Richard Kearney
Encyclopedia
Richard Kearney is the Charles Seelig professor of philosophy at Boston College
and has taught at many universities including University College Dublin
, the Sorbonne
, and the University of Nice.
under the Benedictines until 1972, and was a 1st Class Honours graduate in Philosophy in the Bachelor of Arts graduate class of 1975 in UCD. He was also known on campus as a brilliant intellectual who launched the "Crane Bag" journal with fellow students including Andy Sleeman (now Fr. Simon Sleeman, OSB in Glenstal), Christina Nulty, Ronan Sheehan, and Aidan Matthews. He completed an M.A. at McGill University
with Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor
, and a PhD with Paul Ricœur at University of Paris X: Nanterre
. He corresponded with Jean-Paul Sartre
, Jacques Derrida
and other French philosophers of the era. He was also active in the Irish, British, and French media as a host for various television and radio programs on literary and philosophical themes. His work focuses on the philosophy of the narrative imagination, hermeneutics and phenomenology.
Among his best known written works are The Wake of the Imagination, On Stories, Poetics of Imagining, and Debates in Continental Philosophy.
Richard Kearney has recently established an ongoing artistic and multimedia project called "Hosting the Stranger" found at http://www.guestbookproject.com. The project's core themes are host and guest; violence and reconciliation; embodied imagination and the sacred.
, the Higher Education Authority of Ireland and chairman of the Irish School of Film at University College Dublin
. As a public figure in Ireland, he was involved in drafting a number of proposals for a Northern Irish peace agreement (1983, 1993, 1995). He has presented several series on culture and philosophy for Irish television and broadcast extensively on the European media. His most recent work is Anatheism, published by Columbia University Press in 2009.
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
and has taught at many universities including University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
, the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, and the University of Nice.
Biography
He studied at Glenstal AbbeyGlenstal Abbey
Glenstal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery located in Murroe, County Limerick. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph and Saint Columba. The current abbot of the monastery is Dom Patrick Hederman, OSB...
under the Benedictines until 1972, and was a 1st Class Honours graduate in Philosophy in the Bachelor of Arts graduate class of 1975 in UCD. He was also known on campus as a brilliant intellectual who launched the "Crane Bag" journal with fellow students including Andy Sleeman (now Fr. Simon Sleeman, OSB in Glenstal), Christina Nulty, Ronan Sheehan, and Aidan Matthews. He completed an M.A. at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
with Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor (philosopher)
Charles Margrave Taylor, is a Canadian philosopher from Montreal, Quebec best known for his contributions in political philosophy, the philosophy of social science, and in the history of philosophy. His contributions to these fields have earned him both the prestigious Kyoto Prize and the...
, and a PhD with Paul Ricœur at University of Paris X: Nanterre
University of Paris X: Nanterre
Paris West University Nanterre La Défense formerly called Paris X Nanterre is a French university in the Academy of Versailles. It is one of the 13 successor universities of the University of Paris. It is located in the western suburb of Nanterre, near La Défense, the business district of Paris...
. He corresponded with Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
, Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher, born in French Algeria. He developed the critical theory known as deconstruction and his work has been labeled as post-structuralism and associated with postmodern philosophy...
and other French philosophers of the era. He was also active in the Irish, British, and French media as a host for various television and radio programs on literary and philosophical themes. His work focuses on the philosophy of the narrative imagination, hermeneutics and phenomenology.
Among his best known written works are The Wake of the Imagination, On Stories, Poetics of Imagining, and Debates in Continental Philosophy.
Richard Kearney has recently established an ongoing artistic and multimedia project called "Hosting the Stranger" found at http://www.guestbookproject.com. The project's core themes are host and guest; violence and reconciliation; embodied imagination and the sacred.
Works
He is the author of over 20 books on European philosophy and literature (including two novels and a volume of poetry) and has edited or co-edited many others. He was formerly a member of the Arts Council of IrelandArts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland was founded in 1951 by the Government of Ireland to encourage interest in Irish art and channel to funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations...
, the Higher Education Authority of Ireland and chairman of the Irish School of Film at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
. As a public figure in Ireland, he was involved in drafting a number of proposals for a Northern Irish peace agreement (1983, 1993, 1995). He has presented several series on culture and philosophy for Irish television and broadcast extensively on the European media. His most recent work is Anatheism, published by Columbia University Press in 2009.
