Redeeming Autonomy : Theology, Relationality, Tradition

In their second volume, DeSpain and Insole invite readers to consider the differences that a theological perspective can make to the concept of autonomy. They consider what a renewed appreciation for the concept’s multivalence could mean for theology moving forward. Leading philosophical theologians and scholars of religion marshal insights from philosophy, early Christianity, systematic theology, and art history to fulfil the need in theology for a new way of thinking about the many uses of autonomy.

The chapters within challenge theological and philosophical efforts to reduce the varied uses of autonomy to a particular and narrow sense of the concept’s meaning: that it promotes unhelpful connotations of self-creation, individualism, and illusory control. The essays and reflections offered in this volume encourage readers to reconsider the subtleties and nuances present in appeals to the language of autonomy.

From philosophy to psychoanalysis to the experienced of enslaved peoples in North America, the contributors explore myriad avenues to establish a new trajectory for theorizing autonomy in theology. Together, these essays examine autonomy’s conceptual and historical roots, exploring alternative philosophical contexts and ‘Enlightenment’ narratives, to offer a constructive outlook on a range of ways the concept of autonomy can used to express the conditions necessary for agency to thrive.