{"id":9389,"date":"2025-08-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9389"},"modified":"2025-05-04T18:42:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T18:42:12","slug":"looking-at-slavoj-zizeks-book-2024-christian-atheism-part-5-of-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9389","title":{"rendered":"Looking at Slavoj Zizek’s Book (2024) “Christian Atheism” (Part 5 of 33)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

0058 In the introduction, Zizek lists three recurring themes that belong to his conceptual project (A, B and C).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first (A) is an atheism at the core of Christianity<\/em>.  The second (B) is the epistemological and the ontological implications of quantum mechanics<\/em>.  The third (C) is a transcendental and ontological parallax<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0059 At this point, I have touched upon the first two, using a Peircean framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First (A), I postulate that the doormat that is contextualized by Christ3<\/sub><\/em> is the hylomorphic actuality2c<\/sub> in the following figure<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The perspective-level normal context of Christ3c<\/sub> brings the actuality of the dyad, {capital & accumulation [wealth and power] social & exercise of order}2c<\/sub>, into relation with the potential of ‘truth’1c<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0060 Second (B), the ontology of the hylomorphe2<\/sub><\/em> is a very twitchy topic.  The [substance]2<\/sub> changes character the moment that a new normal context3<\/sub> enters the scene.  The logics of thirdness are exclusion, complement and alignment.  For quantum mechanics, a situation-level wave-measuring apparatus3b<\/sub> excludes the normal context of a particle-measuring apparatus3b<\/sub>.  The [substance]2b<\/sub> follows along by reducing the contradictions inherent in the hylomorphe, given the apparatus3b<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, if Christ3c<\/sub> (in contrast to the Relativist One3c<\/sub>) is the only normal context to yield an honest potential1c<\/sub>underlying the perspective-level substance, [wealth and power]2c<\/sub>, then Zizek has a lot of explaining to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, Christ3c<\/sub> occupies the slot that is reserved for the Holy Spirit3<\/sub>.  Fundamentally, the normal context of the Holy Spirit3<\/sub><\/em> brings the dyadic actuality of the Father [and] the Son2<\/sub><\/em> into relation with the potential of the oneness of God1<\/sub><\/em>.  So, Zizek’s configuration is not fundamental.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, if it is not fundamental, then what is it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0061Third (C), Kant (more or less) claims that “reality” is “transcendentally constituted” by the structure of the categories (or should I say, normal contexts and potentials”?) through which we apprehend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, “reality” may be a situation-level hylomorphic actuality2b<\/sub>,<\/em> like an electron that is {it [substance] wave}2b<\/sub>.<\/em>  “Reality” may also label a perspective-level actuality2c<\/sub>, <\/em>such as {capital & accumulation [substance] social & exercise of order}2c<\/sub><\/em>.  The fact that Zizek chooses Christ3c<\/sub> instead of Marx3c<\/sub> as the normal context is telling.  The truth1c<\/sub> of Christ3c<\/sub> differs from the truth1c<\/sub> of Marx3c<\/sub>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0062 So, there is a choice, either Christ3c<\/sub> or the Relativist One3c<\/sub> (in its diverse constellations).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps, the relativist choice<\/em> contributes to the self-inflicted incongruities<\/em> that plague the post-modern West<\/em>.  Yes, it seems that we are plagued with moral versions of optical illusions<\/em>.  For example, a government<\/em> intervenes in so-called “capitalist” systems<\/em> in order to achieve “socialist” aims<\/em>.  So, the award a very profitable contract for surveillance equipment <\/em>is framed as a orderly solution to domestic security concerns<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thesis binds to antithesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0063 Perhaps, I should be less petty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth1<\/sub> of Christ3<\/sub><\/em> differs from the truth1<\/sub> of every pretender3<\/sub> to the title of “Messiah”,<\/em> because Christ3<\/sub> is the one3<\/sub>that self-anointed capitalists want to keep out of their markets2<\/sub><\/em> and the one3<\/sub> who threatens the boundaries of those who have appointed themselves to be the purveyors of social order2<\/sub><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0064 Surely, that claim harmonizes with Zizek, who, in chapter one, lauds the mission<\/em> of letting religion deplete itself<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is, “Which religion does Zizek point to?  Each and every Christian faction?  Or each and every relativist faction pretending to the Messiah’s throne?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

0065 Oh, maybe that is not the question, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe the question is, “How does religion (or the domain of the One3<\/sub>) deplete itself?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An eerie and disembodied voice intones, “It depletes its own [substance]”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It depletes its [wealth and power].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

0058 In the introduction, Zizek lists three recurring themes that belong to his conceptual project (A, B and C). The first (A) is an atheism at the core of Christianity.  The second (B) is the epistemological and the ontological implications of quantum mechanics.  The third (C) is a transcendental and ontological parallax. 0059 At this point, I have touched upon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[417],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-review"],"yoast_head":"\nLooking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) "Christian Atheism" (Part 5 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.raziemah.com\/blog\/?p=9389\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Looking at Slavoj Zizek's Book (2024) "Christian Atheism" (Part 5 of 33) - An Archaeology of the Fall\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"0058 In the introduction, Zizek lists three recurring themes that belong to his conceptual project (A, B and C). 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