.This book will be enjoyed by scholars concerned with the intersection between RO and the Reformed tradition. A companion book to Smith's recently published Introducing Radical Orthodoxy, it will also be of interest to students of philosophy and theology.

Creation, Covenant, and Participation

Radical Orthodoxy and the Reformed Tradition

Written in response to John Caputo's The Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida, this work gathers together cutting-edge theologians and philosophers to examine the relationship between Derridan deconstruction and religion. Containing a lengthy counter-response by Caputo, as well as an interview, Religion With/Out Religion will be required reading for all those involved in contemporary theological debate.

The Prayers and Tears of John D. Caputo

Religion With/out Religion

Henry Isaac Venema

- Addresses key questions related to Christian faith

Interpretation, Selfhood, and Postmodern Faith

The Hermeneutics of Charity

The heart is too much a mystery for us to approach its healing as a simple matter of finding and fixing the problem. Methods alone cannot meet the deep, aching need of souls that cry not for solutions, but for connection. 'The Beautiful Risk' encourages us to trade cure for care, expertise for partnership, and mastery for love. With perspective-shifting insights and examples, Dr. James Olthuis helps us -- both counselors and those who come for counsel -- to move beyond control and technique and join in a risky but glorious dance of relationship, love, and healing.

James H. Olthuis

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