| 'Post-structuralism' has become a buzz-word in academia. The notion of multiple truths and the idea that there is no underlying or overarching thing constituting reality seem to appeal to many minds today. With respect to theology, post-structuralism has been characterized as atheistic in part because of its critique of the idea of a transcendent Being.;Post-structuralism challenges Christianity to rethink its theology. Is it even possible to be a post-structuralist theologian? While some theologians shy away from post-structuralism because they believe it will force them to give up God, other theologians see the value in engaging post-structuralist thought in theology. I argue that theologians cannot afford to ignore the challenges posed by post-structuralism. The only way for theology to remain relevant and to correct the injustices perpetuated by theological concepts is to put forward post-structuralist theology as an appropriate development toward which liberal theology should strive. Post-structuralism not only should not be ignored, it should be embraced.;In order to further conversation between post-structuralist philosophy and modern liberal theology, I develop a theology of post-structuralist Spirit, in which Spirit is multiple, immanent, infinite, intimate, rhizomatic, material, and performative. I depend on Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, who critique transcendence and uphold immanence and multiplicity, and Judith Butler, who provides valuable insights through the concept of performativity and analysis of power relations, to construct this Spirit.;Through an exploration of the way in which liberal and progressive theologians, such as Catherine Keller and Michael Welker, transform the traditional Holy Spirit, I conclude by demonstrating that there are promising connections to be made between my post-structuralist theology of Spirit and certain notions of the Holy Spirit. Some of these connections will be found in the work of Michael Welker and Catherine Keller. I posit a post-structuralist theology of Spirit as God and demonstrate the ways in which this post-structuralist Spirit illuminates and resonates with the future of contemporary reinterpretations of the Holy Spirit in liberal theology. |
