Is the affirmation or intensification of life a value in itself? Can life itself be thought? This book breaks new ground in religious and philosophical thinking on the concept of life. It captures a moment in which such thinking is regaining its force and attraction for scholars, and the relevance of thought to social, cultural, political and religious dilemmas about how and why to live. Bringing together original contributions by highly distinguished authors in the field of Continental philosophy of religion, including John D. Caputo, Pamela Sue Anderson, Philip Goodchild, Alison Martin and Don Cupitt, this book has a distinctiveness based on its refusal to sit easily within either secular philosophical or theological approaches. The concept of life mobilizes a thinking that crosses narrow disciplinary boundaries, whilst retaining philosophical rigour. Three sections explore the various dimensions of the question of life: The Politics of Life'; 'Life and the Limits of Thinking'; and 'Life and Spirituality'. This book will be of interest to a broad range of readers in the humanities, particularly to philosophers, theologians, cultural theorists and all those interested in philosophical or theological debates on the concept of life.

Katharine Sarah Moody works at the intersection of Continental philosophy of religion, philosophical theology and the study of contemporary Christianity. Forthcoming publications include: Truth as Event: Radical Theology and Emerging Christianity and Post-Secular Theology and the Church: A New Kind of Christian is A New Kind of Atheist (working titles). Steven Shakespeare has considerable experience in writing and editing work at the interface between philosophy and theology. Previous publications include: (co-edited with George Pattison), Kierkegaard on Self and Society; Kierkegaard, Language and the Reality of God; (co-authored with Hugh Rayment-Pickard), The Inclusive God: Reclaiming Theology for an Inclusive Church; Radical Orthodoxy. A Critical Introduction; Derrida and Theology. He holds the following roles: Co-facilitator, Association for Continental Philosophy of Religion; Treasurer of Kierkegaard Society of the UK; Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics; Consultant editor, Journal of Animal Ethics.