Trevor Williams

Emmanuel Falque’s interest in possibility is infused with the philosophy of Søren Kierkegaard, notably in his monograph titled Hors phénomène (2021). This essay engages in a close reading of Falque’s authorship and argues that his approach to the possible accounts for the animating features of what he calls the “resurrectional modality.” Indeed, by speaking of the possible, Falque addresses the dynamic circumstances—the necessities—of our existence but also fosters a Christian way of being in the world that can negotiate the complexities of finitude in the things that we do not choose, the weight of anxiety, or the calamities of trauma. The believer lives finitude according to the impossible of theology. This argument ultimately clarifies that the transformation of the believer involves two impossibles, one of philosophy and the other of theology, which was evident in Falque’s thought before Hors phénomène but not clearly laid out. The first section of this essay begins with an examination of possibility in both Kierkegaard and Falque. Then, in the second section, this essay turns to an in-depth interpretation of Hors phénomène and its use of Kierkegaard’s The Sickness unto Death.

This essay examines how Pope Francis’s encyclical Fratelli tutti counters the materialism and single cultural models that arise from the economic idols of modernity. He uses the controversial passage on the “the autonomy of earthly affairs” (Gaudium et spes, § 36) to resist a privatized faith, stressing the transcendent character of the human person, and employs a theocentric argument to call for interreligious collaboration. The author argues that Francis advances his previous arguments by using the passage to warn that, without the service of the Church and its religious allies, the economic idols of this age will suppress cultural richness and ultimately undermine human dignity. The author begins with an exploration of how Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, and David L. Schindler interpret § 36. He then interprets Fratelli tutti, examining how it diagnoses modern forces of domination with the help of § 36.

In this essay, I explore Emmanuel Falque’s interpretation of Søren Kierkegaard’s Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits (1847), specifically his quotation of “the burden is light” passage from Matthew 11:30. I argue that his use of the “Gospel of Sufferings” offers a methodological insight into Falque’s motif of transformation. The lightness of the burden is an invitation to the imitation of Christ that retains the full weight of finitude. The savior models the decision coram Deo (“before God”) that brings the “other” to bear on our experience, but Falque augments this by emphasizing the concept of being cum Deo (“with God”), providing a fuller praxis in our existential habituation of eternity. The “other” is what determines the lightness of the burden and invites us to a fraternal solidarity with God and humanity. I begin my argument by offering an exposition of Falque’s philosophy of religious experience, then I survey texts where Falque employs the lightness of the burden. I conclude by focusing on Falque’s use of this passage in his recent discussions of tragedy and trauma.

In this essay, I explore Emmanuel Falque’s interpretation of Søren Kierkegaard’s Upbuilding Discourses in Various Spirits (1847), specifically his quotation of “the burden is light” passage from Matthew 11:30. I argue that his use of the “Gospel of Sufferings” offers a methodological insight into Falque’s motif of transformation. The lightness of the burden is an invitation to the imitation of Christ that retains the full weight of finitude. The savior models the decision coram Deo (“before God”) that brings the “other” to bear on our experience, but Falque augments this by emphasizing the concept of being cum Deo (“with God”), providing a fuller praxis in our existential habituation of eternity. The “other” is what determines the lightness of the burden and invites us to a fraternal solidarity with God and humanity. I begin my argument by offering an exposition of Falque’s philosophy of religious experience, then I survey texts where Falque employs the lightness of the burden. I conclude by focusing on Falque’s use of this passage in his recent discussions of tragedy and trauma.

The Hermopolis letters showcase the personal concerns of those writing Aramaic letters in the era of Persian Egypt. One individual named Nabuša is particularly interesting because of his familial correspondence and emotional tone. This study will examine what can be known about this writer and his complaints about an unwanted tunic and a snakebite. There have been several notable disagreements about the Aramaic translation of Nabuša’s concerns, whose discussion will help heighten our understanding of his passion.