Abstract:
This paper seeks to answer the question: In what sense can Alain Badiou's idea of evental
grace, conceived of as radically immanent, be understood as the continuation of the legacy of
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's nonreligious interpretation? The thematic scope of my analysis is
determined by two factors: first, the notions of "religionless Christianity" and "immanent
grace" which, as I will argue, despite the evident discrepancy between Bonhoeffer's and
Badiou's ontological backgrounds, allow for grasping some analogies between both their
general insights and particular views and, second, the willingness to preserve the integrity of
each approach. In order to meet the latter requirement I will, first, examine the contexts of
Bonhoeffer's concept of worldly faith and Badiou's concept of immanently actual infinity one
by one, through the lens of their respective agendas. Only then several analogies among them
will be suggested by pointing to the essential continuity of Bonhoeffer's legacy in Badiou
with concurrent discontinuity regarding both the ontological basis and the theological
implications of their views. Finally, I will suggest a possible message that the trajectory of
thought indicated by Bonhoeffer and Badiou might convey to Christianity today.It ought to be mentioned that while Bonhoeffer's theology constitutes the proper and
direct object of this study, my treatment of Badiou's philosophy assumes an effort of
appropriating his thought theologically, which in itself constitutes an unobvious and often
audacious task.
