Praise for my manuscript, working title Radical Theology and Emerging Christianity: Deconstruction, Materialism and Religious Practice (Ashgate, forthcoming 2014).

‘Katharine Sarah Moody brings to the table an unusual combination of conceptual and empirical investigative research skills. The theoretical materials she is working with can reach levels of formidable complexity, but Moody has a gift for cutting through to the core arguments, setting out the terms of the debate, and resolving them felicitously. I am singularly impressed by her clarity and acuity. Her studies of my own work are among the very best that I have read. She is the kind of reader every author hopes for, one who pays attention to nuance and distinction, who reads carefully and lays hold of the central argument. The view she stakes out not only supports “emergent” church work but in my view her concept of an “a/theistic cultural imaginary” - that is, a cultural formation that undercuts any easy split between theism and atheism - represents a progressive piece of constructive theology in its own right. In the academic circles I travel, nobody brings this high theory into contact with the facts on the ground the way she is doing. Her book is eminently publishable as an academic monograph. I have nothing but praise for the argument, and I would certainly be glad to endorse the book to any prospective publishers, as well as act as a referee and provide a blurb for the back cover.’

John D. Caputo, Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus, Syracuse University. Author of The Prayers and Tears of Jacques Derrida: Religion without Religion (Indiana University Press, 1997) and The Weakness of God: A Theology of the Event (Indiana University Press, 2006).

‘This is an important book project. Katharine Sarah Moody takes the next step with regard to the rethinking of Christianity in light of postmodern philosophy and theology. The notion of truth has emerged as a crucial theme of contemporary Continental discourse with the work of Slavoj Zizek and Alain Badiou. Moody shows how this emphasis on truth is also compatible with earlier expressions of Continental philosophy, such as Jacques Derrida, where truth is conceptualized more in terms of an event. She brings together her constructive theological readings with practical, empirical evidence in a clear and compelling way to show the impact of postmodernism and its significance for the emergent church. At the same time, her analyses, ideas and argumentation are strong and persuasive, as she has a significant theoretical position to advance with her reading of the truth-event and her entry into contemporary engagements with Saint Paul, which shows how notions of truth are necessarily linked to those of justice and community. With the current interest in the work of figures like Peter Rollins and John D. Caputo, who cross these porous boundaries, her book should find a wide-ranging readership.’

Clayton Crockett, Associate Professor, Department fo Philosophy and Religion, University of Central Arkansas. Author of Radical Political Theology: Religion and Politics after Liberalism (Columbia University Press, 2011) and co-editor (with Slavoj Zizek and Creston Davis) of Hegel and the Infinite (Columbia University Press, 2011).

‘This is a superb and original piece of work. No one is riding the leading edge of philosophy of religion and emerging church practice as deftly and authoritatively as Katharine Sarah Moody. The combination of sharp philosophical and theological insight with empirical research is fresh and unique, and its critical interventions are timely and provocative. This book will challenge scholars and practitioners to a new and more demanding dialogue between theory and performance. For anyone interested in the present and future transformations which are engendering both radical Christian communities and new critical thinking, this is essential reading.’

Steven Shakespeare, Lecturer in Philosophy, Liverpool Hope University. Co-founder of The Association for Continental Philosophy of Religion and author of Derrida and Theology (T&T Clark, 2009).

‘I am convinced that this book will be an important contribution both to the field of continental philosophy of religion and to theological engagements with that field. Bringing Caputo in dialogue with Badiou and Žižek is an innovative step to take because Caputo, on the one hand, and Badiou/Žižek, on the other, have until now been largely read apart from each other. By focusing on the topics of “truth” and “the event”, Moody’s book is at the centre of contemporary debates in continental philosophy. She is also to be praised for bridging the gap between continental philosophy of religion and lived religion. This book will appeal to a wide readership of scholars and students engaged in continental philosophy (of religion), theology, and religious studies’. 

Frederiek Depoortere, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. Author of The Death of God (T&T Clark, 2008) and Badiou and Theology (T&T Clark, 2009).