Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Before God: Exercises in Subjectivity

Since Heidegger, it has become something of an unquestioned presupposition to analyse the structure and essence of selfhood from the perspective of being-in-the-world. However, in this original work, Steven DeLay, using a wide breadth of philosophical sources, articulates a view of selfhood which emphasizes humanity's ineluctable experience before-God. The work presents an original view of the relationship between philosophy and theology, namely that there is no distinction between the two. Review The preposition "before", coram in the Latin language, has had a distinguished intellectual history since Luther discovered its importance in Jerome's translation of the Bible. Steven DeLay comes after many theologians and philosophers who have described what man is "before God", rather than what he "is" in a substantial way. His clear and precise book both summarizes a long episode and brings noteworthy precisions. --Jean-Yves Lacoste, Clare Hall, CambridgeIn a strikingly original account, Steven DeLay offers a constructive vision of philosophy as religiously implicated. Far from simply being a book "about" philosophers and theologians, Before God itself stands as an "exercise" in thinking and living well. Ultimately, whether one offers "amens" or criticisms in response, DeLay invites us all to rethink our assumptions about God, others, and ourselves. --J. Aaron Simmons, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Furman University About the Author Steven DeLay is a philosopher living in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is the author of 'Phenomenology in France: A Philosophical and Theological Introduction' (Routledge: 2019) and an Old Member of Christ Church, University of Oxford, UK.