Books written by Richard Kearney
- Poétique du Possible : Vers une Herméneutique Phénoménologique de la figuration – Beauchesne, Paris (1984) – translated into Portuguese
- Dialogues with Contemporary Continental Thinkers: The Phenomenological Heritage – Manchester University Press, Manchester (1984) – translated into Spanish, Japanese and Russian
- Modern Movements in European Philosophy – Manchester University Press, Manchester (1987) – translated into Chinese; second enlarged edition 1994
- Transitions: Narratives in Modern Irish Culture – Wolfhound Press, Dublin / Manchester University Press, Manchester (1987)
- The Wake of Imagination: Ideas of Creativity in Western Culture – Hutchinson, London / University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (1988) / Routledge, London and New York (2004)
- Poetics of Imagining: From Husserl to Lyotard – Harper Collins, Routledge, London and New York (1991)
- Poetics of Imagining: Modern and Postmodern – Revised and enlarged edition Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh (1998) and Fordham University Press, New York (1998)
- Angel of Patrick’s Hill – Raven Arts Press, Dublin (1991) – translated into Czech
- Visions of Europe: Conversations on the Legacy and Future of Europe – Wolfhound Press, Dublin (1993)
- Poetics of Modernity: Toward a Hermeneutic Imagination – Humanities Press, New Jersey (1995) and by Prometheus Books (2000)
- States of Mind: Dialogues with Contemporary Thinkers – Manchester University Press, Manchester / New York University Press, New York (1995) – translated into Spanish and Russian
- Sam’s Fall – Hodder and Stoughton, London (1995) – Translated into German, French and Czech
- Desiderio et Dio (co-authored with Ghislain Lafont) – Camaldoli, Italy (1996) - in Italian
- Walking at Sea Level – Hodder and Stoughton, London (1997) – translated into German and French
- Postnationalist Ireland : Politics, Culture, Philosophy – Routledge, London and New York, (1997)
- The God Who May Be: A Hermeneutics of Religion – Indiana University Press, Bloomington (2001)
- On Stories – Routledge, London and New York (2002) – translated into Dutch and into Chinese (translated by WANG Guangzhou(pinyin: WÁNG Guǎngzhōu, Chinese: 王廣州) and published in May 2007 by Guangxi Normal University Press)
- Strangers, Gods and Monsters: Interpreting Otherness – Routledge, London and New York (2003) – translated into Korean and Greek
- Debates in Continental Philosophy: Conversations with Contemporary Thinkers – Fordham University Press, New York (2004)
- The Owl of Minerva: Encountering Paul Ricoeur – Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire (2004)
- Navigations – Lilliput Press, Dublin / Syracuse University Press, Syracuse NY (2006)
- "Anatheism: Returning to God After God" - Columbia University Press (2009)
Book co-edited by Richard Kearney
- The Crane bag book of Irish studies, co-edited with Patrick HedermanPatrick HedermanDom Mark Patrick Hederman, OSB, Abbot of Glenstal Abbey, County Limerick, Ireland , is a Benedictine monk, teacher, lecturer and writer. Formerly headmaster of the school at Glenstal, he was later named academic dean.-Biography:...
(Dublin : Blackwater/Folens, 1982-c1987)
See also
- Continental philosophyContinental philosophyContinental philosophy, in contemporary usage, refers to a set of traditions of 19th and 20th century philosophy from mainland Europe. This sense of the term originated among English-speaking philosophers in the second half of the 20th century, who used it to refer to a range of thinkers and...
- Deconstruction-and-religionDeconstruction-and-religionThose that take a deconstructive approach to religion identify closely with the work of Jacques Derrida, especially his work later in life. According to Slavoj Žižek, in the mid-to-late 1980s Derrida's work shifted from constituting a radical negative theology to being a form of Kantian idealism....
- Postmodern ChristianityPostmodern ChristianityPostmodern Christianity is an outlook of Christianity that is closely associated with the body of writings known as postmodern philosophy. Although it is a relatively recent development in the Christian religion, some Christian postmodernists assert that their style of thought has an affinity with...
- Hermeneutics of Narrative
External links
- Richard Kearney's webpage at Boston College
- Video recording of Richard Kearney lecturing on "The Sacramental Imagination" at Trinity Western University
- MP3 podcast of Richard Kearney in dialogue with John Caputo at the 2007 Emergent Village conference.
- In conversation (RealAudio) with David Cayley for CBC's Tapestry Programme, 10 December 2006
- In three-part one hour conversations with David CayleyDavid CayleyDavid Cayley, is a Toronto-based Canadian writer and broadcaster, who was a friend of Ivan Illich. His work airs on CBC Radio One's program Ideas.-List of works:* Ideas on the Nature of Science ISBN 9780864925442...
for the CBC Radio One programme IDEAS (aired over three weeks in January 2010). He talks about his philosophy of the imagination and his book The God Who May Be. - Round table discussion with Richard Kearney, William Richardson, Jeff Bloechl, and Thomas Sheehan.